Ken Duke

PERSONAL

Birthplace – Palm City Florida
College – Henderson State University
Turned Professional – 1994

As a seventh grader, was diagnosed with scoliosis. The Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock, Ark., determined he had a 26 percent curvature of the spine and advised him to wear a back brace 23 hours a day. Two years later, with the curvature reaching 51 percent, he underwent surgery. Without the procedure, the pressure on his lungs and heart might have become life-threatening. Surgeons attached a 16-inch metal rod to his spine to facilitate straightening. Remarkably, just months later he returned to his high school golf team and playing in a back brace won medalist honors at a district tournament.

In 2009, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences established The Ken Duke Endowed Chair in Scoliosis. Funds from the chair treat spinal deformities, tumors and fractures.

He credits his dad for giving him his start in golf but says legendary instructor Bob Toski changed his swing and his life. His biggest golf thrill was playing a round at Augusta National in 2009 with Toski, who was 82 at the time.

Was inducted into the Arkansas Golf Hall of Fame in October 2013 at Pleasant Valley CC in Little Rock.

Player Bio

PGA CHAMPIONS TOUR PROFESSIONAL

Ken was introduced to our putting instruments at a PGA event. After putting a few strokes he decided to put it into play, a VERY RARE occurrence. He had 20 birdies in the event and has played Sacks Parente ever since.

About Ken

Ken plays our Series 66 and Series 99 and can be seen playing our Series 54MH VA on certain occassions where the greens aren’t up to par. He plays our Tour GS shaft with our pistol grip.

The Series 66 putter was developed for professionals by Sacks Parente Golf and with Ken’s help throughout the 2019 PGA Champions Tour season.

Long considered one of the nicest people on any tour, Ken has competed over 500 times during his career. He won the PGA Travelers Championship in 2013 and currently plays on the PGA Champions Tour where in his rookie season he had 5 top 10’s a tie for 2nd and finished the season 3rd in overall putting with his Sacks Parente.

We are so very proud to be associated with Ken. He is a great golfer, a journeyman, but he (arguably), played the best round of golf in history at the Players Championship in 2016. Click here to learn more.

Inducted into the Henderson State University, Reddie Hall of Honor.
Inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.
He was a four-time All-AIC and four-time AIC Player of the Year.
He holds the AIC record for stroke average in a season (68.4) and was the 1992 NAIA All-American.
In 2006 he was named the Nationwide Tour Player of the Year.