Hall of Fame
Pat Stephens put together a fabulous career as a member of the EKU men’s golf team and as the Colonels’ men’s golf coach. He began his golf career by being named a high school All-American at Madison Central High School after winning 12 tournaments throughout his prep career. After beginning his collegiate experience at the University of Kentucky, he transferred to Eastern his junior season. He made an immediate impact, winning the medalist title at the 1982 OVC Tournament and then finishing second his senior season to teammate Russ Barger as EKU won the team title at the OVC Tournament both years. Stephens won five collegiate events in his career and was winner of the prestigious 1983 Southern Amateur Championship.
He also was the winner at 1983 Simon Bolivar Cup representing the United States in International Team Championship in Venezuela. He extended his playing career following his collegiate career, competing on mini-tours throughout the South and qualifying for several major competitions. Stephens was a three-time runnerup in the Kentucky Open in 1978, 1983 and 1995 and was named Kentucky PGA Player of the Year in 1996 and 2007. He also played in the 1988 US Open in Brookline, Mass., and four other PGA events in his playing career. Also, in 1988, he was selected to the OVC’s 40th Anniversary Team. Stephens was chosen as the Kentucky PGA Senior Player of the Year in 2012 and 2014.
He began his 21-year career as the Colonels’ head coach during the 1997-98 season after serving as the assistant golf professional at Arlington. He assumed the head professional duties at Arlington when he began his head coaching spot at EKU in 1997. He coached the Colonels to OVC Championships in 2006, 2008 and 2015 and on to the NCAA Tournament those three seasons. Additionally, he helped three players qualify for the NCAA Championships as individuals. Stephens also coached one OVC Player of the Year, one OVC individual champion and was chosen OVC Coach of the Year five times. During his tenure as head coach, the Colonels placed in the top 10 at 211 events, while finishing in the top five at 146 of those tourneys. EKU finished first at 45 events under Stephens’ guidance. He also coached 35 individual tourney champions. The 2016-17 season was one of the best-ever for EKU as he led the team to five tournament championships and three runnerup titles. The Colonels also made a splash on the national level, ranked as high as No. 28 in the nation in the Bushnell Golfweek Coaches Poll.
