Hal Sutton
A gritty American golfer who twice conquered the game's toughest test at The Players Championship, bookending a career of fierce determination.
Born 1958 (age 68)·American professional golfer·Birthday: April 28·Baby Boomers
Biography
Hal Sutton announced himself as golf's next great hope by beating Jack Nicklaus head-to-head to win the PGA Championship in 1983. With his trademark straw hat and powerful swing, he seemed destined for a long reign. While the subsequent years brought victories but not sustained dominance, Sutton forged a reputation as a relentless competitor. He authored one of the sport's great comeback stories in 2000, reclaiming the spotlight by winning The Players Championship seventeen years after his first victory there, famously declaring 'Be the right club today!' as his approach shot sealed the win over Tiger Woods. His career is a testament to resilience, defined by two iconic peaks a generation apart.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Hal was born in 1958, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Hal Was Born
The biggest hits of 1958
#1 Movie
South Pacific
Best Picture
Gigi
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Hal's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1958Born
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1963Started school
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1971Became a teenager
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Could drive
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1976Could vote
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Turned 21
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1988Turned 30
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 40
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 50
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 60
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 68 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Defeated Jack Nicklaus to win the 1983 PGA Championship at Riviera Country Club.
- Won The Players Championship in both 1983 and 2000, a 17-year gap between victories.
- Named PGA Tour Player of the Year and won the Vardon Trophy for lowest scoring average in 1983.
- Served as captain of the victorious United States Ryder Cup team in 2004.
Did You Know?
His 2000 Players Championship win famously featured the line 'Be the right club today!' shouted at his ball.
Sutton was a three-time All-American at Centenary College in Louisiana.
He designed several golf courses, including the Olde Stone course in Kentucky.
He won the U.S. Amateur championship in 1980.
“Be the right club today!”
