Steve Spray
John Stephen Spray (December 16, 1940 – May 15, 2020) was an American professional golfer who 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 |
| Died | May 15, 2020 (aged 79) Chesterfield, Missouri |
| 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 tour(s) | 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 |
Spray was born in Des Moines, Iowa and reared 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] He won the NAIA Championship in 1962 and 1963 while at Eastern New Mexico.
Spray turned professional in 1964 and began play on the PGA Tour in 1965.[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.[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] In 1984, he was honored as the Gateway Section PGA Player of the Year, and was inducted into the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame in May 2009.[2]
Spray died in Chesterfield, Missouri on May 15, 2020.[5]
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 |
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
References
- "statistics from Yahoo Golf". Retrieved May 1, 2009.
- "Iowa Golf Hall of Fame Induction". Retrieved May 1, 2009.
- Chapin, Dwight (October 3, 2005). "Spray's win at Harding not list in mists of time". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved May 1, 2009.
- "Golf Major Championships". Retrieved May 1, 2009.
- "John Stephen Spray obituary".
External links
- Steve Spray at the PGA Tour official site