Hugh Royer III
Encyclopedia
Hugh Royer III is an American
professional golf
er and golf instructor. He is the son of Hugh Royer, Jr.
, who played on the PGA Tour for 14 years and won the 1970 Western Open
.
Royer was born in Columbus
, Georgia
. He spent the majority of his childhood traveling with his father on Tour and dreamed of following in his father's footsteps from an early age.
Royer received a scholarship to Mississippi State University
where he played for two years. In those two seasons, Royer had one tournament win and seven top-10 finishes, and held the low stroke average each year. He then transferred to Columbus State University
for his junior and senior years, where his father served as head golf coach. He was NCAA Division II Player of the Year and First Team All-American in 1985 and 1986. He was named 1987 Amateur Player of the Year by the Carolinas Golf Reporter.
In the summer following his senior year at CSU, he won the Georgia State Amateur Championship by one stroke over Allen Doyle
. Two weeks later, he defeated Doyle again in the Southeastern Amateur by five strokes setting a record at 20 under par - a record that still stands. Because of open-heart surgery, Royer was forced to withdraw from the U.S. Amateur later that year. Shortly after his recovery and rehabilitation, Royer won the Azalea Amateur Invitational in Charleston, South Carolina
in a playoff and won the Western Amateur
. This gave the Western Golf Association
the only father-son combination to win the Open and Amateur in their history.
Royer turned professional in 1987. He competed on the South African Tour for six years, where he had one tournament win and several runner-up finishes.
He started playing on the Nike Tour in 1991 and won his first event in 1993 in Florence, South Carolina
at the NIKE South Carolina Classic. Later that year, he won again in Texarkana, Arkansas
at the NIKE Texarkana Open. In 1995, he won the NIKE Dominion Open and the NIKE Permian Basin Open. Royer gained his PGA Tour
card that year and retained it until 1998. He had four top-10 finishes. He competed on the Nationwide Tour in 1999 and 2000 before retiring.
Learning the game from his father and some top instructors gave Royer the desire to teach the game to others, especially to those who desire to play professionally. Royer's knowledge of the game, in addition to his playing experience, provided him with an adequate teaching philosophy that has proven successful among his own stable of students.
Royer worked for three years at the International Junior Golf Academy on Hilton Head Island where he trained the 2005 U.S. Girls' Junior champion, In-Kyung Kim, among other successful junior and collegiate players.
In 2007, Royer opened the Champions Golf Academy at the Long Bay Club in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
. The Champions Golf Academy is a specialized golf academy that provides instruction and individualized training programs for players of all levels, gap-year students, collegiate players, and amateurs.
Royer was inducted into the Columbus State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2000.
Royer and his wife, Heather, reside in Myrtle Beach, and have five children: Leighanne, Sydney, Brai, Abbey and Hugh Royer IV.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er and golf instructor. He is the son of Hugh Royer, Jr.
Hugh Royer, Jr.
Hugh Royer, Jr. is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.Royer was born in Eastman, Georgia. During his youth, his family moved to Columbus, Georgia, where he learned the game of golf from Fred Haskins and Charlie Harper at the Columbus Country Club...
, who played on the PGA Tour for 14 years and won the 1970 Western Open
Western Open
The Western Open, a professional golf tournament, was first played in 1899. At the time of its 2006 playing, the Western Open was the 3rd oldest active PGA Tour tournament, after the British Open and U.S. Open...
.
Royer was born in Columbus
Columbus, Georgia
Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Muscogee County, Georgia, United States, with which it is consolidated. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 189,885. It is the principal city of the Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area, which, in 2009, had an estimated population of 292,795...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. He spent the majority of his childhood traveling with his father on Tour and dreamed of following in his father's footsteps from an early age.
Royer received a scholarship to Mississippi State University
Mississippi State University
The Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science commonly known as Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States, partially in the town of Starkville and partially in an unincorporated area...
where he played for two years. In those two seasons, Royer had one tournament win and seven top-10 finishes, and held the low stroke average each year. He then transferred to Columbus State University
Columbus State University
Columbus State University is a public institution of higher learning located in Columbus, Georgia. Founded as Columbus College in 1958, the university was established and is administered by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, and is fully accredited by the Commission on...
for his junior and senior years, where his father served as head golf coach. He was NCAA Division II Player of the Year and First Team All-American in 1985 and 1986. He was named 1987 Amateur Player of the Year by the Carolinas Golf Reporter.
In the summer following his senior year at CSU, he won the Georgia State Amateur Championship by one stroke over Allen Doyle
Allen Doyle
Allen Michael Doyle is an American golfer who currently plays on the Champions Tour.Doyle was born in Woonsocket, Rhode Island and raised in the Boston suburb of Norwood, Massachusetts. He attended Catholic Memorial High School in West Roxbury, Massachusetts, and Norwich University in Vermont...
. Two weeks later, he defeated Doyle again in the Southeastern Amateur by five strokes setting a record at 20 under par - a record that still stands. Because of open-heart surgery, Royer was forced to withdraw from the U.S. Amateur later that year. Shortly after his recovery and rehabilitation, Royer won the Azalea Amateur Invitational in Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
in a playoff and won the Western Amateur
Western Amateur
The Western Amateur is a leading annual golf tournament in the United States for male amateur golfers. It is organized by the Western Golf Association....
. This gave the Western Golf Association
Western Golf Association
The Western Golf Association is one of the United States' oldest golf organizations, and its headquarters are located in Golf, Illinois. The WGA sponsors three prestigious golf tournaments: the Western Junior, the Western Amateur and the BMW Championship, a FedEx Cup playoff event...
the only father-son combination to win the Open and Amateur in their history.
Royer turned professional in 1987. He competed on the South African Tour for six years, where he had one tournament win and several runner-up finishes.
He started playing on the Nike Tour in 1991 and won his first event in 1993 in Florence, South Carolina
Florence, South Carolina
-Municipal government and politics:The City of Florence has a council-manager form of government. The mayor and city council are elected every four years, with no term limits...
at the NIKE South Carolina Classic. Later that year, he won again in Texarkana, Arkansas
Texarkana, Arkansas
As of the census of 2000, there were 26,448 people, 10,384 households, and 7,040 families residing in the city. The population density was 830.5 people per square mile . There were 11,721 housing units at an average density of 368.1 per square mile...
at the NIKE Texarkana Open. In 1995, he won the NIKE Dominion Open and the NIKE Permian Basin Open. Royer gained his PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
card that year and retained it until 1998. He had four top-10 finishes. He competed on the Nationwide Tour in 1999 and 2000 before retiring.
Learning the game from his father and some top instructors gave Royer the desire to teach the game to others, especially to those who desire to play professionally. Royer's knowledge of the game, in addition to his playing experience, provided him with an adequate teaching philosophy that has proven successful among his own stable of students.
Royer worked for three years at the International Junior Golf Academy on Hilton Head Island where he trained the 2005 U.S. Girls' Junior champion, In-Kyung Kim, among other successful junior and collegiate players.
In 2007, Royer opened the Champions Golf Academy at the Long Bay Club in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach is a coastal city on the east coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is situated on the center of a large and continuous stretch of beach known as the Grand Strand in northeastern South Carolina. It is considered to be a major tourist destination in the...
. The Champions Golf Academy is a specialized golf academy that provides instruction and individualized training programs for players of all levels, gap-year students, collegiate players, and amateurs.
Royer was inducted into the Columbus State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2000.
Royer and his wife, Heather, reside in Myrtle Beach, and have five children: Leighanne, Sydney, Brai, Abbey and Hugh Royer IV.
Amateur wins
- 1985 NCAA Division II ChampionshipNCAA Division II Men's Golf ChampionshipsThe NCAA Division II Men's Golf Championships, played in late May, is an annual competition in U.S. men's collegiate golf. It is a stroke play team competition, but there is also an award for the lowest scoring individual competitor. Many of the individual champions have gone on to successful...
- 1986 Georgia State Amateur, Southeastern Amateur
- 1987 Azalea InvitationalAzalea InvitationalThe Azalea Invitational is an annual amateur golf tournament. It has been played since 1946 at the Country Club of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina.-Winners:*2011 Cheng-Tsung Pan*2010 Tyson Alexander*2009 Tyson Alexander*2008 Zack Sucher...
, Western AmateurWestern AmateurThe Western Amateur is a leading annual golf tournament in the United States for male amateur golfers. It is organized by the Western Golf Association....
Nationwide Tour wins
- 1993 NIKE South Carolina Classic, NIKE Texarkana Open
- 1995 NIKE Dominion Open, NIKE Permian Basin Open