Jerry Pate
American professional golfer (born 1953)
Jerome Kendrick Pate (born September 16, 1953) is an American professional golfer on the PGA Tour Champions , formerly on the PGA Tour . As a 22-year-old rookie, he won the U.S. Open in 1976 .[ 3] [ 4] [ 5] [ 6]
Early life
Born in Macon, Georgia ,[ 7] Pate grew up in the panhandle of Florida at Pensacola .[ 1] [ 8]
Amateur career
He attended the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa and played on its Crimson Tide golf team. He had a distinguished amateur career with a win at the U.S. Amateur in 1974,[ 9] [ 10] [ 11] and was a member of victorious U.S. teams at the Eisenhower Trophy competition later that year and for the Walker Cup in May 1975 at St Andrews in Scotland .[ 12] A few weeks later, he tied Walker Cup teammate Jay Haas of Wake Forest for low amateur at the U.S. Open , finishing in a six-way tie for eighteenth place at Medinah , outside Chicago .[ 13] [ 14]
Professional career
Pate turned professional in 1975.[ 7] Late in the year he was the medalist at Fall 1975 PGA Tour Qualifying School .[ 15] [ 16] During his rookie season he won the 1976 U.S. Open .[ 3] [ 4] [ 5] He also won the Canadian Open that year. Pate closed with a 63 (-7) to defeat runner-up Jack Nicklaus by four strokes.[ 17] [ 18] Pate was selected as the Rookie of the Year and Co-Player of the Year.
Six more tour victories followed in ensuing years as well as several other titles around the world. He was a member of the victorious Ryder Cup team in 1981 , but shoulder injuries curtailed his career. His final win on the PGA Tour came at age 28.[ 19] That final victory was at the 1982 Tournament Players Championship , the first held at TPC at Sawgrass . Pate celebrated by throwing course designer Pete Dye and PGA Tour commissioner Deane Beman into the lake adjacent to the 18th green, then jumped in himself.[ 20] [ 21] [ 22] He had also jumped in the water after a victory the previous June, after going nearly three years without a win.[ 23] [ 24]
Later career
Pate later served as a golf broadcaster for ABC , CBS , and BBC . He also set up a golf course design practice and a turf and irrigation company.[ 19] He designed the Kiva Dunes in 1995 and the Ol' Colony Golf Complex in 2000,[ 25] which is the home course for the Alabama Crimson Tide golf team. In 2006 , he earned his first Champions Tour win at the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am . Pate has been forced by health problems, including arthroscopic left-knee surgery in 2010, to begin limiting his Champions Tour appearances.[ 19]
Personal life
In the late 1990s, Pate returned to the University of Alabama to complete his bachelor's degree in administrative science.[ 7] His daughter, Jenni, received her degree at the same graduation ceremony in 2001.[ 19]
Amateur wins
Professional wins (15)
PGA Tour wins (8)
Legend
Major championships (1)
Players Championships (1)
Other PGA Tour (6)
No.
Date
Tournament
Winning score
To par
Margin of victory
Runner(s)-up
1
Jun 20, 1976
U.S. Open
71-69-69-68=277
−3
2 strokes
Al Geiberger , Tom Weiskopf
2
Jul 25, 1976
Canadian Open
69-67-68-63=267
−13
4 strokes
Jack Nicklaus
3
Jan 9, 1977
Phoenix Open
67-67-70-73=277
−7
Playoff
Dave Stockton
4
Oct 23, 1977
Southern Open
64-67-69-66=266
−14
7 strokes
Phil Hancock , Mac McLendon , Johnny Miller , Steve Taylor
5
Sep 10, 1978
Southern Open (2)
67-67-66-69=269
−11
1 stroke
Phil Hancock
6
Jun 28, 1981
Danny Thomas Memphis Classic
69-70-66-69=274
−14
2 strokes
Tom Kite , Bruce Lietzke
7
Oct 18, 1981
Pensacola Open
66-69-65-71=271
−17
3 strokes
Steve Melnyk
8
Mar 21, 1982
Tournament Players Championship
70-73-70-67=280
−8
2 strokes
Brad Bryant , Scott Simpson
PGA Tour playoff record (1–2)
PGA of Japan Tour wins (2)
South American Golf Circuit wins (2)
Other wins (1)
Champions Tour wins (2)
Champions Tour playoff record (0–1)
Major championships
Wins (1)
Results timeline
Win
Top 10
Did not play
LA = Low amateur
CUT = missed the halfway cut (3rd round cut in 1976 Open Championship)
WD = withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place.
Summary
Most consecutive cuts made – 7 (1980 Open Championship – 1982 Masters)
Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (twice)
The Players Championship
Wins (1)
Results timeline
Tournament
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
The Players Championship
T17
T20
CUT
T45
1
CUT
T64
CUT
CUT
CUT
CUT
Win
Did not play
CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place.
U.S. national team appearances
Amateur
Professional
See also
References
^ a b McKenzie, Mike (June 21, 1976). "Soozi sunshine" . Tuscaloosa News . (Alabama). p. 11.
^ Deason, Lauren (February 13, 2008). "Love stories from the Tour" . PGA Tour . Retrieved May 11, 2017 .
^ a b Jenkins, Dan (June 28, 1976). "You were great, Jerry Pate" . Sports Illustrated . p. 18.
^ a b Husar, John (June 21, 1976). "Rookie Pate beats odds, wins Open" . Chicago Tribune . p. 1, sec. 6.
^ a b Mizell, Hubert (June 21, 1976). "Pate clinches Open on perfect shot" . St. Petersburg Times . (Florida). p. 1C.
^ McKenzie, Mike (June 21, 1976). "Drama got it!" . Tuscaloosa News . (Alabama). p. 1.
^ a b c "PGA Tour Profile – Jerry Pate" . PGA Tour. Retrieved November 7, 2013 .
^ "Pate: something extra in Pensacola" . Daytona Beach Morning Journal . (Florida). Associated Press. October 27, 1977. p. 3C.
^ Tomashek, Tom (September 1, 1974). "Pate defeats Grace in U.S. Amateur" . Chicago Tribune . p. 4, sec.3.
^ "Pate rallies by Grace" . Sunday Star-News . (Wilmington, North Carolina). UPI. September 1, 1974. p. 1C.
^ "Collegian Jerry Pate wins amateur crown" . Spokesman-Review . (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. September 1, 1974. p. 3, sports.
^ "U.S. retains Walker Cup" . Chicago Tribune . Associated Press. May 30, 1975. p. 4, sec. 4.
^ Tomashek, Tom (June 23, 1975). "Graham, Mahaffey in Open playoff" . Chicago Tribune . p. 1, sec. 4.
^ "Medinah showdown" . Tuscaloosa News . (Alabama). Associated Press. June 23, 1975. p. 9.
^ "Golf: PGA Fall Qualifying at Orlando, Fla" . Chicago Tribune . November 9, 1975. p. 10, sec. 3.
^ "PGA Tour career" . Jerry Pate's official site. Archived from the original on April 30, 2011. Retrieved April 29, 2011 .
^ "Pate shoots 63 to beat Nicklaus" . Chicago Tribune . Associated Press. July 26, 1976. p. 6, sec. 6.
^ "Jerry Pate adds another national title" . Tuscaloosa News . (Alabama). Associated Press. July 26, 1976. p. 7.
^ a b c d "PGA Tour Media Guide – Jerry Pate" . Retrieved November 7, 2013 .
^ "Pate charges at end, then takes cool dip" . Tuscaloosa News . (Alabama). Associated Press. March 22, 1982. p. 9.
^ Jenkins, Dan (March 29, 1982). "Last one in is a winner" . Sports Illustrated . p. 24. Archived from the original on January 19, 2013.
^ "In the swim of things" . Chicago Tribune . March 22, 1982. p. 4, sec. 4.
^ "Pate ends drought with Memphis swim" . Chicago Tribune . June 29, 1981. p. 2, sec. 4.
^ "The dry spell ends with a splash for Jerry Pate" . Eugene Register-Guard . (Oregon). Associated Press. June 29, 1981. p. 5C.
^ "Jerry Pate Golf Course Design" . Retrieved April 29, 2011 .
External links
† indicates the event was won in a playoff; ‡ indicates the event was won wire-to-wire; # indicates the event was won by an amateur; 1942–1945
cancelled due to World War II
† indicates the event was won in extra holes.