Hal Sutton

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.{{cite web |url=http://www.centenary.edu/news/2000/March/halsutto.html |title=Hal Sutton, PGA Present Ryder Cup Gift: $100,000 Each to Centenary College & United Way of Northwest Louisiana |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714162709/http://www.centenary.edu/news/2000/March/halsutto.html |archive-date=2014-07-14 }} 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.{{cite web |title=Today in Golf History: October 31 |publisher=Golfonline |url=http://www.golfonline.com/golfonline/features/history/article/0,17742,468236,00.html |access-date=November 30, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011204340/http://www.golfonline.com/golfonline/features/history/article/0,17742,468236,00.html |archive-date=October 11, 2007}}

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.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.si.com/vault/1983/08/15/618972/theres-a-new-bear-on-the-loose |magazine=Sports Illustrated |last=Jenkins |first=Dan |author-link=Dan Jenkins |title=There's a new bear on the loose |date=August 15, 1983 |page=16}}{{cite web |title=Golf Major Championships |url=http://golfmajorchampionships.com/players?player=91}} 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.{{cite magazine |url=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 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |last=Shipnuck |first=Alan |title=Punched out |date=April 3, 2000 |access-date=May 11, 2017}} 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!".{{Cite web |date=2020-05-01 |title=The club behind Hal Sutton’s 'Be the right club today!' moment |url=https://golf.com/gear/irons/hal-sutton-custom-hogan-6-iron-be-the-right-club-today/?amp=1 |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=Golf}} 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 Ranking for over 50 weeks from their debut in 1986 to 1987 and then again for over 50 weeks between 1999 and 2001.{{Cite web |url=http://dps.endavadigital.net/owgr/doc/content/2007%20Stats/86TO0810.pdf |title=69 Players Who Have Reached The Top-10 In World Ranking |access-date=2011-07-15 |archive-date=2015-10-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017160152/http://dps.endavadigital.net/owgr/doc/content/2007 |url-status=dead }} 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.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/18/sports/golf/18ryder.html?_r=1&ref=halsutton |title=U.S. Turns Its Focus to Playing Like a Team |newspaper=The New York Times |date=September 18, 2006 |first=Damon |last=Hack |access-date=March 7, 2012}}

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.

In April 2025, Hal Sutton endorsed Makefield Putters.{{Cite web |last=Taylor |first=Kyle |date=2025-04-14 |title=Hall Sutton signs historic agreement with Makefield Putters |url=https://thegolfwire.com/hal-sutton-makefield-putters/ |access-date=2025-06-04 |website=The Golf Wire}}

Sutton is a Republican, having donated money to several GOP causes.{{Cite web|url=https://www.opensecrets.org/search?q=hal+sutton&type=donors|title = OpenSecrets}} He has four children.{{Cite web|url=https://www.twincities.com/2009/07/08/hal-sutton-returns-to-pro-golf-after-four-year-hiatus-prepares-for-his-first-3m-championship/|title = Hal Sutton returns to pro golf after four-year hiatus, prepares for his first 3M Championship|date = 8 July 2009}}

• 1974 Louisiana Junior Amateur
• 1979 Western Amateur
• 1980 North and South Amateur, U.S. Amateur, Western Amateur, Northeast Amateur, Eisenhower Trophy medalist

PGA Tour playoff record (4–2)

Other playoff record (1–0)

{{legend|lime|Win}}

{{legend|yellow|Top 10}}

{{legend|#eeeeee|Did not play}}

LA = Low amateur

CUT = missed the half way cut

"T" indicates a tie for a place.

• Most consecutive cuts made – 5 (twice)
• Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (1999 U.S. Open – 1999 Open Championship)

{{legend|lime|Win}}

{{legend|yellow|Top 10}}

CUT = missed the halfway cut

WD = withdrew

"T" indicates a tie for a place.

¹Cancelled due to 9/11

{{legend|yellow|Top 10}}

{{legend|#eeeeee|Did not play}}

QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play

"T" = Tied

NT = No tournament

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)

• Fall 1981 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates
• List of men's major championships winning golfers

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• {{OWGR|205}}

{{PGA Champions}}

{{PGA Players of the Year}}

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{{1985 United States Ryder Cup team}}

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{{2000 United States Presidents Cup team}}

{{Players Championship champions}}

{{U.S. Amateur champions}}

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Category:American male golfers

Category:PGA Tour golfers

Category:PGA Tour Champions golfers

Category:Ryder Cup competitors for the United States

Category:Winners of men's major golf championships

Category:Golfers from Shreveport, Louisiana

Category:Centenary College of Louisiana alumni

Category:Sportspeople from Bossier City, Louisiana

Category:1958 births

Category:Living people

Category:Presidents Cup competitors for the United States

Category:20th-century American sportsmen