EKU Legend Pat Stephens to be Inducted into Prestigious Kentucky Golf Hall of Fame
Stephens will join the 2022 class along with five other honorees around the state. Details of the ceremony will be announced in the coming weeks.
“I can’t put into words how much this means. The Kentucky Golf Hall of Fame was never on my radar; I was totally surprised when I found out I was receiving this honor,” said Stephens. “There are so many people who have been an integral and important part of my golf career over the years – family, friends, teammates, colleagues, competitors, playing partners, student-athletes, PGA members, and many more. I have been very blessed to have played and worked in the great game of golf for over 50 years. Finally, I would like to thank Eastern Kentucky University Athletics for giving me the opportunity to live my passion for golf as a student/athlete and coach.”
Stephens, a former student-athlete and head coach of the Colonels, made his mark on the program in his 23 years wearing maroon and white.
The homegrown product began his collegiate career at the University of Kentucky, he played in Lexington for two seasons before making his way to EKU in 1982. In his two years as a Colonel, Stephens helped the program claim the Ohio Valley Conference title in consecutive years , was named the 1982 OVC Player of the Year and Medalist, earned the 1983 OVC Runner-up, and received All-OVC nods in both years.
After his collegiate career, Stephens sought the professional realm and played in several PGA Tour events, including the 1988 US Open. He’s a three-time runner-up in the Kentucky Open (1978, 1983, and 1995) and was named the 1996 and 2007 Kentucky PGA Player of the Year.
He would then go on to lead the Colonels from 1997-2018 as the head coach. In that span, he guided three teams to OVC Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances and won the OVC Coach of the Year Awards five times (2006, 2008, 2015, 2017, and 2018). At the helm of the Colonels, Stephens led his teams and student-athletes to 48 first place finishes, 35 individual tournament champions and all-conference selections, and 18 team tournament titles.
Stephens claimed the Kentucky Senior Open in 2012 and 2016. He would then go on to win the Kentucky Senior PGA Professional Championship five of six years, including four-straight victories from 2011-14.
Stephens name was etched in EKU Sports history when he was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame in 2020.
Individuals joining Stephens in the 2022 Kentucky Golf Hall of Fame class include Dick Bradow, Buddy Bryant, Kevin Greenwell, Betty Baird Kregor, and Tennye Ohr.