Pro Golfers From Texas On PGA Tour

Pro golfers from Texas include Ryan Palmer, Jordan Spieth, Tom Jenkins, Kramer Hickok and Bob Estes. Among them Spieth has 13 wins on the PGA Tour.

Texas has been home to many exceptional linksmen. These talented individuals not only have made their mark in the world of golf with their impressive skills but also have made huge contributions to the sport both on the national and international stage.

Besides, the list comprises only golfers hailing from Texas, while it omits those who currently reside in Texas but were not born there.

For example, the 2022 Masters Tournament winner Scottie Scheffler who currently nestles in Dallas but was actually from Ridgewood, New Jersey, is not included.

Moreover, individuals who attended universities in Texas but are not originally from the state did not make the list either.

1. Ryan Palmer – Amarillo, Texas

Ryan Palmer is one of the talented PGA golfers from Texas. Palmer was born on 19 September 1976 in the bustling city of Amarillo.

The 46-year-old professional spent his entire childhood in the small town of Texas Panhandle. Palmer went to Amarillo High School and earned his graduation in 1995.

He then went on to play golf in college at the University of North Texas for a year. Later, Ryan switched to Texas A&M University and graduated in 2000, completing his last three years of college there.

Since turning pro in 2000, Palmer has grabbed 5 professional wins, including 4 on the PGA Tour in his over two-decade-long golf career.

Besides, in the 2014 PGA Championship, Palmer landed the T5 spot, his personal best. He currently lives in Colleyville, Texas with his wife Jennifer Fuller and two children.

2. Jordan Spieth – Dallas, Texas

Jordan Spieth is indeed among the most famous Texas golfers who has achieved great success in the sport. Spieth is a native of Dallas, Texas.

Born on 27th July 1993, the 30-year-old went to St. Monica Catholic School. He finished high school at Jesuit College Preparatory School in 2011. Following his graduation, Spieth picked up golf skills while at Brookhaven Country Club.

In 2012, at 19, Spieth turned pro during his second year at the University of Texas, after not making it to the final stage of PGA Tour qualifying school.

Jordan boasts an impressive tally of 13 wins on the PGA Tour. Moreover, he has also clinched three major championships, the 2015 Masters, the 2015 US Open and the Open Championship in 2017.

Spieth tied the knot with the love of his life Annie Verret in Dallas, Texas in November 2018.

3. Kramer Hickok – Austin, Texas

Kramer Hickok belongs to a roster of adept Texas golfers on PGA Tour. Born in Austin Texas on 14th April 1992, Hickok’s current residence is in Dallas.

From the capital of the Texas state, he has risen through the ranks to become one of the popular holders in the region.

Kramer joined the University of Texas and started college at the same time as Jordan Spieth. In 2011-2012, when their university’s sports team won a national championship, they were roommates.

Besides, Hickok helped Spieth as a caddy at the 2011 AT&T Byron Nelson golf tournament. After spending four years playing for the University of Texas, he graduated in 2015 with a degree in Geography.

Hickok transitioned to a professional career following his 2015 collegiate season.

4. Ben Crenshaw – Austin, Texas

Ben Crenshaw is the 2002 World Golf Hall of Famer hailed from Austin Texas. Crenshaw golf career spans over 40 years starting from 1973 to 2015.

Texas has always been a hotbed for golf talent and Crenshaw lies among the early generations of players hailing from the state.

Crenshaw played golf in high school at Austin High School and later at the University of Texas. During his time at the college, he managed to win three NCAA Championships in golf.

Additionally, he stands out as one of Texas’ most accomplished golfers to have participated in the PGA Tour, boasting an impressive record of 19 victories.

Crenshaw still nestles in Austin with his beloved missus Polly.

5. Tom Jenkins – Houston, Texas

Tom Jenkins is a Texas PGA golf player who won the IVB-Philadelphia Golf Classic in 1975. That was the only PGA Tour victory for Jenkins.

Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Tom was a member of the Houston Cougars golf team that claimed the NCAA University Division championship in 1970.

After graduating from the University of Houston in 1971, he immediately declared the start of his professional journey.

In a timeframe of 11 years from 1999 to the late 2000s, Jenkins won seven PGA Tour Champions titles earning more than $12 million in prize money. Right now, he stands among the top 10 golfers in terms of all-time money earned on the Champions Tour.

6. Bob Estes – Graham, Texas

Bob Estes is another of Texas PGA golfers who has earned international recognition. Ester presently partakes in PGA Tour Champions events.

The 4-time PGA Tour winner grew up in Graham, Texas, and later moved to Abilene, Texas. He started playing golf when he was just 4 years old, and by the time he was 12, he had already honed his skills to a high level.

Ester proceeded to the University of Texas from 1984 to 1988 and was part of their golf team. In his final year at the campus in 1988, he received the Haskins Award, for being the best collegiate golfer in the country.

Currently at age 57, the 6-foot-2 golfer still actively participates in senior golf tournaments. His last top-10 finish was in the 2021 US Senior Open.

7. Tom Kite – McKinney, Texas

Tom Kite was born Thomas Oliver Kite Jr on 9th December 1949 in McKinney, Texas. Kite won the United States Open Championship in 1992.

Commencing his golfing endeavors at the age of six, he secured his first tournament success at the remarkably young age of eleven.

Kite received a golf scholarship to the University of Texas and later went pro in 1972. He achieved 19 PGA Tour wins and secured the title of the money leader twice in 1981 and 1989.

The 73-year-old currently competes in the PGA Tour Champions where he has won ten times, including a senior major, The Countrywide Tradition in April 2000.

Additionally, Kite became a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2004.

8. Wes Short Jr – Austin, Texas

Wes Short Jr is a part of a formidable lineup of professional golfers from Texas. Short has achieved four professional Tour wins throughout his career.

Short is a Texan through and through, hailing from Austin and spending his whole life there. He enrolled at the University of Texas.

In 1987, Wes turned pro and tried to make it as a golfer. It took until 2004, when he was 40 years old, for him to get his big chance to play on the PGA Tour.

His big moment came in 2005 when he won the Michelin Championship in Las Vegas. That was his one and only PGA Tour victory. Similarly, Short qualified for his first US Open in 2016.

9. Andrew Landry – Port Neches, Texas

Andrew Landry is a PGA Tour golfer who emanated from Port Neches, Texas. Landry earned his pro golf card in 2015 at the Korn Ferry Tour.

The 36-year-old athlete attended a public institution, the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, where he gave a headstart to his golfing pursuit.

Landry started his professional career after finishing school in 2009. He played his first major golf tournament on the PGA Tour in 2015 at the Shell Houston Open. Then, in April 2018, he won his maiden PGA Tour trophy at the Valero Texas Open.

His second win on the PGA Tour came two years later after the first in January 2020. Andrew defeated Mexican talent Abraham Ancer by 2 strokes.

10. Omar Uresti – Austin, Texas

Omar Uresti is an Austin, Texas homegrown who competed on the PGA Tour. Uresti turned pro after graduating from the University of Texas in 1991.

Unfortunately, he has not won in any PGA Tour events despite securing 9 career wins. Besides, Uresti won twice on the Web.com Tour, with his first victory coming in 1994.

After he finished playing on the PGA Tour, he became a permanent member of the Southern Texas PGA chapter for the rest of his life.

Omar Uresti Professional Victories