Christy O'Connor Jnr
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Christy O'Connor Jnr | |
---|---|
O'Connor in 2010 | |
Personal information | |
Nickname | Junior |
Born | County Galway, Ireland | 19 August 1948
Died | 6 January 2016 Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain | (aged 67)
Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1] |
Weight | 86 kg (190 lb; 13.5 st)[1] |
Sporting nationality | ![]() |
Spouse | Ann[1] |
Career | |
Turned professional | 1967 |
Former tour(s) | European Tour European Seniors Tour Champions Tour |
Professional wins | 17 |
Number of wins by tour | |
European Tour | 4 |
PGA Tour Champions | 2 |
European Senior Tour | 2 |
Other | 9 |
Best results in major championships | |
Masters Tournament | CUT: 1977 |
PGA Championship | DNP |
U.S. Open | DNP |
The Open Championship | T3: 1985 |
Christy O'Connor Jnr (born Christopher O'Connor; 19 August 1948 – 6 January 2016) was an Irish professional golfer. He was known as "Junior" as a nephew of golfer Christy O'Connor Snr.[2][3]
Career
O'Connor was born in Knocknacarra, County Galway, near Salthill, in 1948, the son of Elizabeth (née Noone) and John O'Connor. The family farmed cattle and pigs near a golf club.[1]
He turned professional in 1967. The European Tour officially began in 1972, and O'Connor made the top hundred on the Order of Merit in each of its first twenty-one seasons, with a best ranking of seventh in 1975. He won four European Tour events. As a senior he competed on both the European Seniors Tour and the U.S. based Champions Tour, and won two Senior British Open titles (before it became one of the senior majors)[4] and two Champions Tour events.[5]
In 1992 O'Connor won the Dunhill British Masters at Woburn, his fourth and final European Tour victory, with scores of 71, 67, 66, 66. A weather-interrupted tournament meant that 36 holes had to be played on Sunday. At 44 years, O'Connor was the oldest player in the field.[citation needed]
O'Connor played in the Ryder Cup twice. In 1975 he was a member of a losing Great Britain & Ireland team and in 1989 he was part of a European team which tied the match to retain the trophy. His personal record was one win, three losses and no ties. His win over Fred Couples was best remembered for a stunning 2 iron shot on the last hole at The Belfry which he left just 4 feet from the hole.[6]
O'Connor was also active in golf course design, being involved in the design of at least 18 courses in Ireland, and many more abroad.[7]
Death
O'Connor died whilst on holiday with his wife Ann on 6 January 2016 in Tenerife, Canary Islands.[8][9][10]
Professional wins (17)
European Tour wins (4)
No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 14 Jun 1975 | Martini International | −5 (71-68-70-70=279) | Shared title with ![]() | |
2 | 31 Aug 1975 | Carroll's Irish Open | −21 (66-70-69-70=275) | 1 stroke | ![]() |
3 | 9 Apr 1989 | Jersey Open | −3 (73-70-66-72=281) | Playoff | ![]() |
4 | 31 May 1992 | Dunhill British Masters | −18 (71-67-66-66=270) | Playoff | ![]() |
European Tour playoff record (2–2)
No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1972 | Penfold-Bournemouth Tournament | ![]() |
Lost to birdie on first extra hole |
2 | 1986 | Bell's Scottish Open | ![]() ![]() |
Feherty won with birdie on second extra hole |
3 | 1989 | Jersey Open | ![]() |
Won with par on first extra hole |
4 | 1992 | Dunhill British Masters | ![]() |
Won with birdie on first extra hole |
Other wins (9)
- 1973 Irish Match Play Championship
- 1974 Zambia Open
- 1975 Irish Match Play Championship, Irish Dunlop Tournament
- 1976 Sumrie-Bournemouth Better-Ball (with Eamonn Darcy)
- 1977 Irish Match Play Championship, Irish Dunlop Tournament
- 1978 Sumrie-Bournemouth Better-Ball (with Eamonn Darcy)
- 1990 555 Kenya Open
European Seniors Tour wins (2)
No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 25 Jul 1999 | Senior British Open | −6 (76-69-68-69=282) | 3 strokes | ![]() |
2 | 30 Jul 2000 | Senior British Open | −9 (69-68-70-68=275) | 2 strokes | ![]() |
Senior PGA Tour wins (2)
No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 4 Jul 1999 | State Farm Senior Classic | −18 (65-66-67=198) | 1 stroke | ![]() |
2 | 15 Aug 1999 | Foremost Insurance Championship | −11 (69-68-68=205) | 4 strokes | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Results in major championships
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6d/Christy_O%27Connor_Jnr_1985.jpg/220px-Christy_O%27Connor_Jnr_1985.jpg)
Tournament | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | CUT | |||||||||
The Open Championship | CUT | T24 | T47 | T5 | T52 | CUT |
Tournament | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Open Championship | CUT | CUT | T8 | CUT | T3 | T11 | CUT | CUT | T49 |
Tournament | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Open Championship | T25 | T32 | T39 | T60 | T60 |
Note: O'Connor only played in the Masters Tournament and The Open Championship.
CUT = missed the half-way cut (3rd round cut in 1984 Open Championship)
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Team appearances
- Double Diamond International (representing Ireland): 1972, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977
- Sotogrande Match/Hennessy Cognac Cup (representing Great Britain and Ireland): 1974 (winners), (representing Ireland) 1984
- World Cup (representing Ireland): 1974, 1975, 1978, 1985, 1989, 1992
- Ryder Cup (representing Great Britain and Ireland/Europe): 1975, 1989 (tied – retained Cup)
- Philip Morris International (representing Ireland): 1975, 1976
- Dunhill Cup (representing Ireland): 1985, 1989, 1992
- Praia d'El Rey European Cup: 1998 (tie)
Source:[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e "Christy O'Connor Jnr biography". PGA European Tour. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
- ^ "Christy O'Connor Jnr dies suddenly aged 67". Irish Times. 6 January 2016. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
- ^ "Christy O'Connor dies, aged 67". Sporting Life. 6 January 2016. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
- ^ a b "Christy O'Connor Jnr – Professional wins". PGA European Tour. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
- ^ "Christy O'Connor career summary". Retrieved 15 January 2016.
- ^ Pye, Steven (6 January 2016). "How Christy O'Connor Jr became Europe's hero at the 1989 Ryder Cup". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
- ^ "Christy O'Connor Junior passes away". RTÉ. 6 January 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
- ^ Kelly, Liam (6 January 2016). "'The saddest day in Irish golf' - legend Christy O'Connor Jnr passes away at just 67". Irish Independent. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
- ^ McConnell, Daniel (6 January 2016). "Tributes pour in for 'golfing great' Christy O'Connor Jnr". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
- ^ "Ireland's Ryder Cup hero Christy O'Connor Jr dies aged 67". The Guardian. Press Association. 6 January 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Official website
- ChristyOConnor at the European Tour official site
- Christy O'Connor Jnr at the PGA Tour official site