Thomas Kite: a brief history

Thomas Oliver Kite Jr. (born December 9, 1949) is an American professional golfer and golf course
architect. He won the U.S. Open in 1992 and spent 175 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf
Ranking between 1989 and 1994.[2]

Career

Kite was born in McKinney, Texas. He began playing golf at age six, and won his first tournament at age
11. Kite attended the University of Texas on a golf scholarship and was coached by Harvey Penick. He
turned professional in 1972 and has been a consistent money winner ever since. Known for his
innovation, he was the first to add a third wedge to his bag, one of the first players to use a sports
psychologist, and one of the first to emphasize physical fitness for game improvement. He also
underwent laser eye surgery, due to his partial blindness,[3] in a bid to improve his game late in his
career.

He has 19 PGA Tour victories, including the 1992 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. He competed on seven
Ryder Cup squads (1979, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1993) and served as the 1997 captain. Kite holds
a unique record of making the cut for the first four U.S. Opens held at Pebble Beach: 1972, 1982, 1992,
and 2000. Kite also shares the distinction (with Gene Littler) of playing in the most Masters Tournaments
without a win.[4]

In 1989 he was named PGA of America Player of the Year; in 1981 the Golf Writers Association Player of
the Year, the Vardon Trophy winner in 1981 and 1982, Bob Jones Award recipient in 1979 and Golf
Digest Rookie of the Year in 1973.

Kite was the first in Tour history to reach $6 million, $7 million, $8 million, and $9 million in career
earnings. He was the Tour's leading money-winner in 1981 and 1989. In his prime, Kite had few peers
with the short irons. In 1993, Johnny Miller referred to Kite as "the greatest short-iron player the game
has seen."[5]

In 2005 he led the PGA Tour's Booz Allen Classic by one shot going into the final round at the age of 55.
If he had been able to stay ahead he would have beaten Sam Snead's record as the oldest winner on the
PGA Tour by three years, but he fell away to finish tied 13th, seven shots behind Sergio García.

Kite currently plays the over 50s Champions Tour, where he has ten victories including one senior major,
The Countrywide Tradition. At the 2012 U.S. Senior Open, Kite shot a front nine 28 (seven under par) in
the first round. This was the lowest nine-hole score ever recorded in any USGA championship.[6][7] He
finished the tournament tied for 12th.

In 1996, Kite had a cameo in The Simpsons episode "Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield", in
which he gave Homer Simpson golf tips.[8]

Kite was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2004.[9]