Hal Evan Sutton (born April 28, 1958) is an American professional golfer, currently playing on the PGA Tour Champions, who achieved 14 victories on the PGA Tour, including the 1983 PGA Championship (a major championship) and the 1983 and 2000 Players Championships. Sutton was also the PGA Tour's leading money winner in 1983 and named Player of the Year.
Professional career
Born and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana, Sutton was a promising player at its Centenary College, and was named Golf Magazine's 1980 College Player of the Year. At Centenary, Sutton won 14 golf tournaments, was an All American, led the Gents to the NCAA Tournament, and finished ninth nationally.1 He quickly established himself as one of the PGA Tour's top young stars in the early 1980s. His first win was at the 1982 Walt Disney World Golf Classic in a playoff with Bill Britton after the two had tied at 19-under-par 269 after 72 holes.2
Sutton's most notable year came in 1983, when he won the Tournament Players Championship in March, followed by his only major title, the PGA Championship at Riviera in August.34 He entered into a long drought shortly thereafter, going from 1987 to 1994 without a PGA Tour victory. He nearly lost his tour card late in the string, maintaining it only by using a one-time-only exemption for players in the top 50 of the all-time PGA Tour career money list. After this disappointing eight years, Sutton rejuvenated his career in 1995 with a win at the B.C. Open.
In 1998, Sutton won the Valero Texas Open and the prestigious Tour Championship to finish fifth on the PGA Tour money list. Other than his spectacular 1983 season, Sutton had his best year to date in 2000 by beating Tiger Woods in the final group of The Players Championship to win.5 It was on the 72nd hole of this tournament as his 6 iron approach was in the air that he uttered what is now one of the most famous lines in golf "Be the right club. Be the right club today!"6. He also had an additional win — the Greater Greensboro Chrysler Classic two starts later. He would go on to finish fourth on the PGA Tour money list. In 2001, Sutton made the cut in 22 of 26 events with one victory at the Shell Houston Open at TPC at The Woodlands and a season winnings total of $1.7 million.
Sutton ranked in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings for over 50 weeks from their debut in 1986 to 1987 and then again for over 50 weeks between 1999 and 2001.7 He has reached the top five of the rankings.
After playing on four U.S. Ryder Cup teams (1985, 1987, 1999, 2002), he was named non-playing captain of the team for 2004. The competition, played at Oakland Hills Country Club, saw Europe beat the US by 18½ to 9½ points. Inevitably, Sutton came in for some criticism of his performance as captain, especially for his decision to pair Tiger Woods with Phil Mickelson on the first day of play.8
In 2007, Sutton received the Payne Stewart Award for his charitable efforts, which include the establishment of the Christus Schumpert Sutton Children's Hospital in his hometown of Shreveport. He also teamed up with Louisianans Kelly Gibson and David Toms to raise more than $2 million in aid to Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita victims. Sutton was also awarded the Omar N. Bradley Spirit of Independence Award in 2004 and the Golf Writers Association of America's 2006 Charlie Bartlett Award with Gibson and Toms for their relief efforts.
Sutton became eligible to play on the Champions Tour in April 2008 and his best finish is a tie for third at the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am in 2009.
Personal life
Sutton is a Republican, having donated money to several GOP causes.9 He has four children.10
Amateur wins (6)
- 1974 Louisiana Junior Amateur
- 1979 Western Amateur
- 1980 North and South Amateur, U.S. Amateur, Western Amateur, Northeast Amateur, Eisenhower Trophy medalist
Professional wins (15)
PGA Tour wins (14)
| Legend |
|---|
| Major championships (1) |
| Players Championships (2) |
| Tour Championships (1) |
| Other PGA Tour (10) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin ofvictory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oct 31, 1982 | Walt Disney World Golf Classic | 71-63-68-67=269 | −19 | Playoff | Bill Britton |
| 2 | Mar 28, 1983 | Tournament Players Championship | 73-71-70-69=283 | −5 | 1 stroke | Bob Eastwood |
| 3 | Aug 7, 1983 | PGA Championship | 65-66-72-71=274 | −10 | 1 stroke | Jack Nicklaus |
| 4 | Jun 30, 1985 | St. Jude Memphis Classic | 65-76-73-65=279 | −9 | Playoff | David Ogrin |
| 5 | Sep 22, 1985 | Southwest Golf Classic | 68-67-67-71=273 | −15 | Playoff | Mike Reid |
| 6 | Jan 26, 1986 | Phoenix Open | 64-64-68-71=267 | −17 | 2 strokes | Calvin Peete, Tony Sills |
| 7 | May 25, 1986 | Memorial Tournament | 68-69-66-68=271 | −17 | 4 strokes | Don Pooley |
| 8 | Sep 17, 1995 | B.C. Open | 71-69-68-61=269 | −15 | 1 stroke | Jim McGovern |
| 9 | Sep 27, 1998 | Westin Texas Open | 67-68-67-68=270 | −18 | 1 stroke | Jay Haas, Justin Leonard |
| 10 | Nov 1, 1998 | The Tour Championship | 69-67-68-70=274 | −6 | Playoff | Vijay Singh |
| 11 | Sep 12, 1999 | Bell Canadian Open | 69-67-70-69=275 | −13 | 3 strokes | Dennis Paulson |
| 12 | Mar 27, 2000 | The Players Championship (2) | 69-69-69-71=278 | −10 | 1 stroke | Tiger Woods |
| 13 | Apr 23, 2000 | Greater Greensboro Chrysler Classic | 67-64-72-71=274 | −14 | 3 strokes | Andrew Magee |
| 14 | Apr 22, 2001 | Shell Houston Open | 70-68-71-69=278 | −10 | 3 strokes | Joe Durant, Lee Janzen |
PGA Tour playoff record (4–2)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1982 | Walt Disney World Golf Classic | Bill Britton | Won with birdie on fourth extra hole |
| 2 | 1985 | St. Jude Memphis Classic | David Ogrin | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 3 | 1985 | Southwest Golf Classic | Mike Reid | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 4 | 1989 | Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic | Mike Donald, Tim Simpson | Donald won with birdie on fourth extra holeSutton eliminated by par on third hole |
| 5 | 1994 | Federal Express St. Jude Classic | Dicky Pride, Gene Sauers | Pride won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 6 | 1998 | The Tour Championship | Vijay Singh | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
Other wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin ofvictory | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dec 15, 1985 | Chrysler Team Championship(with Raymond Floyd) | 63-65-68-64=260 | −28 | Playoff | Charlie Bolling and Brad Fabel, Jim Colbert and Tom Purtzer, John Fought and Pat McGowan, Gary Hallberg and Scott Hoch |
Other playoff record (1–0)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponents | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1985 | Chrysler Team Championship(with Raymond Floyd) | Charlie Bolling and Brad Fabel, Jim Colbert and Tom Purtzer, John Fought and Pat McGowan, Gary Hallberg and Scott Hoch | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
Major championships
Wins (1)
| Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | PGA Championship | 2 shot lead | −10 (65-66-72-71=274) | 1 stroke | Jack Nicklaus |
Results timeline
| Tournament | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 52 | CUT | T27 | CUT | T31 | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | |
| U.S. Open | CUT | CUT | T19 | 6 | T16 | T23 | T4 | T31 | 64 | T29 |
| The Open Championship | T47LA | CUT | T29 | CUT | T11 | CUT | ||||
| PGA Championship | T29 | 1 | T6 | T65 | T21 | T28 | T66 | CUT |
| Tournament | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | |||||
| U.S. Open | CUT | CUT | T36 | T19 | T7 | |||||
| The Open Championship | T10 | |||||||||
| PGA Championship | T49 | T7 | CUT | T31 | T55 | CUT | CUT | CUT | T27 | T26 |
| Tournament | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 10 | 36 | ||||
| U.S. Open | T23 | T24 | CUT | |||
| The Open Championship | CUT | CUT | CUT | |||
| PGA Championship | CUT | T44 | T60 | T39 | CUT | 79 |
LA = Low amateur CUT = missed the half way cut "T" indicates a tie for a place.
Summary
| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 5 |
| U.S. Open | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 18 | 13 |
| The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 4 |
| PGA Championship | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 24 | 17 |
| Totals | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 16 | 68 | 39 |
- Most consecutive cuts made – 5 (twice)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (1999 U.S. Open – 1999 Open Championship)
The Players Championship
Wins (2)
| Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Tournament Players Championship | 4 shot deficit | −5 (73-71-70-69=283) | 1 stroke | Bob Eastwood |
| 2000 | The Players Championship (2) | 1 shot lead | −10 (69-69-69-71=278) | 1 stroke | Tiger Woods |
Results timeline
| Tournament | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Players Championship | 1 | T41 | T22 | T7 | T24 | CUT | T29 | CUT | T68 | CUT | CUT | T19 | CUT | T53 | T50 | T18 | T4 | 1 | T5 | CUT | CUT | CUT | WD |
CUT = missed the halfway cut WD = withdrew "T" indicates a tie for a place.
Results in World Golf Championships
| Tournament | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match Play | R64 | QF | R64 | R64 | |
| Championship | 19 | NT1 | |||
| Invitational | T15 | T4 | T11 | T42 | T33 |
1Cancelled due to 9/11
Top 10 Did not playQF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play "T" = Tied NT = No tournament
U.S. national team appearances
Amateur
- Walker Cup: 1979 (winners), 1981 (winners)
- Eisenhower Trophy: 1980 (team winners and individual leader)
Professional
- USA vs. Japan: 1983
- Ryder Cup: 1985, 1987, 1999 (winners), 2002, 2004 (captain)
- Nissan Cup: 1986
- Presidents Cup: 1998 (withdrew), 2000 (winners)
- UBS Cup: 2003 (tie), 2004 (winners)
See also
External links
- Hal Sutton at the PGA Tour official site
- Hal Sutton at the Official World Golf Ranking official site
References
"Hal Sutton, PGA Present Ryder Cup Gift: $100,000 Each to Centenary College & United Way of Northwest Louisiana". Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140714162709/http://www.centenary.edu/news/2000/March/halsutto.html ↩
"Today in Golf History: October 31". Golfonline. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved November 30, 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20071011204340/http://www.golfonline.com/golfonline/features/history/article/0,17742,468236,00.html ↩
Jenkins, Dan (August 15, 1983). "There's a new bear on the loose". Sports Illustrated. p. 16. /wiki/Dan_Jenkins ↩
"Golf Major Championships". http://golfmajorchampionships.com/players?player=91 ↩
Shipnuck, Alan (April 3, 2000). "Punched out". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved May 11, 2017. https://www.si.com/vault/2000/04/03/277588/punched-out-unlike-some-of-his-fellow-tour-pros-who-seemed-resigned-to-defeat-hal-sutton-couldnt-wait-to-knock-off-tiger-woods-at-the-players-championship ↩
"The club behind Hal Sutton's 'Be the right club today!' moment". Golf. May 1, 2020. Retrieved March 14, 2025. https://golf.com/gear/irons/hal-sutton-custom-hogan-6-iron-be-the-right-club-today/?amp=1 ↩
"69 Players Who Have Reached The Top-10 In World Ranking". Archived from the original (PDF) on October 17, 2015. Retrieved July 15, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20151017160152/http://dps.endavadigital.net/owgr/doc/content/2007 ↩
Hack, Damon (September 18, 2006). "U.S. Turns Its Focus to Playing Like a Team". The New York Times. Retrieved March 7, 2012. https://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/18/sports/golf/18ryder.html?_r=1&ref=halsutton ↩
"OpenSecrets". https://www.opensecrets.org/search?q=hal+sutton&type=donors ↩
"Hal Sutton returns to pro golf after four-year hiatus, prepares for his first 3M Championship". July 8, 2009. https://www.twincities.com/2009/07/08/hal-sutton-returns-to-pro-golf-after-four-year-hiatus-prepares-for-his-first-3m-championship/ ↩