Tom Kite is an American golfer who flourished in the 1980s and 1990s. Known for his innovative approach to this sport, he was one of the first players to use three Wedge golf clubs in his game at once. Also, Kite has always emphasized the importance of being fit for a golfer. And finally, by his example, he actively supported the practice of communication between players and a sports psychologist, which was new in those days.
Biography: childhood and adolescence
Thomas Oliver Kite Jr. was born on December 9, 1949 in the small town of McKinney, which is located near Dallas, Texas. Then the family moved to Austin, where he spent his childhood and adolescence. Tom started playing golf because his father was fond of it. He trained from the age of six, and at eleven he won his first tournament. In Austin, his coach was the famous athlete Harvey Penick, who is inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. It is noteworthy that Kite paid $ 3.50 for the first lesson, but, having appreciated the talented student, the instructor made further lessons free. While training with Penik, Tom met Ben Crenshaw, the future golf star and his eternal rival.
Unlike peers who dreamed of becoming firefighters or baseball players, Kite wanted to connect his future with professional golf. About his first steps in a sports career, he said: “At that time in my life there was nothing that I liked more than golf. Nothing could even be a close replacement."
Through an athletic scholarship, Kite graduated from the University of Texas in 1972, where he studied business administration. In college, he continued to play golf. From 1971-1972 he was the captain of the varsity team in competitions held by the National University Sports Association. In 1970 he won the World Amateur Golf Championship.
Sports career: heyday
In 1972, Tom Kite joined the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) as a rookie. This organization hosts an annual series of PGA Tour tournaments in the United States, Canada, Latin America and other countries. In 1973, the athlete completed his first full season on the PGA Tour and was named Rookie of the Year.
Tom Kite won his first PGA Tour victory in 1976. In his entire career, he has 19 such victories, in addition to them - 29 second places and 209 mentions in the top ten golfers. In 1979, Kite received the Bob Jones Award for Outstanding Sportsmanship in Golf.
The 1981 season marked a major breakthrough in his career. The kite was named Player of the Year and twice (1981, 1982) won the prestigious Vardon Trophy, which is awarded to the player with the lowest average hit rate. In the same year, the golfer topped the money rankings, earning the largest prize money for the season.
In golf, he was nicknamed "Mr. Constancy", which is associated with a stable career as an athlete. In his best years, Tom Kite had no sharp ups and downs. Between 1981 and 1987, he won at least once a season. In 1989 he was named Player of the Year in the PGA of America. Kite topped the earnings rankings again with $ 1.4 million in revenue.
For most of his career, the athlete lacked only one trophy - winning the Major Championships. As part of the Men's World Golf Championship, four tournaments are held annually:
- The Masters Tournament - in the US state of Georgia;
- The PGA Championship - organized by the PGA and held in various parts of the United States;
- The U. S. Open - organized by the United States Golf Association (USGA) and held in various locations;
- The Open Championship is organized by the most prestigious golf club in the world, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews and is held in the UK.
In 1978, Tom Kite finished second at the World Championships in the UK, and in 1983 and 1986 he also came close to winning The Masters Tournament. Finally, in 1992, the golfer won The U. S. Open in California. In 1989-1994, Kite was considered the richest golfer in America, earning more than his colleagues every year.
As a member of the US national team, he participated in the Ryder Cup team tournament seven times. This competition is held every two years between the American and European men's teams. In 1997, Tom Kite was the captain of the United States team in the Ryder Cup, but his team lost to golfers from Europe. He considers this experience to be the most important in his career.
In 1998, the athlete underwent surgery to correct myopia, before that, from the age of 12, he constantly wore glasses. In 1996, as part of the European Tour in Madrid, Kite won his last victory before moving to the Senior major golf championships - professional golf for players over 50.
Tom Kite's total wins:
- PGA Tour - 19;
- Champions Tour - 10;
- European Tour - 2;
- Major Championships - 1.
Late career and personal life
In 2000, at the age of 50, Tom Kite became a regular participant in the Champions Tour. Within the framework of this tournament, 5 championships are held. Two of them - The Tradition and the US Senior Open - the athlete won the first time in the same 2000. In total, he has 10 victories in golf for senior players. Kite's last won tournament was the Boeing Classic in 2008.
He currently continues to play golf, taking part in 15-20 competitions per season. In November 2002, the athlete was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, which is located in Florida. During his sports career, he has earned over $ 27 million.
In addition to his favorite game, Tom Kite is engaged in landscaping golf courses. As part of the design team, he worked on projects in New Jersey, Texas, Nevada, Oklahoma in the United States and was involved in the opening of the Coco Beach Resort golf course in Puerto Rico. The golfer himself calls his favorite sports ground Pebble Beach Golf Links, where he won the Main Championship.
In the athlete's personal life, his main support and support was his wife Christie. They met while playing golf, and got married in October 1975. His wife accompanied Tom to competitions, took care of the house and children. Christy Kite died on January 23, 2015 after a long illness.
The couple raised three children: daughter Stephanie Lee (1981) and twin sons David Thomas (1984) and Paul Christopher (1984). Tom Kite has a granddaughter, Adaya Lee (David's daughter). The golfer's children also linked their lives with sports. The daughter did gymnastics and was a member of the University of Alabama team in 2002. Son David played golf and worked as an assistant coach for the men's golf team at the College of Charleston. He is currently the Director of The Links at Stone Ferry Golf Club in South Carolina. Together with his father, they dream of working on the design of a golf course. Sometimes Tom and David take part in informal golf events, demonstrating well-coordinated doubles play.
