Hunter Green, son of Ken Green, found dead in dorm room at SMU

Son of injured pro golfer Ken Green found dead

DALLAS — Hunter Green, the son of former professional golfer Ken Green, was found dead in his dorm room at Southern Methodist University last week, authorities said.

SMU officials said the body of a student was found about 12:30 p.m. Friday. The Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed Tuesday that the student was Green, 21, a sophomore. Campus officials said no foul play was involved and an investigation is under way.

It’s the second family tragedy in eight months for Ken Green, who won five PGA Tour events between 1985-89 and played on the 1989 Ryder Cup team. Green had his lower right leg amputated last summer after a recreational vehicle accident in which his brother and girlfriend were killed.

Green acknowledged his son’s death on his personal blog Tuesday.

“Well, today is another sad day,” he said. “I’m sorry to say that my youngest son, Hunter, has passed. His journey in life has ended and I can’t tell you how difficult understanding this is.”

Green earned about $3.7 million and 44 top 10 finishes on the regular tour before a bout with depression nearly derailed his career. He has talked of critical children’s voices in his head that scuttled his concentration and left him contemplating suicide as he struggled to stay on the tour.

He lost his Tour card in 2000 and coped with financial problems between 2005 and 2008, the year he turned 50.

Green joined the Champions Tour for older players that year and played well. He was 54th on the money list with $123,906 in 11 appearances in 2009 before the accident.

In June, Green was traveling in the back of an RV driven by his brother when a tire blew out. The RV went off the road, down an embankment and crashed into a large oak tree.

Fellow pros gathered for an event in September to raise money to pay some of his medical and personal expenses, including Fred Funk, Curtis Strange, Mark Calcavecchia and Phil Blackmar. Green said then that he wanted to rejoin the Champions Tour in 2010.