Stan Utley

Stanley Frank Utley (born January 16, 1962) is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour, Nationwide Tour, and Champions Tour.

Stan Utley
Personal information
Full nameStanley Frank Utley
Born (1962-01-16) January 16, 1962
Thayer, Missouri
Height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight170 lb (77 kg; 12 st)
Nationality United States
ResidenceScottsdale, Arizona
ChildrenJake, Tatum
Career
CollegeUniversity of Missouri
Turned professional1984
Former tour(s)PGA Tour
Champions Tour
Nationwide Tour
Professional wins7
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour1
Korn Ferry Tour3
Other3
Best results in major championships
Masters TournamentDNP
PGA ChampionshipT49: 1990
U.S. Open61st: 1991
The Open ChampionshipDNP

Utley was born and raised in Thayer, a small town in southern Missouri. He attended the University of Missouri where he was a distinguished member of the golf team, a three-time all-Big Eight selection and two-time All-American.[1] Utley led Missouri to the Big Eight Championship in 1984. He also led the Tigers to two NCAA appearances where they placed 13th and 14th respectively, in 1983 and 1984.[2] He turned professional in 1984 and joined the PGA Tour in 1989.[3]

Utley's sole PGA Tour victory came in 1989 at the Chattanooga Classic. He lost his PGA Tour card in 1992 and decided to play on the Nike Tour (now known as the Korn Ferry Tour).[4] In the 1990s, he played primarily in this venue.

Utley holds the PGA Tour record for fewest putts in nine holes, with six at the 2002 Air Canada Championship.[5] As his touring career was winding down, Utley began to develop new career strategies for taking advantage of his reputation as one of the best chippers and putters in the game. He began a transition into teaching and writing with special focus on his specialty - the short game. Utley has risen to prominence as one of the best instructors in golf.

Golf Digest has called Utley one of America's 50 greatest teachers in their annual poll of more than 1,500 teaching professionals from around the country. He ranked 20th on the 2019-2020 list.[6][7] His list of current and former students on the PGA, Korn Ferry, Champions and LPGA Tours includes Jay Haas, Sergio García, Joaquín Niemann, Scott Langley, Kevin Streelman, Scott Piercy, Paige Mackenzie, Amanda Blumenherst, Darren Clarke, Brandt Jobe, Rocco Mediate, Alex Norén, Inbee Park, Paul McGinley and Bill Haas.[8]

Utley was elected to the University of Missouri Athletics Hall of Fame in 1995, the first golfer ever chosen.[2] He is a man of strong Christian faith.[4] He and wife, Elayna, have a daughter and a son. They live in Scottsdale, Arizona.[3]

Utley made his Champions Tour debut when he qualified for the 2012 Toshiba Classic.

Professional wins (7)

PGA Tour wins (1)
No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory		 Runner-up
1 Aug 27, 1989 Chattanooga Classic −17 (69-66-64-64=263) 3 strokes Ray Stewart

Nike Tour wins (3)
No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory		 Runner-up
1 Jun 13, 1993 Nike Cleveland Open −17 (69-69-68-65=263) 3 strokes Jerry Kelly
2 Mar 26, 1995 Nike Louisiana Open −20 (70-70-66-62=268) 2 strokes Keith Fergus
3 Jun 11, 1995 Nike Miami Valley Open −20 (71-62-66-65=264) 4 strokes Jon Hough, Steve Jurgensen

Nike Tour playoff record (0–1)

No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
1 1999 Nike South Florida Classic Curt Byrum Lost to par on first extra hole

Other wins (3)
  • 1986 Kansas Open
  • 1988 Missouri Open
  • 1989 Missouri Open

Results in major championships
Tournament 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991
U.S. Open CUT CUT 61
PGA Championship T49 CUT

Note: Utley never played in the Masters Tournament or The Open Championship.

  Did not play

CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied

See also

References
  1. Official 1991 PGA Tour Media Guide. PGA Tour Creative Services. 1991. p. 170.
  2. "Stan Utley bio". University of Missouri Athletics. Retrieved October 27, 2007.
  3. "Biographical from official website". StanUtley.com. Retrieved November 22, 2009.
  4. "Stan Utley Player Profile". Archived from the original on September 22, 2007. Retrieved October 27, 2007.
  5. Van Sickle, Gary; Utley, Stan (August 11, 2003). "Stan's the man". Sports Illustrated.
  6. "America's Fifty Greatest Teachers". Golf Digest. August 2007. Retrieved October 27, 2007.
  7. "The 50 Best Teachers In America". Golf Digest. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
  8. "Introducing Master Faculty Member Stan Utley". golf.swingbyswing.com. January 7, 2019. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
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