Grier Jones

Grier Jones is a former college head golf coach and former PGA Tour professional golfer.

Early life

Jones was born, raised and has been a lifelong resident of Wichita, Kansas. He attended Wichita's Kapaun Mt. Carmel Catholic High School where he played both football and golf. He won the 1963 and 1964 Kansas State High School golf championships.

Amateur career

An All-American at Oklahoma State University, Jones won the Big Eight Championship in 1967 and 1968 before taking the individual medalist honors at the 1968 NCAA Championships. He also won the 1966 Kansas State Amateur Championship held in Topeka, Kansas while a student at Oklahoma State.

Professional career

In 1968, Jones turned professional. He spent fourteen years on the PGA Tour, beginning in 1969, when he earned PGA Rookie of the Year honors. His career year was 1972 when he won two PGA Tour events and finished fourth on the final money list. He won his third and final PGA Tour event in 1977. Jones ended his career with 54 top-10 finishes in PGA Tour events. His best finish in a major championship was a T-16 at the 1978 PGA Championship.
After his full-time tour playing days ended, Jones took a club teaching job at Willowbend Golf Club in Wichita, while continuing to play part-time on Nike Tour and PGA Tours. Later he became the head pro at Terradyne Country Club in Wichita. In 1995, he was named men's head golf coach at Wichita State University where he remained until his retirement in 2019.

Personal life

Jones is married to Janie. They have five children: Carey, Corey, Grier II, Brian, and daughter Casey.

Awards and honors

In 1969, he earned PGA Tour Rookie of the Year honors
In 1995, Jones was honored as the Kansas Chapter PGA Teacher-of-the-Year.
Jones was named Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year seven times: in 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2009, and 2010.
In 2010, Jones was inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame