Jerome Kendrick Pate (born September 16, 1953) is an American professional golfer on the PGA Tour Champions, formerly on the PGA Tour. As a 22-year-old rookie, he won the U.S. Open in 1976.^[3][4][5][6]

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Jerry Pate
Pate after winning the 1974 U.S. Amateur Championship
Personal information
Full name	Jerome Kendrick Pate
Born	(1953-09-16) September 16, 1953 (age 70) Macon, Georgia
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight	180 lb (82 kg; 13 st)
Sporting nationality	United States
Residence	Pensacola, Florida
Spouse	Soozi Nelson Pate ​ (m. 1975)​ [1][2]
Children	3
Career
College	University of Alabama
Turned professional	1975
Current tour(s)	PGA Tour Champions
Former tour(s)	PGA Tour
Professional wins	15
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour	8
Japan Golf Tour	2
PGA Tour Champions	2
Other	3
Best results in major championships (wins: 1)
Masters Tournament	T3: 1982
PGA Championship	2nd: 1978
U.S. Open	Won: 1976
The Open Championship	T15: 1977

Close

Born in Macon, Georgia,^[7] Pate grew up in the panhandle of Florida at Pensacola.^[1][8]

He attended the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa and played on its Crimson Tide golf team. He had a distinguished amateur career with a win at the U.S. Amateur in 1974,^[9][10][11] and was a member of victorious U.S. teams at the Eisenhower Trophy competition later that year and for the Walker Cup in May 1975 at St Andrews in Scotland.^[12] A few weeks later, he tied Walker Cup teammate Jay Haas of Wake Forest for low amateur at the U.S. Open, finishing in a six-way tie for eighteenth place at Medinah, outside Chicago.^[13][14]

Pate turned professional in 1975.^[7] Late in the year he was the medalist at Fall 1975 PGA Tour Qualifying School.^[15][16] During his rookie season he won the 1976 U.S. Open.^[3][4][5] He also won the Canadian Open that year. Pate closed with a 63 (-7) to defeat runner-up Jack Nicklaus by four strokes.^[17][18] Pate was selected as the Rookie of the Year and Co-Player of the Year.

Six more tour victories followed in ensuing years as well as several other titles around the world. He was a member of the victorious Ryder Cup team in 1981 but shoulder injuries curtailed his career. His final win on the PGA Tour came at age 28.^[19] That final victory was at the 1982 Tournament Players Championship, the first held at TPC at Sawgrass. Pate celebrated by throwing course designer Pete Dye and PGA Tour commissioner Deane Beman into the lake adjacent to the 18th green, then jumped in himself.^[20][21][22] He had also jumped in the water after a victory the previous June, after going nearly three years without a win.^[23][24]

In the late 1990s, Pate returned to the University of Alabama to complete his bachelor's degree in administrative science.^[7] His daughter, Jenni, received her degree at the same graduation ceremony in 2001.^[19]

• 1974 U.S. Amateur

Amateur

• Eisenhower Trophy: 1974 (team winners and joint individual leader)
• Walker Cup: 1975 (winners)

Professional

• Ryder Cup: 1981 (winners)
• World Cup: 1976

• Fall 1975 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates