David Sutherland, director of Sacramento State golf, is a 10-year Professional Golfers’ Association of America veteran and has coached men’s and women’s golf at Sac State for three years.

He taught history at Christian Brothers High School for a short time prior to Sac State. He has a wife, Molly, and two sons, Matthew, 8, and Andrew, 7. He enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking and fishing, as well as reading history books.

State Hornet sports writer, Dustin Nosler recently sat down with Sutherland to talk golf and life.

SH: What did you like about the PGA Tour?

I enjoyed the simplicity of it all. When you play professional golf, your life is very simple. It may be stressful, but your whole focus is golf. You set your entire schedule around how you can maximize your golf.

SH: What do you miss most about playing?

I don’t get a chance to go out very often and just play golf and practice. I very much miss that.

SH: How did you do on the Tour?

I had a couple of times when I finished second. My best year was probably 2000, when I finished in 80th or something like that. I had one stretch on the Tour when I made 11 cuts in a row.

SH: Is there anything you’d change or like to do-over from the Tour?

I don’t know that I’d go back and change anything. I certainly wish there were a few things I didn’t wish happened; I got hurt a bunch. I tore my labrum and had to have wrist surgery in 2005 and shoulder surgery in 2001. I wouldn’t go back and change anything; I just wish it wouldn’t have happened.

SH: How is your brother, Kevin Sutherland, doing?

Kevin’s doing great, obviously. Kevin is a very consistent golfer. He’s a player the mass media would view as sort of a ‘journeyman’ golfer. The players on tour have a lot of respect for Kevin. Kevin’s one of the most respected players on the tour because he’s such a consistent golfer. He made the cut in all four majors this year.

SH: Who’s your favorite golfer on tour (not named Kevin Sutherland)?

Steve Stricker. He’s a great guy. It’s hard not to root for Steve.

SH: Did you ever play in any majors?

I did. I played the British Open, the PGA (Championship). I played the British at St. Andrews.

SH: How did you know it was time to retire from the PGA?

My last year on tour, with all the injuries I had, I sensed I was probably pretty close to done. I had shoulder surgery, wrist surgery, eight or nine injections in my wrist just to keep playing and I felt like that I was starting to get to the point to where I was getting close to causing, perhaps, some problems.

SH: What was one of your fondest moments about playing on tour?

I think all my fondest memories were playing with my brother – practices rounds, playing, when I did get paired with him at tournaments – that’s a real easy one.

SH: How did you end up at Sac State?

It happened much quicker than I would have imagined. I had heard that the job was available, e-mailed Terry (Wanless), not even sure if this was right for me. We sat down one afternoon, had lunch, chatted and, pretty quickly, I had the job.

SH: What do you enjoy most about being a Hornet?

The golf is fun, I enjoy it. But, hopefully the mentoring aspect of it – helping kids who in a period in their lives that is not as easy as people remember it being. There’s a lot of demand for these kids’ time and I try to do as best a job as I can to focus these kids on their education.

SH: How long do you expect to coach?

I don’t know. That’s probably a pretty good question for my wife (laughs). I don’t know that answer. I can see it being the last job of my life. I know this much: I will never coach anywhere but Sac State. I will never apply for another job. As long as I’m coaching Division I college golf, it’ll be here at Sac State. I have no interest in any other job.

Dustin Nosler can be reached at [email protected]