Player Profile - Kyle Stanley

This week we introduce golf fans to the talented young US golfer Kyle Stanley, winner of the 2012 Phoenix Open.

Born in 1987 in the town of Gig Harbour, Washington State, Stanley took to golf from a young age and enjoyed a successful amateur career before and during his college years.

By the time he completed his high school education and enrolled at Clemson University to study Sports Management, Stanley was already focussed on a career in professional golf. During his first year at Clemson the young Stanley set an impressive 18 scoring records and by the time he graduated he had two titles to his name – the 2006 Aloha Perdue Collegiate and 2008 Carpet Classic.

Stanley’s collegiate golf career was distinguished by several sports awards. In the 2006-07 season he was named the ACC Player of the Year. In both 2007 and 2009 Stanley was named First-Team All-American by the GCAA, and was a member of the 2007 Walker Cup team.

After the 2009 US Open, Stanley turned professional. As he honed his golfing skills in a series of professional tournaments, Stanley weathered the competitive challenges of Q School to qualify with a US PGA Tour card for the 2011 season. His debut season saw the young golfer finish four times in the top ten, with a one stroke defeat at the John Deere Classic at the hands of Steve Stricker.

This season Stanley demonstrated his commitment to winning on the Tour. At last week’s Farmers Insurance Open he lead the tournament before a final round collapse saw victory go to Brandt Snedeker. Having learnt from this experience, and with the added confidence of knowing that he could lead a tournament by a significant margin, Stanley approached last week’s Phoenix Open with the confidence of a champion. His performance on Sunday in Scottsdale demonstrated Stanley’s newfound confidence as he won his first PGA Tour victory by one stroke against compatriot Ben Crane. Golf fans should keep an eye on this talented young player as he makes his mark on the US PGA Tour.

Golfweather Editorial