In reviewing the career of Steve Pate you will see the word champion over twenty times, ranging from junior golf to the PGA. In between those milestones are team and individual honors at the high school, university, amateur and professional level. From the junior level in Santa Barbara, Steve went on to lead the San Marcos HS Golf Team to the CIF Championship, won the Channel League Individual Championship with a record 11 under par 133 and was the CIF Individual Champion.
From 1978 to 1979 Steve was both the SB City and SB County champion and West Coast Amateur champion. Then on to UCLA and yet another level of championship play. Three individual championships, two PAC-10 Team Championships, All Conference, PAC-I 0 Athlete of the Year and, the most elusive title: First Team All-American.
In 1984 Steve graduated from UCLA, attended the Tour School and was off to the PGA. In his first big finish Steve was a playoff runner-up at the Georgia Pacific in Atlanta, then won the Southwest, Tournament of Champions, Andy Williams, Honda, Buick, and CVS Classic. He was selected as a team member on both the 1991 and 1999 US Ryder Cup teams and was a key player in the USA’s big win in 1999. He is considered to be in the top three in the PGA for consistency and is 11 for 11 in making the cut this year.
Perhaps the nickname “Volcano” and title of “PGA Tour Comeback Player of the Year” best describe Steve’s journey. There were both ups and downs – like injuries – but tonight’s honor is about “ups.” And it is that spirit and tremendous accomplishment for which the SB Athletic RoundTable proudly invites you, wife Sheri, and daughters Nicole and Sarah into its Hall of Fame.
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