Sandy Lyle

Last updated

Sandy Lyle
OBE
Sandy Lyle.jpg
Lyle in 2006
Personal information
Full nameAlexander Walter Barr Lyle
Born (1958-02-09) 9 February 1958 (age 66)
Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England
Height6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Sporting nationalityFlag of Scotland.svg  Scotland
Residence Balquhidder, Perthshire, Scotland
Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, U.S.
Spouse
Christine
(m. 1981;div. 1987)
Jolande
(m. 1989)
Children4
Career
Turned professional1977
Current tour(s) European Senior Tour
Champions Tour
Former tour(s) European Tour
PGA Tour
Professional wins30
Highest ranking 2 (10 April 1988) [1]
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour6
European Tour18
Japan Golf Tour1
European Senior Tour1
Other6
Best results in major championships
(wins: 2)
Masters Tournament Won: 1988
PGA Championship T16: 1991
U.S. Open T16: 1991
The Open Championship Won: 1985
Achievements and awards
World Golf Hall of Fame 2012 (member page)
Sir Henry Cotton
Rookie of the Year
1978
European Tour
Order of Merit winner/
Official money list winner
1979, 1980, 1985

Alexander Walter Barr "Sandy" Lyle OBE (born 9 February 1958) is a Scottish professional golfer. He has won two major championships during his career. Along with Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam, he became one of Britain's top golfers during the 1980s. He spent 167 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Ranking from its introduction, in 1986, until 1989. [2] Lyle was inducted to the World Golf Hall of Fame in May 2012. [3]

Contents

Lyle was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2024 Birthday Honours for services to golf. [4]

Early life

Lyle was born in Shrewsbury, England [5] and now lives in Scotland with his wife Jolande and children Lonneke and Quintin. He represented Scotland during his professional career. He was introduced to golf by his father, Alex, who had taken the family from Scotland to England in 1955 when he became resident professional at Hawkstone Park golf course. [6] Their family home was just 40 yards from the pro-shop and 18th green. He began playing with miniature clubs at the age of 3. At schoolboy, junior and amateur level Lyle represented England.

Amateur career

In the summer of 1974, Lyle received a golf scholarship to the University of Houston. However, he did not pass the entrance examination and was not allowed to attend the university. Lyle returned to Britain "to find another route into professional golf." [7]

As an amateur Lyle made his debut in The Open Championship at age 16 in 1974 and won the Brabazon Trophy in 1975 and 1977. He was a member of the Walker Cup team in 1977.

Professional career

In 1977 he turned professional and decided to represent Scotland. He was medalist at the 1977 Qualifying School tournament for the European Tour. His first professional win came in the 1978 Nigerian Open, and he also won the Sir Henry Cotton Award as European Rookie of the Year that season. Lyle attained the first of an eventual 18 European Tour titles in 1979.

Lyle, for Scotland, finished runner-up at the World Cup of Golf team event in 1979, 1980 and 1987; in the latter year Lyle captured the low individual trophy in that event.

Lyle showed his quality by winning The Open Championship at Royal St George's Golf Club in 1985. He was the first British winner since Tony Jacklin in 1969, and continued the rise of European golfers in the world scene.

Lyle was a member of five European Ryder Cup teams, from 1979 to 1987 inclusive. Highlights from those years included the team that was victorious at the Belfry in the autumn of 1985, and the 1987 team which won for the first time ever on American soil, at Muirfield Village.

For many golf fans he is best known for the fairway bunker shot and the subsequent birdie putt at the 18th hole in the final round of the Masters in 1988 when he became the first Briton to wear the green jacket. [8] He also won two other events on the PGA Tour that season, along with the World Match Play Championship, after being a losing finalist on several occasions.

Lyle topped the European Tour's order of merit in 1979, 1980 and 1985. He finished in the top ten nine times between 1979 and 1992. He was also a member of the PGA Tour for several years and finished seventh on the US money list in 1988, despite a limited playing schedule. He won the 1987 Tournament Players Championship, one of the most prestigious American titles. Lyle's form dropped after 1992, when he was 34, and he has not won a significant event since.

Legacy

As a player, Lyle is known for his cool temperament and placid exterior. In his peak years, he was very long from the tee and through the set, and had enough accuracy to master any course. His achievements inspired fellow rivals such as Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam to raise their games, and go on to win the majors. Lyle published his first book, "To the Fairway Born" in 2006. In the same year he was assistant captain to Ian Woosnam when Europe won the Ryder Cup. He had been hoping to be picked as the captain for the 2010 European Ryder Cup team but missed out to Colin Montgomerie. [9]

In July 2009, Lyle became involved in a public row with Colin Montgomerie where he unfavourably compared Montgomerie's actions at the Indonesian Open four years previously with his own actions in not completing a round at the 2008 Open Championship. [10] Reaction to this was mixed with some players supporting Lyle while other players and commentators felt that Lyle's timing was unfortunate and that any point he may have had was lost in the ensuing controversy. [11]

Senior career

On turning 50 in 2008, Lyle played on the Champions Tour [12] and the European Senior Tour.

Lyle won his first tournament in 19 years when he captured his first European Senior Tour title at the 2011 ISPS Handa Senior World Championship, held in China. [13]

He took up hickory golf, winning the World Hickory Open in his native Scotland in 2014 and 2016. Lyle referred to the 2016 victory as his "fourth major" to go along with the 2014 crown, as well as the 1988 Masters and 1985 Open titles. [14]

Amateur wins

Professional wins (30)

PGA Tour wins (6)

Legend
Major championships (2)
Players Championships (1)
Other PGA Tour (3)
No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory
Runner-up
121 Jul 1985 The Open Championship +2 (68-71-73-70=282)1 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Payne Stewart
26 Apr 1986 Greater Greensboro Open −13 (68-64-73-70=275)2 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Andy Bean
329 Mar 1987 Tournament Players Championship −14 (67-71-66-70=274)Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Jeff Sluman
431 Jan 1988 Phoenix Open −15 (68-68-68-65=269)Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Fred Couples
53 Apr 1988 KMart Greater Greensboro Open (2)−17 (68-63-68-72=271)Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Ken Green
610 Apr 1988 Masters Tournament −7 (71-67-72-71=281)1 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Mark Calcavecchia

PGA Tour playoff record (3–1)

No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result
1 1987 Tournament Players Championship Flag of the United States.svg Jeff Sluman Won with par on third extra hole
2 1988 Phoenix Open Flag of the United States.svg Fred Couples Won with bogey on third extra hole
31988 KMart Greater Greensboro Open Flag of the United States.svg Ken Green Won with birdie on first extra hole
4 1989 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic Flag of the United States.svg Paul Azinger, Flag of the United States.svg Steve Jones Jones won with birdie on first extra hole

European Tour wins (18)

Legend
Major championships (2)
Tour Championships (1)
Other European Tour (15)
No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
13 Jun 1979 B.A./Avis Open −13 (66-71-66-68=271)3 strokes Flag of England.svg Howard Clark
28 Jul 1979 Scandinavian Enterprise Open −12 (73-69-65-69=276)3 strokes Flag of Spain.svg Seve Ballesteros
39 Sep 1979 European Open Championship −9 (71-67-72-65=275)7 strokes Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Dale Hayes, Flag of England.svg Peter Townsend
429 Jun 1980 Coral Welsh Classic −11 (72-69-67-69=277)5 strokes Flag of England.svg Martin Foster
510 May 1981 Paco Rabanne Open de France −14 (70-66-67-67=270)4 strokes Flag of Germany.svg Bernhard Langer
67 Jun 1981 Lawrence Batley International −4 (70-70-69-71=280)2 strokes Flag of England.svg Nick Faldo
725 Jul 1982 Lawrence Batley International (2)−15 (70-66-67-66=269)2 strokes Flag of Spain.svg Manuel Piñero
824 Apr 1983 Cepsa Madrid Open −3 (70-69-76-70=285)2 strokes Flag of England.svg Gordon J. Brand
96 May 1984 Italian Open −11 (71-70-68-68=277)4 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Bobby Clampett
107 Oct 1984 Trophée Lancôme −10 (74-70-67-67=278)Playoff Flag of Spain.svg Seve Ballesteros
1121 Jul 1985 The Open Championship +2 (68-71-73-70=282)1 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Payne Stewart
1218 Aug 1985 Benson & Hedges International Open −14 (70-69-71-64=274)1 stroke Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Ian Woosnam
1311 Oct 1987 German Masters −10 (73-69-70-66=278)Playoff Flag of Germany.svg Bernhard Langer
1410 Apr 1988 Masters Tournament −7 (71-67-72-71=281)1 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Mark Calcavecchia
155 Jun 1988 Dunhill British Masters −15 (66-68-68-71=273)2 strokes Flag of England.svg Nick Faldo, Flag of Zimbabwe.svg Mark McNulty
1613 Oct 1991 BMW International Open −20 (65-65-71-67=268)3 strokes Flag of Zimbabwe.svg Tony Johnstone
173 May 1992 Lancia Martini Italian Open (2)−18 (66-71-65-68=270)1 stroke Flag of Scotland.svg Colin Montgomerie
181 Nov 1992 Volvo Masters +3 (72-70-72-73=287)Playoff Flag of Scotland.svg Colin Montgomerie

European Tour playoff record (3–3)

No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
1 1983 Ebel European Masters Swiss Open Flag of England.svg Nick Faldo Lost to par on second extra hole
2 1984 Trophée Lancôme Flag of Spain.svg Seve Ballesteros Won with birdie on first extra hole
3 1985 Whyte & Mackay PGA Championship Flag of England.svg Paul Way Lost to birdie on third extra hole
41985 Glasgow Open Flag of England.svg Howard Clark Lost to birdie on second extra hole
5 1987 German Masters Flag of Germany.svg Bernhard Langer Won with par on second extra hole
6 1992 Volvo Masters Flag of Scotland.svg Colin Montgomerie Won with par on first extra hole

PGA of Japan Tour wins (1)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory
Runner-up
125 Nov 1984 Casio World Open −9 (68-69-71-71=279)Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Gary Koch

PGA of Japan Tour playoff record (1–0)

No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
1 1984 Casio World Open Flag of the United States.svg Gary Koch Won with birdie on first extra hole

Safari Circuit wins (1)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory
Runner-up
127 Feb 1978 Nigerian Open −15 (61-63-70-75=269)Playoff Flag of England.svg Michael King

Other wins (5)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory
Runner-up
12 Sep 1979 STV Scottish Professional Championship −10 (66-71-70-67=274)Playoff Flag of Scotland.svg Sam Torrance
214 Dec 1980 World Cup International Trophy −6 (69-69-74-70=282)1 stroke Flag of Germany.svg Bernhard Langer
311 Nov 1984 Kapalua International −18 (68-64-69-65=266)8 strokes Flag of Germany.svg Bernhard Langer
410 Nov 1985 Nissan Cup Individual Trophy −21 (68-67-68-64=267)3 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Curtis Strange
510 Oct 1988 Suntory World Match Play Championship 2 and 1 Flag of England.svg Nick Faldo

Other playoff record (1–0)

No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
11979 STV Scottish Professional Championship Flag of Scotland.svg Sam Torrance Won with par on third extra hole

European Senior Tour wins (1)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory
Runner-up
113 Mar 2011 ISPS Handa Senior World Championship −12 (68-66-70=204)3 strokes Flag of Australia (converted).svg Peter Fowler

Playoff record

Korean Tour playoff record (0–1)

No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
1 1997 Hyundai Motor Masters Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Ian Woosnam Lost to birdie on second extra hole

Major championships

Wins (2)

YearChampionship54 holesWinning scoreMarginRunner-up
1985 The Open Championship 3 shot deficit+2 (68-71-73-70=282)1 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Payne Stewart
1988 Masters Tournament 2 shot lead−7 (71-67-72-71=281)1 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Mark Calcavecchia

Results timeline

Results not in chronological order in 2020.

Tournament197419751976197719781979
Masters Tournament
U.S. Open
The Open Championship CUTCUTCUTT19
PGA Championship
Tournament1980198119821983198419851986198719881989
Masters Tournament 48T28CUTT25T11T171CUT
U.S. Open CUTCUTT45T36T25CUT
The Open Championship T12T14T8CUTT141T30T17T7T46
PGA Championship CUT
Tournament1990199119921993199419951996199719981999
Masters Tournament CUTCUTT37T21T38CUTCUTT34CUTT48
U.S. Open CUTT16T51T52
The Open Championship T16WDT12CUT74T79T56CUTT19CUT
PGA Championship T16CUTT56T73T39
Tournament2000200120022003200420052006200720082009
Masters Tournament CUTCUTCUTCUTT37CUTCUT4345T20
U.S. Open
The Open Championship CUTT69T75CUT73T32CUTT65WDCUT
PGA Championship
Tournament201020112012201320142015201620172018
Masters Tournament CUTCUTCUTT54T44CUTCUTCUTCUT
U.S. Open
The Open Championship CUTCUTCUT84CUTCUTCUTCUTCUT
PGA Championship
Tournament20192020202120222023
Masters Tournament CUTCUTCUTCUTCUT
PGA Championship
U.S. Open
The Open Championship NT
  Win
  Top 10
  Did not play

CUT = missed the half way cut (3rd round cut in 1974 and 1983 Open Championships)
WD = withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place
NT = No tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic

Summary

TournamentWins2nd3rdTop-5Top-10Top-25EventsCuts made
Masters Tournament 1001164217
PGA Championship 00000164
U.S. Open 000002106
The Open Championship 10013114322
Totals200242010149

The Players Championship

Wins (1)

YearChampionship54 holesWinning scoreMarginRunner-up
1987 Tournament Players Championship 2 shot deficit−14 (67-71-66-70=274)Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Jeff Sluman

Results timeline

Tournament19851986198719881989199019911992199319941995199619971998
The Players Championship CUTCUT1CUTCUTCUTCUTCUTT74CUTCUTT70CUT
  Win
  Did not play

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

Results in senior major championships

Results not in chronological order before 2021.

Tournament20082009
The Tradition 51T50
Senior PGA Championship T43CUT
U.S. Senior Open CUT
Senior Players Championship T65T31
Senior British Open Championship CUTT13
Tournament2010201120122013201420152016201720182019
The Tradition T45T33T69T35T34T58T57T68
Senior PGA Championship CUTCUTT4T42CUTT9CUTT63T64CUT
U.S. Senior Open
Senior Players Championship T67T30T22T65T64T72T68T60
Senior British Open Championship CUTCUTCUT7CUTT51CUTT45T43CUT
Tournament202020212022
The Tradition NT73WD
Senior PGA Championship NT
Senior Players Championship
U.S. Senior Open NT
Senior British Open Championship NTCUT
  Top 10
  Did not play

CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
NT = No tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic

Team appearances

Amateur

Professional

See also

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