The sport of golf has been good to Dave Stockton and his family. And CSUSB and its athletic program have been on the receiving end of the San Bernardino native’s expertise and love of the sport time and again.
Each fall, the Coyotes host their annual fund-raising tournament and since its inception in 19XX, Stockton has lent his name, time and his efforts helping CSUSB student-athletes. The Dave Stockton Coyote Golf Classic has raised more than $600,000 in the 19-year history of the tournament that is played at Arrowhead Country Club.
For those reasons CSUSB honors Dave Stockton into the Coyote Hall of Fame Class of 2015.
Stockton, whose boyhood home is located across the street from the venerable course on the city’s north side, is regarded as one of the world’s finest putting instructors. After playing college golf at USC, he turned professional in 1964 and played at the sport’s highest levels. He won 10 PGA Tour events including two majors — the 1970 and 1976 PGA Championship. He began play on the Champions Tour in 1992 and added to his collection of professional tour victories with 14 titles, winning Rookie of the Year honors, Player of the Years honors (1993) and was the tour’s money leader in 1993 and 1994.
He also played for the U.S. team in the
Ryder Cup in
1971 and
1977. He was the victorious non-playing captain in the
1991 Ryder Cup at
Kiawah Island, S.C.
Since completing his playing career, Stockton turned his attention to teaching and he has teamed up with sons Dave Jr. and Ron. Together, they have contributed to more than 60 Tour victories across the world and have engaged the golf world through books, magazines, DVDs, television and the Internet.
But playing and teaching the professional game is just a part of Stockton’s life. He and his family have made philanthropy a major facet of their lives as proven by the multitude of charitable events they actively participate every year, specifically here in the Inland Empire. His never-ending belief in helping others with his athletic ability also played a role in CSUSB honoring him with the 2012 Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters, an annual award given by the university.
Said Stockton in an earlier story this winter in The Sun: “I get such a kick helping someone. I’m not in any rush to go out there. I am living vicariously through these guys and gals.”
