Wally Armstrong: From PGA Tour Pro To Golf Mentor And Motivational Leader
Discover the inspiring journey of Wally Armstrong, a former PGA Tour golfer who made history at the Masters and became a respected coach, author, and global golf instructor.
Jul 27, 20253.3K Shares95.2K Views
Wally Armstrongwas born on June 19, 1945, in New London, Connecticut, and grew up in Indiana. As a young boy, he spent a lot of time near a small nine-hole golf course where he collected stray golf balls from nearby cornfields and sold them for extra money. He also worked as a caddie for the club champion, who noticed Wally’s strong interest in the game and started teaching him how to play and compete in tournaments.
Around the age of 12, Wally had his first golf lesson with coach Fred Keesling, who helped him work on his grip, which is a basic part of the golf swing. During his teenage years, Wally played in junior and amateur golf tournaments throughout Indiana and won several state titles. His strong performance earned him a golf scholarship to the University of Florida. He played on the school’s men’s golf team from about 1965 to 1967 and was named an All-American in 1966. Wally graduated in 1968 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education and completed a master’s degree in public health in 1969.
Amateur Career
Wally Armstrong played college golf at the University of Florida in Gainesville. He was part of the team from 1965 to 1967, playing under coach Buster Bishop. In 1966, he earned All‑American honors, which is a national recognition of the best college players.
During his time at Florida, his team did very well at the NCAA Championships, finishing in second and third place in different years. He also won several state and regional amateur golf tournaments before going to college, which helped him earn a golf scholarship to attend the University of Florida.
Wally completed a bachelor’s degree in education in 1968 and stayed an extra year to finish a master’s degree in human performance (public health background) in 1969.
Professional Career
Wally Armstrong turned professional in 1970 and played on the PGA Tour from 1974 to 1984, taking part in over 300 events. During his time as a pro, he had three near‑wins: a tie for second at the 1974 Sahara Invitational, second place at the 1975 Pensacola Open, and a tie for second at the 1977 Western Open.
His best performance in a major was at the 1978 Masters Tournament, where he tied for fifth place and set a record low score (280) for a first-time participant at that time. He also played in the U.S. Open, The Open Championship, and PGA Championship, earning ties for 16th in the 1977 U.S. Open, and 13th in the 1979 Open Championship.
Before joining the PGA Tour, Wally won the 1973 Indiana Open, his only recorded professional win. After his time on tour, he competed briefly in a few events on the Nike Tour and the Senior PGA Tour in 1995 and 1996.
After he stopped playing full time, Wally became a respected golf instructor, speaker, and author, known for teaching many clinics around the world and writing books about golf and life.
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