Class of 1986

Duke Butler

Lifetime Achievement

Biography

Duke Butler is just as devoted to Texas golf today as he was when he served as the Executive Director of Houston Golf Association from 1978 through 1991. Born on October 13, 1948 in Bryan, Duke spent a lifetime of service to Lone Star golf.

A respectable player, he was medalist in the Texas State Junior at Brackenridge Park in 1966, a member of the 1969 Southwest Conference Championship team for Texas A&M and played in a few PGA TOUR tournaments before becoming the youngest Tournament Director of a TOUR event, at age 29, for the Houston Open in 1978. He had previously earned an excellent reputation as a former charity scholarship recipient from the Houston Golf Association. While there, he was named PGA of America's Junior Golf Leader and Southern Texas PGA Professional of the Year in 1990.

PGA TOUR Commissioner Deane Beman recruited Butler to his staff as Tournament Director in 1992, and he later was promoted to Senior Vice President under Commissioner Tim Finchem.

He was President of the Frys.com Open PGA TOUR tournament in California, and continues to direct tournaments in Florida, for he simply loves promoting the game for the benefit of charity. Butler currently serves as a director for the Jacksonville Area Golf Association

Legacy Video

Family Matters

Duke’s father, Ogbourne Duke “O.D.” Butler Jr., introduced Duke to golf at an early age, and his favorite Christmas gifts were always golf related. All he needed was for the late December weather in College Station, where his father was a professor at Texas A&M and spent a half century on campus, to be good enough to play with the present immediately. An accomplished youngster, Duke was the medalist at the Texas State Junior at Brackenridge Park in 1966. Duke’s son, Duke Butler IV, went on to play college golf at Texas A&M before transferring to Florida.

Learning From Legends

Born to be an Aggie, having gone to school from kindergarten through 12th grade on what is now known as George Bush Drive, Duke played on the Texas A&M golf team in the late 1960s (including on the 1969 Southwest Conference Championship team). His coach was Texas Golf Hall of Fame Member Henry Ransom, a five-time PGA TOUR winner and a member of the 1951 U.S. Ryder Cup team. After graduating college, Duke got his first job as a teaching professional at the venerable Baltusrol Golf Club in New Jersey under Johnny Farrell, the 1928 U.S. Open champion and three-time Ryder Cup team member.

Playing with the Golden Bear

Duke entered Monday qualifiers and made six cuts in 28 starts on the PGA TOUR in a four-year period from 1974-77. His best finish was a T25th place in Oklahoma City. His lasting memory of his PGA TOUR playing days was being paired with Jack Nicklaus at the 1977 Atlanta Classic where “We shot the same numbers, Jack scoring 67 to my 76.” Fifteen years earlier, Duke and his junior high teammates had watched Nicklaus, searching for his first-ever tour victory, compete in an 18-hole playoff at the 1962 Houston Classic.

Houston, We Have a Job

Duke returned to the Lone Star State in 1978, and at the age of 29, was named the executive director of the Houston Golf Association (HGA), becoming the youngest tournament director in the country. Among the most notable tournaments he oversaw was the 1986 Houston Open that featured Nicklaus (once again) in his first start following his thrilling comeback Masters victory in which he shot a 30 on the final nine holes. In addition to running the tour’s Houston Open, the HGA also ran the city’s junior golf program. Duke held the job for 14 years and was named PGA of America's Junior Golf Leader and Southern Texas PGA Professional of the Year in 1990.

Doing Big Work as a Munchkin

Doing Big Work as a Munchkin

Duke moved to Ponte Vedra, Fla., in 1992 to become the PGA TOUR’s Executive Director of Tournament Administration, and he was later promoted to Senior Vice President. In 2018, the Jacksonville Area Golf Association (JAGA) honored him as the Director of the Year for his work at TPC Sawgrass. He is a member of “The Munchkins,” a group of former tour executives, players, and charter members of TPC Sawgrass who play multiple times a week, work with junior players, serve as rules officials at area tournaments, and are dedicated to growing the game through volunteering