Peter Uihlein

Peter Uihlein: Thinking differently throughout his golf career

Peter Uihlein has never been afraid to try something different. He was one of the first players to embrace the concept of LIV Golf and proved his pedigree in the inaugural season, finishing third in the overall standings for 2022.

His determination to follow his own path stretches back to his amateur days, when he was winning tournaments while at Oklahoma State University and produced a perfect 4-0 record representing the U.S. in the 2009 Walker Cup.

When Uihlein beat David Chung in the 2010 U.S. Amateur Championship on his 21st birthday, he was already ranked the No. 1 amateur in the world and a career as a pro seemed inevitable. That win gained him entry to three majors in 2011, the Masters and the U.S. Open, where he missed the cut, and The Open Championship at Royal St George’s where he finished T48.

Between May 2010 and June 2011, Uihlein spent a total of 49 weeks out of 57 occupying the top spot in the world amateur golf ranking and he made the big decision to turn professional for the 2012 season and not finish his senior year at OSU.

What was more surprising about his announcement was that the American was going to begin his career in Europe. “There has been a great list of players who cut their teeth in Europe,” Uihlein said at the time, citing Adam Scott and Charl Schwartzel – who is also now a LIV Golf colleague – as examples.

“They all started in Europe and gained great experience by playing different courses. It’s a new challenge.”

Cutting his teeth on the Challenge Tour

Uihlein’s professional debut produced a T12 finish at the 2012 Gujarat Kensville Challenge in India, a good example of how the Challenge and European Tours had been gradually evolving into what is now known as the DP World Tour, with global events.

“That first year on the Challenge Tour was probably the most fun I ever had playing golf,” Uihlein told Fairway To Heaven, LIV Golf’s official podcast. “Going to some crazy places and seeing the world and because you weren’t playing for a ton of money you bunked up with a bunch of buddies.

“I remember it was me and Brooks Koepka, a guy named Scott Pinckney and a buddy who was caddying for me.”

Within a year he had landed his first professional tournament win, at the 2013 Madeira Islands Open in May, which was sanctioned by both the Challenge and European Tours.

Four months later his form was flourishing, as he finished second to Gregory Bourdy at the 2013 Wales Open and runner-up to David Howell at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. He was also ranked 14th in the Race to Dubai money list as he was named the European Tour’s Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year.

His second professional win was hugely important as it came in the 2017 Web.com Tour Finals, a victory at the Nationwide Children’s Hospitals Challenge in Colombus earning him a PGA Tour card for 2017-18.

Uihlein’s second win on the Korn Ferry Tour (previously the Web.com Tour) was the 2021 MGM Resorts Championship.

Joining LIV Golf and making an impression

Peter Uihlein didn’t wait to be asked to join LIV Golf, he made a call to declare his interest in taking part from Day 1. “I figured I might as well take a chance,” he said.

After 126 events on the PGA Tour, he felt the need for a fresh challenge.

"My wife and I, before the decision was made, we had discussions,” he said. “She said, ‘What’s going to make you happier?”

“Getting back to doing something kind of different in the team format, traveling internationally, it just appealed to me.”

His bold move paid off big time as he finished second twice and fourth once in seven starts during that first year.

Playing alongside captain and good friend Brooks Koepka at Smash GC, there was also a team win at LIV Golf Invitational Jeddah to celebrate.

A move to 4Aces GC for the first LIV Golf League in 2023 produced two more team wins and Uihlein went on to secure 11th place individually.

Last season, playing with RangeGoats GC, he ended up 27th but didn’t end the year empty handed.

A week after finishing T14 at LIV Golf UK, Uihlein took part in the International Series England and walked away with his maiden victory on the Asian Tour.

In his final round on the Longcross course at Surrey-based Foxhills, he carded an 8-under 63 to finish the tournament at 20-under, a full seven shots ahead of Andy Sullivan and Legion XIII’s Caleb Surratt, who were T2.

Since his switch to LIV Golf, Uihlein has partnered with caddie Zach Guthrie, brother of former PGA Tour golfer Luke Guthrie.

Experimenting with his golf swing

A big contributory factor to Peter Uihlein’s International Series win was a change to his swing.

More specifically, it was changing it back to the swing that had served him so well the previous two seasons.

Although his putting game has always been tight, Uihlein was concerned by the fact he had topped LIV’s 2023 stat for driving distance, with an average 322.5 yards, but that it had dropped into the new year while his fairway hit percentage was the lowest in the league.

Uihlein and coach Jason Baile worked on a change to the release pattern in his swing to regain some consistency, but after a T38 finish in Andalucia, it was time for a rethink ahead of LIV Golf UK.

“We tried something different, it just didn’t really work,” he said.

The experiment was dropped and Uihlein went on to record a T14 in London – his best finish since being runner-up in Las Vegas six months earlier – then took the top prize at the International Series England.

Influence of dad Walter Uihlein

Golf has been a common bond in Uihlein’s family.

His dad Walter ‘Wally’ Uihlein was CEO of the Acushnet Company which operates a series of famous golfing brands including Titleist, Scotty Cameron and Vokey Design.

“My dad’s been great, he let me be my own man early on,” says Uihlein. “He didn’t push me towards anything.

“I love baseball, I got to watch it all the time so that was where my interests were, but I also loved golf and I think it was in my blood.

“My grandfather, my mom’s dad, was the head pro at Woodmont for 30 years, so it’s always been in our family.”

And just in case you were wondering, Peter is not related to billionaire businessman Richard Uihlein or the Schlitz family.

In 2018 Uihlein got engaged to girlfriend Chelsea Gates and the couple married in Boca Raton, Florida, in November 2019.

He and wife Chelsea have two young children, a son and daughter, and live in Jupiter, Florida.

How do you pronounce the family name Uihlein?

Once you know it’s pretty simple to follow.

Peter Uihlein’s family name is easily broken down into two parts so that you can pronounce it correctly as ‘You-line’.