PGA pro Kevin Sutherland returns to play with alma mater

WRITTEN BY: communications student intern, Kyle Hendrickson

FRESNO, Calif. – Last Wednesday afternoon on a rainy day at San Joaquin Country Club, the Fresno State men's golf team was practicing on a familiar course, one they have played many times, but there was something special about the pairings this particular day.

The difference is that the Bulldogs are playing with a PGA tournament winner and current Champions Tour member, Kevin Sutherland.

Sutherland is a Fresno State alum and has played professional golf for over 20 years. He collected his first win on the PGA Tour in 2002 when he won the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. In 2014, he became the first person to ever shoot a 59 on the Champion's Tour at the Dicks Sporting Goods Open.

Though he has only collected two professional wins, Sutherland has earned 87 top 10 finishes. This has earned him over $20 million over the course of his career.

His golf game is still going strong today as he has placed sixth, sixth and seventh on the Champions Tour this season. Three top 10 finishes in a season is no small feat for any professional golfer, especially one who is 52-years-old.

These tremendous achievements for Sutherland still did not cloud his excitement to play with his alma mater again.

"Fresno is a special place for me," said Sutherland. "This is where I learned to play golf and decided that I wanted to play golf for a living."

Sutherland came to Fresno State as a walk-on in 1983 and redshirted his freshman year under then-head coach Mike Watney. His time at Fresno State molded him into the golfer he is today.

"I came to Fresno pretty green," said Sutherland. "I left here a much better player."

But this day was about Sutherland coming back home to play nine holes with a few fellow Bulldogs.

The round was about more than just playing with a pro, for the current team, it was about what they could learn from someone who was in the exact place that they are in now.

"It's nice to play with someone who has that much experience," said Trevor Clayton, a member of the Fresno State golf team. "On top of that, he's a Bulldog."

Clayton was one of the players who had a chance to play a few holes with Sutherland. He said that he watched the way he swung his clubs, but more importantly he listened to what he had to say.

Clayton noted that Sutherland told them to be confident, to pick a spot with their eyes and believe that you can hit the ball there. This confidence should carry over into your pre-round preparation as well.

"Everyone does it differently," said Clayton. "For me it is about finding my own way and that is what Kevin was saying."

Clayton explained that the way Sutherland takes 15 minutes to just "chill" before a tournament was interesting and that he was curious to try it himself.

Sutherland shared his own experiences and advice with the players and placed a large focus on body language.

He shared that Mike Watney taught him that great players always have the same body language whether they hit a great shot or a poor shot. This was a big piece that he wanted to share with the team to improve the way they play the game.

Sutherland said that this piece of coaching advice stuck with him throughout his time on tour. He exclaimed how he could "hear" Coach Watney's voice in his ear when he would hit a shot to control his body language.

"You need to be a confident golfer," said Sutherland. "This sticks with me all the time."

It was not just the players learning from a professional today, however, the pro took the day as a learning experience as well.

"They're eager. They're excited," said Sutherland. "It brings the excitement to me and reminds me how fun it is to play golf."

He talked about how the players think that they are only getting memories from him, but it is him who is learning just as much from the players.

Sutherland discussed what he felt when he was shooting his record-breaking 59 and commented that he felt as if he was in a "bubble" with no distractions during the round.

This seemed like a common ground that he shared with Clayton, who also said that finding that distraction-free "bubble" is the best way to control yourself and shoot low scores.

The chance to have a professional who has shared the same path as your players is an invaluable benefit for any team.

"It's priceless," said Chad Spencer, head coach of the men's golf team. "We've done this before with Nick Watney, but for [Kevin] to come and do it, it's a different perspective."

Spencer said that Sutherland is more experienced and has had success at every level and the guys can relate to the stories he had to share.

"He was a walk-on," said Spencer. "It's all about commitment, hard work, and dedication, and look what those things turned in to."

It was a point the coach was happy to make. That sometimes you don't have to be the best golfer at 16 or 17, but with hard work you can get to the point you want to reach in life.

"I need to do this more in the future," said Sutherland. "Just to come down and play with the guys is a lot of fun."

"Just the Ticket to Build Our Community" – Follow the team on social media on Twitter at @FresnoStateMG.

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PGA pro Kevin Sutherland returns to play with alma mater

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