Steve Jones Bio
Steven Glen Jones, born December 27, 1958, is an American professional golfer widely recognized for capturing the U.S. Open in 1996. A native of Artesia, New Mexico, Jones competed on the PGA Tour for nearly two decades before transitioning to the senior circuit. He is remembered for one of the most compelling comeback stories in modern American golf.
Standing 6 feet 4 inches tall and known for a calm, methodical approach on the course, Jones built a career marked by persistence through serious injury and long layoffs. He turned professional in 1981, claimed eight PGA Tour titles, and later played on what is now called the PGA Tour Champions. He makes his home in Tempe, Arizona.
Early Life and Background
Steven Glen Jones was born on December 27, 1958, in Artesia, New Mexico. Growing up in the small southeastern New Mexico community, he developed his game on the regional courses available to him as a young player. The high school and amateur circuits in the region provided his first competitive stage.
As a teenager, Jones showed enough promise to advance to national-level junior events. In 1976, he reached the semi-finals of the U.S. Junior Amateur, a result that established him as one of the top young amateurs in the country and helped open the door to a college scholarship.
Jones went on to attend the University of Colorado, where he continued to refine his game. His time in Boulder prepared him for the demands of professional competition, and he left college ready to test himself against the best players in the world.
Path to Golf
After completing his college career, Jones made the decision to turn professional in 1981. His early years on tour were difficult, as he struggled to find consistent form. In 1982, he played the PGA Tour but made only three cuts, a humbling introduction to life at the highest level of the sport.
Gradual progress followed. His first top-10 finish arrived at the Texas Open in September 1985, signaling that he belonged on tour. The following year, in 1986, he was medalist at the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament, securing his card and giving him the stability needed to plan a full schedule.
Steve Jones Career
Early Career (1981-1987)
Jones opened his professional career in 1981 and spent his first few seasons learning the demands of tour golf. The 1982 season brought limited playing time and few made cuts, but he used the period to adjust to the relentless travel and elite competition.
By the mid-1980s, his game began to mature. The 1985 Texas Open top-10 showed his scoring potential, and the 1986 medalist finish at PGA Tour Qualifying School confirmed that he had the consistency required to compete week after week. These foundational years laid the groundwork for the breakthrough that was just around the corner.
PGA Tour Breakthrough (1988-1990)
Jones won on the PGA Tour for the first time at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in 1988, announcing his arrival as a contender. The victory came on one of the most iconic venues in the game and gave him the confidence to chase bigger results.
The 1989 season became the high point of his early career, with three PGA Tour titles. He opened January with a win at the MONY Tournament of Champions, then won the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic the very next week in a playoff over Paul Azinger and Sandy Lyle. In June, he captured the Canadian Open by two strokes over Mark Calcavecchia, Mike Hulbert, and Clark Burroughs. He finished the year eighth on the money list, his career-best standing.
Comeback Era (1991-1998)
In November 1991, a dirtbike accident caused serious ligament and joint damage to Jones’s left ring finger. The injury cost him nearly three years of competitive play, and he entered only two events in 1994. Many observers believed his best days were behind him.
Jones began his comeback in earnest during 1995 with two top-10 finishes. The following year, in June 1996, he produced one of the great surprise victories in major-championship history by winning the U.S. Open, defeating Tom Lehman and Davis Love III by one stroke. He was the first sectional qualifier to win the U.S. Open since Jerry Pate in 1976. The victory earned him the PGA Tour Comeback Player of the Year award and a spot on the United States team at the 1996 World Cup of Golf.
Jones added two more PGA Tour titles in 1997. In January, he fired a 26-under total to win the Phoenix Open by 11 strokes over Jesper Parnevik, then captured the Canadian Open in September by one stroke over Greg Norman. In 1998, he won the Quad City Classic, his final PGA Tour victory. The major victory in 1996 also carried a 10-year tour exemption, keeping him exempt through 2006.
Later PGA Tour Years (1999-2010)
After 1998, Jones slipped steadily down the money list, and injuries continued to interrupt his schedule. He missed part of 2003 and all of 2004 after surgery for tennis elbow, returning in 2005. In 2004, he served as a captain’s assistant for the United States team at the Ryder Cup.
By 2007, he was splitting time between the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour, with limited results. Additional tennis-elbow surgeries in 2008 and 2009 kept him off the course, and he did not make his first full golf swings again until January 2011.
PGA Tour Champions Era (2011-Present)
Jones made his Champions Tour debut in April 2011 at the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf, partnering with Doug Tewell to tie for 10th in the Raphael Division. His best individual effort that year was a tie for 16th at The Senior Open Championship at Walton Heath.
In 2012, he played 12 Champions Tour events with five top-25 finishes, including a runner-up result at the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf. He earned $164,934 that year. Subsequent seasons brought a T9 at the 2015 Senior PGA Championship, his best Champions Tour top-10 finish. Across his Champions Tour career, he has played 70 events, made 66 cuts, posted two top-10 finishes, and earned more than $800,000.
Driving Style and Strengths
Jones built his reputation on steady ball-striking, course management, and a patient temperament. His height of 6 feet 4 inches produced an upright, repeatable swing, and he excelled on classic seaside and parkland layouts such as Pebble Beach and the Canadian Open venues. His workmanlike, low-drama style translated especially well on poa annua greens and on courses where positioning off the tee mattered more than raw power.
Notable Events and Milestones
His career-defining moment was the 1996 U.S. Open victory, which he entered as a sectional qualifier and exited as a major champion. The 1997 Phoenix Open, won by 11 strokes, tied for one of the largest margins of victory on tour that decade. He is also one of only a handful of players to win the Canadian Open more than once, capturing it in 1989 and 1997.
Steve Jones Career Wins
Jones accumulated 10 professional victories during his career, including 8 PGA Tour wins, 1 European Tour win, and 2 additional titles. He won at least once in every major phase of his career, from his 1988 breakthrough through his 1998 Quad City Classic triumph.
PGA Tour Highlights
Jones won eight times on the PGA Tour, beginning with the 1988 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and ending with the 1998 Quad City Classic. His 1989 campaign stands out, with three victories, and he also won the 1989 and 1997 Canadian Opens. The 1996 U.S. Open remains the centerpiece of his résumé.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond his PGA Tour titles, Jones captured one European Tour title, contributing to the 10-win career total. He also posted strong results in major championships outside his U.S. Open win, including a T9 at the 1988 PGA Championship, a T20 at the 1990 Masters, and a T16 at the 1990 Open Championship. His highest world ranking was 14th, reached on February 23, 1997.
Steve Jones Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Jones was raised in Artesia, New Mexico, and developed his early golf in that region. Detailed information about his parents and extended family has not been publicly verified.
Personal Life
Jones has long made his home in Tempe, Arizona, where he settled after his PGA Tour playing days. Public details about a spouse or children have not been confirmed.
2025 Season Performance
As of 2025, Jones remains a PGA Tour Champions alumnus with more than 70 career starts on the senior circuit. He last played Champions Tour events in 2015, and no return to competitive golf has been confirmed for the current season.
His most recent on-course activity dates to the mid-2010s, and his legacy continues to rest on the 1996 U.S. Open, the 1997 Phoenix Open runaway, and his eight PGA Tour titles. The 2025 calendar does not list any announced Champions Tour starts for Jones.
Looking back, his career arc, from 1988 Pebble Beach winner to 1996 major champion to a long senior circuit presence, remains one of the most resilient stories in American golf. The 1996 U.S. Open title and his PGA Tour Comeback Player of the Year award continue to define how the sport remembers Steven Glen Jones.