Glen Hnatiuk (2003) - Southern Miss M-Club Hall of Fame

Glen Hnatiuk

Induction:
2003

There are just a handful of former athletes at Southern Miss who have earned a cherished spot in our Hall of Fame solely as a golfer. But of the handful who have been honored by this group, each has in their own unique way, made the sport just a little bit better and the program here at Southern Miss just a bit more competitive. And so it is tonight, with our next inductee Glen Hnatiuk, who starred for the Golden Eagle golf team from 1984 to 1988.
   Like many before him Glen had a dream when he arrived at Southern Miss from Selkirk, Manitoba, Canada. He was a hockey player in his native Canada, talented enough to be a member of the Western Canadian Junior “B” championship team but he discovered the game of golf and quickly became a talented player, putting one set of sticks away and picking up another. He slowly fell in love with the game of golf and soon realized that he wanted to make a career of the sport he loved and to play it at the highest level possible.
   While others dream of one day playing on the PGA Tour and competing week in and week out with the best golfers in the world, Glen does it and is one of the best golfers in the world.
   At Southern Miss, Glen established himself as one of the best college golfers in the country and was selected to the all-Metro Conference team as a senior in 1988 finishing his brilliant career with Golden Eagles with a 76.29 scoring average. Over his four-year career the Southern Miss golf program was just emerging onto the national picture, and he was the leader of the program.
   When you talk to players who played with or against Glen, or those that watched him play, they will tell you that he approached every shot, every round and every tournament with the type of positive attitude that was infectious. And that many times during his career with the Golden Eagles when the team needed someone to step up and make a big putt or hit a big shot, more times than not it was Glen.
   Glen turned professional in 1990.shortly after finishing his career with the Golden Eagles. Like many young golfers who move into the ranks of professional golf, the going was sometimes difficult, but from 1992 to 1997 as a member of what is now the Nationwide Tour, he quickly proved to be one of the best young players in the country. He would win four times on the Nationwide Tour including victory at the 1992 Ben Hogan Gulf Coast Classic, where he earned a spot in the event as a Monday qualifier.
   On the PGA Tour Glen has won nearly 2-million dollars in his career. Last season he made the cut in 19 of 28 events and finished 120th on the official money list winning $558,940. His best finish a year ago was a tie for 8th in the Worldcom Classic—the Heritage of Golf. Last year he shared the first round lead at the FedEx St.Jude Classic in Memphis after an opening round 65 and was the outright leader through 36 and 54 holes, but finished in a tie for 14th.