Legendary Short Game Instructor Dave Pelz Dies Aged 85

Regarded as one the most influential instructors in golf, Dave Pelz has sadly passed away at the age of 85.

Having coached the likes of Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh, Payne Stewart, Tom Kite, Lee Janzen, Steve Elkington and Patrick Reed, Pelz was a part of over 20 Major victories.

Attending Indiana University, Pelz won his club championship and played alongside the likes of Jack Nicklaus while growing up.

Joining NASA in the early 60s, he worked in the industry during the age of the space race, eventually opting to change career paths a decade later and put his time and focus into golf.

In 1970, after analysing how a putter head struck a golf ball, he came up with the Teacher Putter and, thanks to it, he qualified for the US Amateur. Five years later, Pelz took leave from NASA and started Preceptor Golf, eventually resigning from NASA in the mid 70s.

Because of his analytical and scientific approach to the short game, he quickly became a big name on the professional and amateur circuit, even writing several books and appearing on The Dave Pelz Scoring Game Show, a long-running Golf Channel instruction TV programme.

What's more, Pelz created several putting training aids and even played a part in the creation of one of the most iconic putters in golf, the Odyssey 2-Ball, with Pelz licensing the patents to the original three-ball putters to Odyssey.

The tributes have flocked in for Pelz, who passed away due to complications from prostate cancer at his home in Dripping Springs, Texas.

One of those who paid tribute was six-time Major winner, Mickelson, who tweeted, “I have so many things to say about this incredible man. I owe so much of my success to the many things he taught me and he lives on as I share those same insights to numerous other golfers. The laughs we shared along the way is what I cherish most.”