Team Stadler Kicks Off a New Decade

2010 is already looking like a good year for the touring father-son duo

By Susanne Kemper

The Stadlers-Craig and Kevin-are both on Tour but rarely do they play the same events, making the 2010 Hope Classic all the more special. Fans loved seeing Craig, golf's ever-popular "Walrus," playing on the second day with Kevin, his oldest son, a swinging, spitting image who can go low just like his Dad. It was at the 1980 Hope that Craig got his very first PGA Tour win.

Kevin started his professional career at the 2002 Colorado Open at Sonnenalp Golf Club near Vail, winning the $125,000 event with his dad on the bag for him. Kevin had announced that he was turning professional on the first tee, and then triumphed in a spectacular three-way, sudden-death playoff.

"Having Dad on the bag, it was great," the younger Stadler says. "There wasn't too much pressure. We would shoot the breeze to keep me calm, and he helped with course management."

Craig calls caddying for his son at that event "an absolute ball."

They've had their share of memorable moments. In 2004, Craig Stadler won the Bank of America Championship on the Champions Tour and minutes later Kevin won the Lake Erie Charity Classic on the Nationwide Tour, making them among the few father-son duos to accomplish such a feat.

They both won the Junior World Championships-Craig in 1970 and Kevin in 1997. They have also both won the Argentine Open, Craig in 1992 and Kevin in 2005. In 1999 the duo teamed up to win the Champions Challenge.

Craig Stadler is now playing mainly on the Champions Tour. He is only the third player to win money titles on both the PGA and Champions Tour (Tom Watson and Lee Trevino preceded him). He was the PGA Tour's leading money winner in 1982, the same year he won the coveted Green Jacket at the Masters. The popular, friendly Stadler is "Mr. Everyone's Golfer," seen by many high handicappers and couch potatoes as their kind of guy. A fan of the Eagles' music, he often plays the ATT National Pro-Am in Pebble Beach, Calif., with band co-founder Glenn Frey.

Stadler graduated from USC where he was a two-time All American, plus winner of the 1973 U.S. Amateur. The "Walrus" turned pro in 1975.

"Having been on the Tour since 1976," he says, "there are a lot of highlights plus many disappointments as well. By far the biggest thrill was winning the Masters. It doesn't get any better than that. It stays with you forever."

Colorado is where the senior Stadler spends as much time as possible. "Practically all my vacation time is spent at home in Evergreen. With nine acres there is a lot [to do] and I enjoy it."

Stadler also gets down to Argentina two to three times each year. His visits are frequently centered in the north around Entre Rios or the south in Sierra de las Ventanas. Since winning the Argentine Open at Los Olivos, Stadler says the tournament "is very dear" to him although he hasn't played for several years.

"I may do it one more time," he smiles.

In addition to golfing in Argentina, Stadler enjoys bird hunting there and visiting friends, as well as simply touring. "I have gone touring in Bariloche and love Mendoza with its wine district. A wonderful country and wonderful people."

Wine has long been a Stadler passion. "I am still fairly into wine, but not on the larger scale I was a few years ago," he says. "I have dropped down to the absolute favorites, while still trying a few new ones on occasion. In Mendoza, I found the Miguel Escoriaheula Gascon blend to be awesome stuff." Lewis Cuvee, Rudd, Peter Michael, Miner Oracle, Bond, Harlan and Spottswoode are a few of his current favorites.

"I will play all the Champions Tour events except in the middle of May. I am getting married that weekend at home on my deck to a wonderful girl, Jan Zumbrunnen," confides Stadler.

An avid Avalanche fan, he's often at their games when he is home. As a San Diego native, he still supports the Chargers as well as USC Trojans, his alma mater. He doesn't have time to play much golf in Colorado but practices at Bear Creek Golf Club in West Denver. Stadler got involved in golf course design but he hasn't done anything since Grand Elk Golf Club in Granby, which opened several years ago.

Kevin, 30, was born in Reno. He started golfing with a plastic club at the age of three and then moved to a broomstick six months later. From five until 14 he lived in San Diego. He won his first tournament at age nine and at 13 felt "serious about golf and wanting to play."

His high school years were spent at Kent Denver where he won the school championship. He decided to attend USC, where he majored in International Relations, because "it had great golf, I wanted warmer climates and, of course, the Trojan blood in the family had a pull!"

Amazingly he didn't win in college, though he finished second eight times and helped lead the Trojans to their second consecutive PAC-10 championship.

He did win the Colorado State Match Play Championship both in 1999 and 2002.

Off to a fast start on the 2004 Nationwide Tour, Kevin followed his first-start win at the Lake Erie Charity Classic with a win two weeks later at the Scholarship America Showdown, shooting a tournament record 11-under. In 2005 he was a rookie on PGA Tour where he played six events and made five cuts. He did well enough in 2006 to secure his PGA Tour card for 2007, as well as European Tour rights where he played eight events including the British Open in 2007 and 2008. At the end of 2007 he was 124th on the money list, which allowed him to keep his card, though a wrist injury hampered his play during 2007 and 2008.

In 2009 "Baby Walrus" wasn't happy with his game, so last summer he started working with Dan Campbell in Vail and Arizona.

Progress. He had six top-25 finishes, qualifying him for his first trip to the PGA Tour Playoffs for the FedEx Cup. He has started 2010 with two top 10s and two top 20s in six starts, and is on target to increase his ranking.

Preferring a warm climate, Kevin lives in Scottsdale where he practices and plays at Whisper Rock in North Scottsdale. Kevin says he's "not really into the whole Scottsdale scene." He just enjoys the weather and likes to play pool or catch a movie - Avatar and Sherlock Holmes were recent favorites. This eligible bachelor prefers brunettes who are sporty, but not into golf.

Last June Kevin bought a place in the Washington Park area of Denver. "I have lots of buddies there and love it in the summer," he notes. Cherry Creek and Bear Creek are favorite golf courses but he hasn't decided where he'll practice this summer.

It goes without saying, 2010 offers more exciting times for Team Stadler-not to be missed wherever they are teeing it up.

Susanne Kemper is a contributing writer to Colorado Golf Magazine