Craig Stadler is a former professional golfer. He won the 1973 U.S. Amateur, while attending the University of Southern California, where he was a teammate of future PGA Tour winners Mark Pfeil and Scott Simpson. Stadler was an All-American all four years.

Stadler finished college in 1975 and turned professional in 1976. He won his first two PGA Tour events in 1980, at the Bob Hope Desert Classic and the Greater Greensboro Open. His career year was 1982 when he won four PGA Tour events including the Masters Tournament after a playoff with Dan Pohl and the World Series of Golf at the end of the year. Stadler won the money list for the only time. His next win was at the 1984 Byron Nelson Classic. Despite playing relatively well, Stadler did not win a PGA Tour event for over 7 years during the heart of his career. During this period he recorded six runner-up performances and dozens of top-10s on the PGA Tour. He won the 1985 Swiss Open on the European Tour and the 1987 Dunlop Phoenix Tournament on the Japan Golf Tour. 

Stradler has won numerous tournaments at both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour level. His son Kevin is also a PGA Tour champion. Stadler and his son Kevin were the first father and son who have both won on both the PGA Tour and the European Tour. Stadler announced that the 2014 Masters Tournament was his last.