Teased by his teammates for his unorthodox swing and unusual grip, he silenced his peers as he gained All-American status twice in his four years at Fresno State and became the most successful player ever to have spent time there.

This runner-up finish vaulted Sutherland well inside the top thirty on the 2008 PGA Tour money list, and secured him a spot in the 2009 Masters Tournament.

He fell short of satisfying his medical extension, but earned enough to remain on the PGA Tour with conditional status for the remainder of 2013.

On Saturday, August 16, 2014, at the second round of the Dick's Sporting Goods Open, Sutherland became the first person on the Champions Tour to shoot a 59, going −13 on the par-72 course.

[3] On April 1, 2019, Sutherland won his second PGA Tour Champions tournament at the Rapiscan Systems Classic in Mississippi.