Hall Of Famer - Tom Kite

Tom’s dad would say to a young Tom “Tom, for every 100 men who try the Tour, 99 will fail”. Tom Kite started playing golf at the young age of six years. Kite was born in McKinney, Texas, in 1949 by the time Tom was 11 he had won his first tournament.

Getting a scholarship for golf at the University of Texas Tom had the privilege to be taught by Hall of Famer Harvey Penick. Taking to his newfound mentor, Kite was destined to join the PGA Tour from a young age; his dream became reality in 1973.

Even in University Tom found himself on the winning side of the game giving the University two consecutive wins in 1971 and 1972 at the NCAA Championships. Fully committed to the PGA Tour in 1973 Tom is on the winning side of the game again in 1976 with his first win at the IVB-Bicentennial Golf Classic.

Kite has an impressive career victories of 38 all time professional wins, 19 of them at the PGA Tour, with one major in 1992 at the U.S. Open. In the fourth round, Tom shot a 71 with Jeff Sluman at a close 70 behind him in second place Tom finishing two behind at the end of round 4 with a 285 and Jeff with a 287 in third with 288 was Colin Montegomerie.

Tom wasn’t just your average player, when things weren’t just right Kite made them right, he was not afraid to be different as he was the first player to start carrying a third wedge to the bag. He was engaged with a sport physiologist and was on the forefront to bring awareness to the importance of fitness on the golf course.

Kite lived golf, breathed golf and was going to do what it took to win and be successful at the game. Successful he was Tom was the first player to reach $ 6 million in earnings and then on to be the first to reach $ 9 million, was the money leader 1981 and 1989. I have read that his all time career winnings are $ 25 million and up, that’s golf.

The Vardon Trophy and the Byron Nelson Trophy found their way into Tom’s possession in 1981 and 1982. Player of the Year was bestowed to Kite in 1989. Tom’s perfect foursome would have been with some of the greats from the golden age of golf. Players such as Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson and Walter Hagen because he said they were the best, and he will never get the chance to play with them.

Tom was invited to have his story be told among the greats of the game at the great World Golf Hall of Fame in 2004. Through Tom’s victories and other achievements in the world of golf, Tom Kite makes a well-deserved inductee.