Ian Woosnam

Ian Harold Woosnam OBE (born 2 March 1958) is a Welsh professional golfer.

Ian Woosnam
OBE
Woosnam in 2009
Personal information
Full nameIan Harold Woosnam
NicknameWoosie
Born (1958-03-02) 2 March 1958
Oswestry, England
Height1.64 m (5 ft 4 1⁄2 in)
Weight168 lb (76 kg; 12.0 st)
Nationality Wales
ResidenceJersey, Channel Islands
SpouseGlendryth (m. 1983)
ChildrenDaniel, Rebecca, Ami
Career
Turned professional1976
Current tour(s)European Senior Tour
PGA Tour Champions
Former tour(s)European Tour
Professional wins52
Highest ranking1 (7 April 1991)[1]
(50 weeks)
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour2
European Tour29 (6th all time)
PGA Tour of Australasia2
PGA Tour Champions1
European Senior Tour5
Other16
Best results in major championships
(wins: 1)
Masters TournamentWon: 1991
PGA Championship6th: 1989
U.S. OpenT2: 1989
The Open ChampionshipT3: 1986, 2001
Achievements and awards
World Golf Hall of Fame2017 (member page)
Officer of the Most
Excellent Order of
the British Empire		2007
European Tour
Order of Merit winner		1987, 1990
European Tour
Player of the Year		1987, 1990
European Senior Tour
Order of Merit winner		2008

Nicknamed 'Woosie', Woosnam was one of the "Big Five" generation of European golfers, all born within 12 months of one another, all of whom have won majors, and made Europe competitive in the Ryder Cup. His peers in this group were Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, and Sandy Lyle.[2] Woosnam's major championship win was at the 1991 Masters Tournament. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2017.[3]

Early life

Woosnam was born in the town of Oswestry, Shropshire in England, and his family lived in the nearby village of St Martin's in Shropshire.

Career outline

Woosnam started playing at the unique Llanymynech Golf Club, which straddles the Wales-England border.[4] He is short for a male golfer at 1.64 m (5 ft 4 1⁄2 in), but he is a powerful hitter. He played as an amateur in regional competitions in the English county of Shropshire alongside Sandy Lyle.

Woosnam turned professional in 1976 and first played the European Tour in 1979. Woosnam spent his early years on Tour driving around the continent in a camper van, living on a diet of baked beans to save money.[5] After three modest seasons, his career took off in 1982 when he won the Swiss Open and came eighth on the Order of Merit (prize money list). He also finished in the top ten on the Order of Merit every year from 1983 to 1991 and again in 1993, 1996, and 1997, making thirteen times in all. In 1987 and 1990 he was first, and in the former year he set a world record for global tournament earnings of £1,062,662. He has won 28 official money events on the European Tour and many other events around the world.

Woosnam placed third in the 1986 Open Championship. In 1987, Woosnam was criticised for playing a tournament in Sun City in apartheid South Africa, in contravention of the United Nations cultural moratorium.[6]

In 1991, he reached the top of the Official World Golf Ranking, eventually spending a total of 50 weeks as World Number 1 (7 April 1991 – 21 March 1992). In the same year, he emulated his British rivals, Sandy Lyle and Nick Faldo, by winning the Masters Tournament; the first person representing Wales to ever win a major championship.[7][8]

After winning the Torras Monte Carlo Golf Open in 1991, Woosnam had a decline in form in the second half of the year and said that he was suffering from exhaustion after playing in too many tournaments across the world. In December 1991, his sterling silver Masters trophy, a $9,000 copy of the original, was stolen from a British train.[9]

Woosnam's last official European Tour victory was in the 1997 Volvo PGA Championship. In the late 1990s, his form began to fade, but he nearly made a spectacular comeback at The Open Championship in 2001, when he finished third despite suffering a two-stroke penalty for starting the final round with 15 clubs in his bag instead of the allowable maximum of 14. While his caddie, Miles Byrne, was responsible for this error, Woosnam decided at the time not to dismiss him stating: "It is the biggest mistake he will make in his life. He won't do it again. He's a good caddie. I am not going to sack him. He's a good lad."[10] Woosnam did dismiss his caddie two weeks later when, after a night drinking on the town, Byrne failed to turn up to tee-time.[11]

Later in 2001, at the age of 43, Woosnam became the oldest player to win the World Match Play Championship (not an official European Tour event at the time) when he beat Pádraig Harrington 2 & 1 in the final. Woosnam also became the first player to capture the trophy in three different decades, having previously won the World Match Play Championship in 1987 and 1990.[5] Woosnam had a record outward nine holes of 28 (-7) in the 2001 final against Harrington, which tied the tournament record of seven successive birdies in a match.[12]

Woosnam was a member of eight consecutive European Ryder Cup teams from 1983 to 1997. Despite not winning a singles match he accumulated an overall record of 14 wins, 12 losses and 5 halves in 31 matches. He was a vice captain for the 2002 European team and was elected as captain for the 2006 Ryder Cup, leading Europe to victory over the U.S. 18½–9½ at the K Club, County Kildare, Ireland.

On 1 June 2008, Woosnam won his first stroke play title in 11 years at the Parkridge Polish Seniors Championship at Kraków Valley Golf and Country Club, finishing with a course record 63.[13] The tournament was his third appearance on European Seniors Tour, which he joined after turning 50 years old in March 2008. Woosnam went on to win the European Seniors Tour Order of Merit that year becoming the only person to have won the Order of Merit on both the European Seniors Tour and the regular European Tour.

Honours

In December 1987, Woosnam won the first of his three BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year awards, which he went on to win in 1990 and 1991.[14]

Woosnam was awarded an OBE in the 2007 New Years Honours List.[15]

In September 2010, he was inducted to the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame.[16]

Personal life

Woosnam was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in early 1987,[17] which affects approximately 1 in 200 men and 1 in 500 women in Britain.

In 2008 his son Daniel was given a two-year jail sentence for assault.[18][19]

Professional wins (52)

PGA Tour wins (2)
Legend
Major championships (1)
Other PGA Tour (1)
No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory		 Runner-up
1 24 Mar 1991 USF&G Classic −13 (73-67-68-67=275) Playoff Jim Hallet
2 14 Apr 1991 Masters Tournament −11 (72-66-67-72=277) 1 stroke José María Olazábal

PGA Tour playoff record (1–0)

No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
1 1991 USF&G Classic Jim Hallet Won with par on second extra hole

European Tour wins (29)
Legend
Major championships (1)
Volvo PGA Championships (2)
Other European Tour (26)
No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory		 Runner(s)-up
1 29 Aug 1982 Ebel European Masters Swiss Open −16 (68-68-66-70=272) Playoff Bill Longmuir
2 5 Jun 1983 Silk Cut Masters −15 (68-69-67-65=269) 3 strokes Bernard Gallacher
3 8 Jul 1984 Scandinavian Enterprise Open −4 (71-70-69-70=280) 3 strokes Peter Teravainen
4 21 Sep 1986 Lawrence Batley International T.P.C. −11 (71-71-66-69=277) 7 strokes Ken Brown, José María Cañizares
5 12 Apr 1987 Jersey Open −9 (68-67-72-72=279) 1 stroke Bill Malley
6 26 Apr 1987 Cepsa Madrid Open −19 (67-67-69-66=269) 3 strokes Wayne Grady
7 11 Jul 1987 Bell's Scottish Open −20 (65-65-66-68=264) 7 strokes Peter Senior
8 20 Sep 1987 Trophée Lancôme −24 (65-64-69-66=264) 2 strokes Mark McNulty
9 30 May 1988 Volvo PGA Championship −14 (67-70-70-67=274) 2 strokes Seve Ballesteros, Mark James
10 21 Aug 1988 Carroll's Irish Open −10 (68-70-70-70=278) 7 strokes Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo,
Manuel Piñero, Des Smyth
11 11 Sep 1988 Panasonic European Open −20 (65-66-64-65=260) 3 strokes Nick Faldo
12 25 Jun 1989 Carroll's Irish Open (2) −10 (70-67-71-70=278) Playoff Philip Walton
13 4 Mar 1990 Amex Med Open −6 (68-68-74=210)* 2 strokes Miguel Ángel Martín, Eduardo Romero
14 7 Jul 1990 Torras Monte Carlo Open −18 (66-67-65-60=258) 5 strokes Costantino Rocca
15 14 Jul 1990 Bell's Scottish Open (2) −15 (72-62-67-68=269) 4 strokes Mark McNulty
16 30 Sep 1990 Epson Grand Prix of Europe −13 (65-67-67-72=271) 3 strokes Mark McNulty, José María Olazábal
17 3 Mar 1991 Fujitsu Mediterranean Open (2) −5 (70-71-71-67=279) 1 stroke Michael McLean
18 14 Apr 1991 Masters Tournament −11 (72-66-67-72=277) 1 stroke José María Olazábal
19 6 Jul 1991 Torras Monte Carlo Open (2) −15 (67-66-61-67=261) 4 strokes Anders Forsbrand
20 4 Jul 1992 The European Newspaper Monte Carlo Open (3) −15 (66-65-66-64=261) 2 strokes Mark McNulty, Johan Ryström
21 22 Aug 1993 Murphy's English Open −19 (71-67-65-66=269) 2 strokes Costantino Rocca
22 19 Sep 1993 Trophée Lancôme (2) −13 (64-70-68-65=267) 2 strokes Sam Torrance
23 1 May 1994 Air France Cannes Open −17 (72-70-63-66=271) 5 strokes Colin Montgomerie
24 18 Sep 1994 Dunhill British Masters (2) −17 (71-70-63-67=271) 4 strokes Seve Ballesteros
25 28 Jan 1996 Johnnie Walker Classic1 −16 (69-68-69-66=272) Playoff Andrew Coltart
26 4 Feb 1996 Heineken Classic1 −11 (69-71-65-72=277) 1 stroke Paul McGinley, Jean van de Velde
27 13 Jul 1996 Scottish Open (3) +1 (70-74-70-75=289) 4 strokes Andrew Coltart
28 25 Aug 1996 Volvo German Open −20 (64-64-65=193)* 6 strokes Thomas Gögele, Robert Karlsson,
Iain Pyman, Fernando Roca
29 26 May 1997 Volvo PGA Championship (2) −13 (67-68-70-70=275) 2 strokes Darren Clarke, Ernie Els,
Nick Faldo

*Note: Tournament shortened to 54 holes due to rain.
1Co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour of Australasia

European Tour playoff record (3–5)

No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result
1 1982 Ebel European Masters Swiss Open Bill Longmuir Won with par on third extra hole
2 1987 Suze Open Seve Ballesteros Lost to par on first extra hole
3 1989 Wang Four Stars Craig Parry Lost to birdie on first extra hole
4 1989 Carroll's Irish Open Philip Walton Won with birdie on second extra hole
5 1993 Honda Open Paul Broadhurst, Johan Ryström,
Sam Torrance		 Torrance won with birdie on first extra hole
6 1996 Johnnie Walker Classic Andrew Coltart Won with birdie on third extra hole
7 1997 Dubai Desert Classic Richard Green, Greg Norman Green won with birdie on first extra hole
8 1999 Linde German Masters Sergio García, Pádraig Harrington García won with birdie on second extra hole
Woosnam eliminated by par on first hole

Asia Golf Circuit wins (2)
No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory		 Runner(s)-up
1 1 Mar 1987 United Airlines Hong Kong Open −16 (70-71-65-69=275) 4 strokes David Feherty, Sam Torrance
2 1 Jun 1997 Hyundai Motor Masters −8 (71-74-67-68=280) Playoff Sandy Lyle

Safari Circuit wins (2)
No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory		 Runner(s)-up
1 24 Mar 1985 Zambia Open −10 (71-72-69-70=282) 2 strokes Gordon J. Brand, Brian Marchbank
2 9 Mar 1986 555 Kenya Open −11 (70-64-67-72=273) Playoff Bill Longmuir

Other wins (11)
No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory		 Runner(s)-up
1 1979 News of the World Under-23 Match Play Championship
2 31 Oct 1982 Cacharel World Under-25 Championship +2 (71-69-74-76=290) 5 strokes Keith Waters
3 18 Oct 1987 Suntory World Match Play Championship 1 up Sandy Lyle
4 21 Nov 1987 World Cup
(with David Llewellyn)		 −2 (143-145-138-148=574) Playoff  Scotland − Sandy Lyle and Sam Torrance
5 21 Nov 1987 World Cup Individual Trophy −14 (67-70-65-72=274) 5 strokes Sandy Lyle
6 6 Dec 1987 Nedbank Million Dollar Challenge −14 (67-71-68-68=274) 4 strokes Nick Faldo
7 1988 Welsh National PGA Championship −3 (137)
8 23 Sep 1990 Suntory World Match Play Championship (2) 4 & 2 Mark McNulty
9 3 Nov 1991 World Cup Individual Trophy (2) −15 (70-69-67-67=273) 3 strokes Bernhard Langer
10 13 Nov 1991 PGA Grand Slam of Golf −9 (69-66=135) 4 strokes Ian Baker-Finch
11 14 Oct 2001 Cisco World Match Play Championship (3) 2 & 1 Pádraig Harrington

Other playoff record (1–2)

No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result
1 1987 World Cup
(with David Llewellyn)		  Scotland − Sandy Lyle and Sam Torrance Won with par on second extra hole
2 1992 World Cup Individual Trophy Brett Ogle Lost to birdie on first extra hole
3 1996 Johnnie Walker Super Tour Ernie Els Lost to par on first extra hole

Champions Tour wins (1)
No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory		 Runners-up
1 3 May 2015 Insperity Invitational −11 (71-66-68=205) Playoff Tom Lehman, Kenny Perry

Champions Tour playoff record (1–0)

No.YearTournamentOpponentsResult
1 2015 Insperity Invitational Tom Lehman, Kenny Perry Won with birdie on first extra hole

European Senior Tour wins (5)
No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory		 Runner(s)-up
1 1 Jun 2008 Parkridge Polish Seniors Championship −14 (71-68-63=202) 1 stroke Domingo Hospital
2 6 Jul 2008 Russian Seniors Open −12 (67-67-70=204) 3 strokes Ángel Franco
3 7 Jun 2009 Irish Seniors Open −2 (74-70-67=211) Playoff Bob Boyd
4 19 Jun 2011 Berenberg Bank Masters −9 (71-70-66=207) 2 strokes Ángel Fernández
5 12 Oct 2014 Dutch Senior Open −11 (71-69-68=208) 5 strokes Philip Golding, David J. Russell,
George Ryall

European Senior Tour playoff record (1–1)

No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result
1 2009 Irish Seniors Open Bob Boyd Won with birdie on third extra hole
2 2016 Acorn Jersey Open Gordon Manson, Gary Wolstenholme Manson won with birdie on third extra hole

Japan PGA Senior Tour wins (1)
No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory		 Runner-up
1 15 Nov 2009 PGA Handa Cup Philanthropy Senior Tournament −4 (75-70-68-71=284) 3 strokes Gohei Sato

Major championships

Wins (1)
YearChampionship54 holesWinning scoreMarginRunner-up
1991Masters Tournament1 shot lead−11 (72-66-67-72=277)1 stroke José María Olazábal

Results timeline
Tournament19821983198419851986198719881989
Masters Tournament CUT T14
U.S. Open T2
The Open Championship CUT CUT CUT T16 T3 T8 T25 T49
PGA Championship T30 CUT WD 6
Tournament1990199119921993199419951996199719981999
Masters Tournament T30 1 T19 T17 T46 T17 T29 T39 T16 T14
U.S. Open T21 T55 T6 T52 CUT T21 T79 CUT CUT
The Open Championship T4 T17 T5 T51 CUT T49 CUT T24 T57 T24
PGA Championship T31 T48 CUT T22 T9 CUT T36 CUT T29 CUT
Tournament2000200120022003200420052006200720082009
Masters Tournament T40 CUT CUT CUT CUT CUT CUT 44 CUT
U.S. Open
The Open Championship T68 T3 T37 T72 CUT
PGA Championship CUT T51 CUT CUT
Tournament201020112012201320142015201620172018
Masters Tournament CUT CUT CUT CUT CUT CUT CUT CUT CUT
U.S. Open
The Open Championship
PGA Championship
Tournament 2019
Masters Tournament CUT
PGA Championship
U.S. Open
The Open Championship
  Win
  Top 10
  Did not play

CUT = missed the half way cut (3rd round cut in 1982 and 1984 Open Championships)
WD = withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place.

Summary
TournamentWins2nd3rdTop-5Top-10Top-25EventsCuts made
Masters Tournament1001173113
PGA Championship000023189
U.S. Open010124107
The Open Championship00245102317
Totals112610248246
  • Most consecutive cuts made – 15 (1989 Masters – 1992 Open Championship)
  • Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (1992 U.S. Open – 1992 Open Championship)

Results in The Players Championship
Tournament 19881989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001
The Players Championship CUT T15 CUT T39 CUT T23 CUT WD WD CUT T66 T70
  Did not play

CUT = missed the halfway cut
WD = withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place

Results in World Golf Championships
Tournament19992000
Match Play R64
Championship
Invitational T33
  Did not play

QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" = Tied

Results in senior major championships

Results are not in chronological order before 2017.

Tournament200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019
The Tradition T43 T52 T57 T56 T12
Senior PGA Championship T16 T37 T59 CUT CUT T63
U.S. Senior Open T23 T22 4 T37
Senior Players Championship T41
The Senior Open Championship T13 T19 T8 T16 T10 CUT 75 T44 T45 WD T36
  Top 10
  Did not play

CUT = missed the halfway cut
WD = withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place

Team appearances

See also

References
  1. "Week 14 1991 Ending 7 Apr 1991" (pdf). OWGR. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  2. Reason, Mark (25 May 2003). "In the footsteps of the famous five". The Daily Telegraph. UK. Retrieved 18 August 2009.
  3. "Love III gets Hall of Fame call: Woosnam, Mallon, Ochoa, Longhurst also included in Class of 2017". PGA Tour. 18 October 2016.
  4. "Ian Woosnam". BBC Wales. Retrieved 18 August 2009.
  5. "Ian Woosnam – captain". BBC Sport. 18 September 2006.
  6. Ostler, Scott (7 December 1987). "There's a Price Paid for 'Guilt Premium' Offered by South Africa". Los Angeles Times.
  7. Diaz, Jamie (15 April 1991). "Golf; Woosnam Wins on 18th Green". The New York Times.
  8. Garrity, John (22 April 1991). "Fight to the finish". Sports Illustrated.
  9. "Woosnam to take it easy next year". New Straits Times. 27 December 1991. p. 44 – via Google News.
  10. Caruso, David; Salovey, Peter (2004). The Emotionally Intelligent Manager. Jossey-Bass Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7879-7071-0.
  11. "Woosnam fires caddie". CBC Sports Golf. 5 August 2001. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  12. "Volvo World Match Play Championship Facts and Figures". PGA European Tour. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  13. "Woosnam celebrates Polish victory". BBC Sport. 1 June 2008. Retrieved 18 August 2009.
  14. "BBC Wales Sport Personality winners". BBC Sport. 8 December 2008. Retrieved 28 October 2009.
  15. Carey, Paul (30 December 2006). "Golf: Woosie ends year with OBE". Western Mail (Wales). Archived from the original on 7 October 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2009.
  16. "Inductees to Roll of Honour". Welsh Sports Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011.
  17. Casey, Phil (29 July 2006). "New treatment puts Woosnam back in title hunt". The Independent. Retrieved 18 December 2011.
  18. "Woosnam's son jailed for assault". Jersey Evening Post. 22 November 2008. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  19. "Ian Woosnam: A voice in my head said to me: 'This is your time. Step up'". The Independent. 1 January 2011. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
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