Steve Spray
American professional golfer (1940–2020)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John Stephen Spray (December 16, 1940 – May 15, 2020) was an American professional golfer. He played on the PGA Tour in the 1960s and 1970s.
| Steve Spray | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Full name | John Stephen Spray |
| Born | December 16, 1940 Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. |
| Died | May 15, 2020 (aged 79) Chesterfield, Missouri, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight | 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st) |
| Sporting nationality |  United States |
| Children | 2 |
| Career | |
| College | University of Iowa Eastern New Mexico University |
| Turned professional | 1964 |
| Former tours | PGA Tour Champions Tour |
| Professional wins | 8 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 1 |
| Other | 7 |
| Best results in major championships | |
| Masters Tournament | 43rd: 1969 |
| PGA Championship | T78: 1971 |
| U.S. Open | T5: 1968 |
| The Open Championship | DNP |
Early life and amateur career
In 1940, Spray was born in Des Moines, Iowa. He grew up in Indianola, Iowa.[1][2] His first big win as an amateur came in the 1958 Iowa Junior Amateur; the next year he gained national fame by winning the Western Junior.
Spray attended the University of Iowa initially but transferred to Eastern New Mexico University where he spent most of his college career.[2][3] In consecutive years, from 1962 to 1963, he won the NAIA Championship while at Eastern New Mexico.
Professional career
In 1964, Spray turned professional. He began play on the PGA Tour the following year.[1][3] The highlight of Spray's career came in 1969 with a win at the San Francisco Open Invitational, the last PGA Tour event held at San Francisco's storied Harding Park Golf Club.[3] His best finish in a major championship was a T-5 at the 1968 U.S. Open.[4]
Spray was hampered by injuries during the last years of his PGA career including tendinitis in his left thumb that forced him to change his grip and back surgery that caused him to miss almost all of 1974.[3]
After leaving the PGA Tour, Spray began working as the head pro at St. Louis Country Club in 1976 – a position he held for more than 30 years.[3]
Personal life
Spray died in Chesterfield, Missouri on May 15, 2020.[5]
Awards and honors
- In 1984, Spray was honored as the Gateway Section PGA Player of the Year.
- In 2009, he was inducted into the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame.[2]
Amateur wins
- 1958 Iowa Junior Amateur
- 1959 Western Junior
- 1962 Northwest Amateur, Central States Amateur, NAIA Championship
- 1963 Iowa Amateur, Central States Amateur, Tournament of Champions, NAIA Championship
Professional wins (8)
PGA Tour wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oct 26, 1969 | San Francisco Open Invitational | −15 (70-63-66-70=269) | 1 stroke |  Chi-Chi Rodríguez |
Source:[6]
Other wins (7)
- 1964 Iowa Open
- 1966 Waterloo Open Golf Classic
- 1972 Herman Sani
- 1973 New Mexico Open, Arizona Open
- 1977 Gateway Section PGA Championship
- 1979 Gateway Section PGA Championship
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | CUT | 42 | |||||||||||
| U.S. Open | CUT | T5 | CUT | T51 | CUT | ||||||||
| PGA Championship | T79 |
| Tournament | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | |||||||||||||
| U.S. Open | CUT | CUT | CUT | ||||||||||
| PGA Championship | CUT | CUT |
Note: Spray never played in the Open Championship.
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied for place