64-year-old Steve Pate has the same dream today that he had when he was 24: to win! The only difference between then and now is that he didn’t have the experience and wisdom to pull off a miracle in 1985. Yet, he still managed to pull off a T2 finish in the Georgia-Pacific Atlanta Golf Classic in his rookie season. So there is no reason he can’t fight for it today, when he is battling cancer.

As PGA Tour Champions tweeted, “All about the support 👏 Steve Pate is currently in recovery from cancer while he continues his quest for a PGA TOUR Champions win. He knows what it’s like to lean on his community and wants to extend it to others 💙.”

Back in April 2025, Steve Pate was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer that is caused by chronic UV exposure. While he may avoid afternoon rounds for a while, the golf legend hasn’t slowed down on his aspirations yet.

Speaking about his motivation, Pate confessed, “The voices in my head went from being really dark to being hopeful.”

He had also discussed the effects of the cancer a few days ago.

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“I had a lot of persistent cough last year, starting in February. Played a couple of times, then got a respiratory infection. That cleared up, but I was still coughing a lot. So, pulmonologist recommended a PET scan. I got that. I found an alien living in my chest. Didn’t know what it was. I had to get it biopsied. Found out it was cancer,” Pate told the world on Instagram a few days ago.

While battling skin cancer, he is also competing on the PGA Tour Champions actively. He finished at T70 in the Chubb Classic 2026 last week, the same time he shared details about his cancer. Not only does he want to beat the disease, but he also wants to claim his first PGA Tour Champions victory.

It comes as a surprise that he hasn’t achieved the feat so far. Especially considering the record he holds in the Tour.

How has Steve Pate performed on the fairway while battling the illness?

26 years after turning pro, Steve Pate received his PGA Tour Champions card in 2011. He had already won six PGA Tour titles by then, so his goal was to transition to the 50+ Tour to continue to find success.

Unfortunately, the Champions Tour hasn’t proven to be as fruitful for him. Pate has yet to claim a single win after turning 50. He has a total of eighteen top-10s, which include a runner-up finish. However, the 65-year-old hasn’t been able to turn any of them around into a victory.

That doesn’t mean he hasn’t been consistent. Pate has participated in 225 PGA Tour Champions tournaments so far. He has made the cut in 219 of them, missing out on the weekend rounds only 6 times. That shows that the veteran golfer is still motivated to perform at the highest level. Beating the fairway and cancer will probably be a great way for Steve Pate to turn his life around.