Ian Harold Woosnam (born 2 March 1958) is a Welsh professional golfer. In 1976, as a teenager, Woosnam turned pro. He picked up his first European Tour win at the 1982 Swiss Open; this began a decade of success. Woosnam led the European Tour's Order of Merit in 1987 and 1990, ultimately winning 29 tournaments on tour, among the most ever. Woosnam's career reached its peak in 1991, as he won the Masters and spent most of the year ranked number one in the world. After the age of 50, Woosnam has continued his success, winning events on the Champions Tour, European Senior Tour, and Japan Senior Tour. In 2017, at the age 59, Woosnam was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Early life Woosnam was born in Oswestry, Shropshire, England, to Welsh parents. His family lived in the nearby village of St Martin's.
Amateur career Woosnam started playing at the Llanymynech Golf Club, which straddles the Wales-England border. He is short for a male golfer at , but he is a powerful hitter. He played as an amateur in regional competitions in the English county of Shropshire alongside Sandy Lyle.
Professional career In 1976, Woosnam turned professional. Three years later, in 1979, he first played the European Tour. 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. After three modest seasons, his career took off in 1982 when he won the Swiss Open and came eighth on the Order of Merit. It was the first of ten consecutive years where Woosnam finished in the top ten of the Order of Merit. In addition, he led the Order of Merit in 1987 and 1990; in the former year he set a world record for global tournament earnings of £1,062,662. He has won 29 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 by anti-apartheid campaigners for playing a tournament in Sun City in apartheid South Africa, in contravention of the United Nations cultural moratorium.
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.
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.
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 not to dismiss him, but did fire him two weeks later when, after a night drinking, Byrne failed to turn up to tee-time.
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 win the event in three different decades, having previously won in 1987 and 1990. 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.
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. 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.
Awards and honours
In 1987, Woosnam won BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year awards. He won the award again in 1990 and 1991. Woosnam was awarded an OBE at the 2007 New Years Honours List. In September 2010, he was inducted to the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame. In 2017, Woosnam was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Personal life In 1983, Woosnam married Glendryth. They have three children.
In 1987, Woosnam was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). In 1993, Woosnam was charged with a DUI in Shropshire, England. According to the police, he was charged "after crashing his luxury car."
Professional wins (52) PGA Tour wins (2) LegendMajor championships (1)Other PGA Tour (1) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner-up124 Mar 1991USF&G Classic−13 (73-67-68-67=275)Playoff Jim Hallet214 Apr 1991Masters Tournament−11 (72-66-67-72=277)1 stroke José María Olazábal
PGA Tour playoff record (1–0) No.YearTournamentOpponentResult11991USF&G Classic Jim HalletWon with par on second extra hole
European Tour wins (29) LegendMajor championships (1) Flagship events (1)Other European Tour (27) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up129 Aug 1982Ebel Swiss Open−16 (68-68-66-70=272)Playoff Bill Longmuir25 Jun 1983Silk Cut Masters−15 (68-69-67-65=269)3 strokes Bernard Gallacher38 Jul 1984Scandinavian Enterprise Open−4 (71-70-69-70=280)3 strokes Peter Teravainen421 Sep 1986Lawrence Batley International T.P.C.−11 (71-71-66-69=277)7 strokes Ken Brown, José María Cañizares512 Apr 1987Jersey Open−9 (68-67-72-72=279)1 stroke Bill Malley626 Apr 1987Cepsa Madrid Open−19 (67-67-69-66=269)3 strokes Wayne Grady711 Jul 1987Bell's Scottish Open−20 (65-65-66-68=264)7 strokes Peter Senior820 Sep 1987Trophée Lancôme−24 (65-64-69-66=264)2 strokes Mark McNulty930 May 1988Volvo PGA Championship−14 (67-70-70-67=274)2 strokes Seve Ballesteros, Mark James1021 Aug 1988Carroll's Irish Open−10 (68-70-70-70=278)7 strokes Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, Manuel Piñero, Des Smyth1111 Sep 1988Panasonic European Open−20 (65-66-64-65=260)3 strokes Nick Faldo1225 Jun 1989Carroll's Irish Open (2)−10 (70-67-71-70=278)Playoff Philip Walton134 Mar 1990Amex Med Open−6 (68-68-74=210)2 strokes Miguel Ángel Martín, Eduardo Romero147 Jul 1990Torras Monte Carlo Open−18 (66-67-65-60=258)5 strokes Costantino Rocca1514 Jul 1990Bell's Scottish Open (2)−15 (72-62-67-68=269)4 strokes Mark McNulty1630 Sep 1990Epson Grand Prix of Europe−13 (65-67-67-72=271)3 strokes Mark McNulty, José María Olazábal173 Mar 1991Fujitsu Mediterranean Open (2)−5 (70-71-71-67=279)1 stroke Michael McLean1814 Apr 1991Masters Tournament−11 (72-66-67-72=277)1 stroke José María Olazábal196 Jul 1991Torras Monte Carlo Open (2)−15 (67-66-61-67=261)4 strokes Anders Forsbrand204 Jul 1992The European Newspaper Monte Carlo Open (3)−15 (66-65-66-64=261)2 strokes Mark McNulty, Johan Ryström2122 Aug 1993Murphy's English Open−19 (71-67-65-66=269)2 strokes Costantino Rocca2219 Sep 1993Trophée Lancôme (2)−13 (64-70-68-65=267)2 strokes Sam Torrance231 May 1994Air France Cannes Open−17 (72-70-63-66=271)5 strokes Colin Montgomerie2418 Sep 1994Dunhill British Masters (2)−17 (71-70-63-67=271)4 strokes Seve Ballesteros2528 Jan 1996Johnnie Walker Classic1−16 (69-68-69-66=272)Playoff Andrew Coltart264 Feb 1996Heineken Classic1−11 (69-71-65-72=277)1 stroke Paul McGinley, Jean van de Velde2713 Jul 1996Scottish Open (3) +1 (70-74-70-75=289)4 strokes Andrew Coltart2825 Aug 1996Volvo German Open−20 (64-64-65=193)6 strokes Thomas Gögele, Robert Karlsson, Iain Pyman, Fernando Roca2926 May 1997Volvo PGA Championship (2)−13 (67-68-70-70=275)2 strokes Darren Clarke, Ernie Els, Nick Faldo 1Co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour of Australasia
European Tour playoff record (3–5) No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result11982Ebel European Masters Swiss Open Bill LongmuirWon with par on third extra hole21987Suze Open Seve BallesterosLost to par on first extra hole31989Wang Four Stars Craig ParryLost to birdie on first extra hole41989Carroll's Irish Open Philip WaltonWon with birdie on second extra hole51993Honda Open Paul Broadhurst, Johan Ryström, Sam TorranceTorrance won with birdie on first extra hole61996Johnnie Walker Classic Andrew ColtartWon with birdie on third extra hole71997Dubai Desert Classic Richard Green, Greg NormanGreen won with birdie on first extra hole81999Linde German Masters Sergio García, Pádraig HarringtonGarcía won with birdie on second extra holeWoosnam eliminated by par on first hole
Asia Golf Circuit wins (1) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunners-up11 Mar 1987United Airlines Hong Kong Open−9 (70-71-65-69=275)4 strokes David Feherty, Sam Torrance
Korean Tour wins (1) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner-up11 Jun 1997Hyundai Motor Masters−8 (71-74-67-68=280)Playoff Sandy Lyle
Korean Tour playoff record (1–0) No.YearTournamentOpponentResult11997Hyundai Motor Masters Sandy LyleWon with birdie on second extra hole
Safari Circuit wins (2) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up124 Mar 1985Zambia Open−10 (71-72-69-70=282)2 strokes Gordon J. Brand, Brian Marchbank29 Mar 1986555 Kenya Open−11 (70-64-67-72=273)Playoff Bill Longmuir
Other wins (11) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up118 Aug 1979News of the World Under-23 Match Play Championship4 and 3 John Hay231 Oct 1982Cacharel World Under-25 Championship +2 (71-69-74-76=290)5 strokes Keith Waters318 Oct 1987Suntory World Match Play Championship1 up Sandy Lyle421 Nov 1987World Cup(with David Llewellyn)−2 (143-145-138-148=574)Playoff − Sandy Lyle and Sam Torrance521 Nov 1987World Cup Individual Trophy−14 (67-70-65-72=274)5 strokes Sandy Lyle66 Dec 1987Nedbank Million Dollar Challenge−14 (67-71-68-68=274)4 strokes Nick Faldo71988Welsh National PGA Championship−3 (137)823 Sep 1990Suntory World Match Play Championship (2)4 and 2 Mark McNulty93 Nov 1991World Cup Individual Trophy (2)−15 (70-69-67-67=273)3 strokes Bernhard Langer1013 Nov 1991PGA Grand Slam of Golf−9 (69-66=135)4 strokes Ian Baker-Finch1114 Oct 2001Cisco World Match Play Championship (3)2 and 1 Pádraig Harrington
Other playoff record (1–2) No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result11987World Cup(with David Llewellyn) − Sandy Lyle and Sam TorranceWon with par on second extra hole21992World Cup Individual Trophy Brett OgleLost to birdie on first extra hole31996Johnnie Walker Super Tour Ernie ElsLost to par on first extra hole
Champions Tour wins (1) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunners-up13 May 2015Insperity Invitational−11 (71-66-68=205)Playoff Tom Lehman, Kenny Perry
Champions Tour playoff record (1–0) No.YearTournamentOpponentsResult12015Insperity Invitational Tom Lehman, Kenny PerryWon with birdie on first extra hole
European Senior Tour wins (5) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up11 Jun 2008Parkridge Polish Seniors Championship−14 (71-68-63=202)1 stroke Domingo Hospital26 Jul 2008Russian Seniors Open−12 (67-67-70=204)3 strokes Ángel Franco37 Jun 2009Irish Seniors Open−2 (74-70-67=211)Playoff Bob Boyd419 Jun 2011Berenberg Bank Masters−9 (71-70-66=207)2 strokes Ángel Fernández512 Oct 2014Dutch Senior Open−11 (71-69-68=208)5 strokes Philip Golding, David J. Russell, George Ryall
European Senior Tour playoff record (1–1)