| Sandy Lyle OBE | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Lyle in 2006 | |||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Full name | Alexander Walter Barr Lyle | ||||||
| Born | (1958-02-09)9 February 1958 (age 67) Shrewsbury,Shropshire, England | ||||||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||||||
| Sporting nationality |  Scotland | ||||||
| Residence | Balquhidder,Perthshire, Scotland Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, U.S. | ||||||
| Spouse | |||||||
| Children | 4 | ||||||
| Career | |||||||
| Turned professional | 1977 | ||||||
| Current tours | European Senior Tour Champions Tour | ||||||
| Former tours | European Tour PGA Tour | ||||||
| Professional wins | 30 | ||||||
| Highestranking | 2 (10 April 1988)[1] | ||||||
| Number of wins by tour | |||||||
| PGA Tour | 6 | ||||||
| European Tour | 18 | ||||||
| Japan Golf Tour | 1 | ||||||
| European Senior Tour | 1 | ||||||
| Other | 6 | ||||||
| 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 | |||||||
| |||||||
Alexander Walter Barr "Sandy"LyleOBE (born 9 February 1958) is a Scottishprofessional golfer. He has won two major championships during his career. Along withNick Faldo andIan Woosnam, he became one of Britain's top golfers during the 1980s. He spent 167 weeks in the top-10 of theOfficial World Golf Ranking from its introduction, in 1986, until 1989.[2]
Lyle was born inShrewsbury, England[3] and now lives in Scotland with his wife Jolande and children Lonneke and Quintin. He representedScotland 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 atHawkstone Park golf course.[4] 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.
In the summer of 1974, Lyle received a golf scholarship to theUniversity 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."[5]
As an amateur Lyle made his debut inThe Open Championship at age 16 in 1974 and won theBrabazon Trophy in 1975 and 1977. He was a member of theWalker Cup team in 1977.
In 1977 he turned professional and decided to represent Scotland. He was medalist at the 1977 Qualifying School tournament for theEuropean Tour. His first professional win came in the 1978 Nigerian Open, and he also won the SirHenry 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 theWorld 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 winningThe Open Championship atRoyal St George's Golf Club in 1985. He was the first British winner sinceTony Jacklin in 1969, and started the rise of British golfers in the world scene.
Lyle was a member of five EuropeanRyder Cup teams, from 1979 to 1987 inclusive. Highlights from those years included the team that was victorious at theBelfry in the autumn of 1985, and the 1987 team which won for the first time ever on American soil, atMuirfield Village.
For many golf fans he is best known for the fairwaybunker shot and the subsequent birdie putt at the 18th hole in the final round of theMasters in 1988 when he became the first Briton to wear the green jacket.[6] He also won two other events on the PGA Tour that season, along with theWorld Match Play Championship, after being a losing finalist on several occasions.
Lyle topped theEuropean Tour 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 thePGA Tour for several years and finished seventh on the US money list in 1988, despite a limited playing schedule. He won the 1987Tournament 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.
On turning 50 in 2008, Lyle played on theChampions Tour[7] and theEuropean 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.[8]
He took uphickory 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.[9]
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 asNick Faldo andIan Woosnam to raise their games, and go on to win themajors. Lyle published his first book, "To the Fairway Born" in 2006. In the same year he was assistant captain toIan Woosnam when Europe won theRyder Cup. He had been hoping to be picked as the captain for the 2010 European Ryder Cup team but missed out toColin Montgomerie.[10]
In July 2009, Lyle became involved in a public row with Colin Montgomerie where he unfavourably compared Montgomerie's actions at theIndonesian Open four years previously with his own actions in not completing a round at the2008 Open Championship.[11] 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.[12]
| Legend |
|---|
| Major championships (2) |
| Players Championships (1) |
| Other PGA Tour (3) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 Jul1985 | The Open Championship | +2 (68-71-73-70=282) | 1 stroke |  Payne Stewart |
| 2 | 6 Apr1986 | Greater Greensboro Open | −13 (68-64-73-70=275) | 2 strokes | Andy Bean |
| 3 | 29 Mar1987 | Tournament Players Championship | −14 (67-71-66-70=274) | Playoff | Jeff Sluman |
| 4 | 31 Jan1988 | Phoenix Open | −15 (68-68-68-65=269) | Playoff | Fred Couples |
| 5 | 3 Apr 1988 | KMart Greater Greensboro Open (2) | −17 (68-63-68-72=271) | Playoff | Ken Green |
| 6 | 10 Apr 1988 | Masters Tournament | −7 (71-67-72-71=281) | 1 stroke | Mark Calcavecchia |
PGA Tour playoff record (3–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1987 | Tournament Players Championship | Jeff Sluman | Won with par on third extra hole |
| 2 | 1988 | Phoenix Open | Fred Couples | Won with bogey on third extra hole |
| 3 | 1988 | KMart Greater Greensboro Open | Ken Green | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 4 | 1989 | Bob Hope Chrysler Classic | Paul Azinger,Steve Jones | Jones won with birdie on first extra hole |
| Legend |
|---|
| Major championships (2) |
| Tour Championships (1) |
| Other European Tour (15) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 Jun1979 | B.A./Avis Open | −13 (66-71-66-68=271) | 3 strokes |  Howard Clark |
| 2 | 8 Jul 1979 | Scandinavian Enterprise Open | −12 (73-69-65-69=276) | 3 strokes |  Seve Ballesteros |
| 3 | 9 Sep 1979 | European Open Championship | −9 (71-67-72-65=275) | 7 strokes |  Dale Hayes,Peter Townsend |
| 4 | 29 Jun1980 | Coral Welsh Classic | −11 (72-69-67-69=277) | 5 strokes | Martin Foster |
| 5 | 10 May1981 | Paco Rabanne Open de France | −14 (70-66-67-67=270) | 4 strokes |  Bernhard Langer |
| 6 | 7 Jun 1981 | Lawrence Batley International | −4 (70-70-69-71=280) | 2 strokes | Nick Faldo |
| 7 | 25 Jul1982 | Lawrence Batley International (2) | −15 (70-66-67-66=269) | 2 strokes | Manuel Piñero |
| 8 | 24 Apr1983 | Cepsa Madrid Open | −3 (70-69-76-70=285) | 2 strokes | Gordon J. Brand |
| 9 | 6 May1984 | Italian Open | −11 (71-70-68-68=277) | 4 strokes | Bobby Clampett |
| 10 | 7 Oct 1984 | Trophée Lancôme | −10 (74-70-67-67=278) | Playoff | Seve Ballesteros |
| 11 | 21 Jul1985 | The Open Championship | +2 (68-71-73-70=282) | 1 stroke | Payne Stewart |
| 12 | 18 Aug 1985 | Benson & Hedges International Open | −14 (70-69-71-64=274) | 1 stroke |  Ian Woosnam |
| 13 | 11 Oct1987 | German Masters | −10 (73-69-70-66=278) | Playoff | Bernhard Langer |
| 14 | 10 Apr1988 | Masters Tournament | −7 (71-67-72-71=281) | 1 stroke | Mark Calcavecchia |
| 15 | 5 Jun 1988 | Dunhill British Masters | −15 (66-68-68-71=273) | 2 strokes | Nick Faldo, Mark McNulty |
| 16 | 13 Oct1991 | BMW International Open | −20 (65-65-71-67=268) | 3 strokes | Tony Johnstone |
| 17 | 3 May1992 | Lancia Martini Italian Open (2) | −18 (66-71-65-68=270) | 1 stroke | Colin Montgomerie |
| 18 | 1 Nov 1992 | Volvo Masters | +3 (72-70-72-73=287) | Playoff | Colin Montgomerie |
European Tour playoff record (3–3)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1983 | Ebel European Masters Swiss Open | Nick Faldo | Lost to par on second extra hole |
| 2 | 1984 | Trophée Lancôme | Seve Ballesteros | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 3 | 1985 | Whyte & Mackay PGA Championship | Paul Way | Lost to birdie on third extra hole |
| 4 | 1985 | Glasgow Open | Howard Clark | Lost to birdie on second extra hole |
| 5 | 1987 | German Masters | Bernhard Langer | Won with par on second extra hole |
| 6 | 1992 | Volvo Masters | Colin Montgomerie | Won with par on first extra hole |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 Nov1984 | Casio World Open | −9 (68-69-71-71=279) | Playoff | Gary Koch |
PGA of Japan Tour playoff record (1–0)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1984 | Casio World Open | Gary Koch | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 Feb 1978 | Nigerian Open | −15 (61-63-70-75=269) | Playoff | Michael King |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 Sep 1979 | STV Scottish Professional Championship | −10 (66-71-70-67=274) | Playoff | Sam Torrance |
| 2 | 14 Dec 1980 | World Cup International Trophy | −6 (69-69-74-70=282) | 1 stroke | Bernhard Langer |
| 3 | 11 Nov 1984 | Kapalua International | −18 (68-64-69-65=266) | 8 strokes | Bernhard Langer |
| 4 | 10 Nov 1985 | Nissan Cup Individual Trophy | −21 (68-67-68-64=267) | 3 strokes | Curtis Strange |
| 5 | 10 Oct 1988 | Suntory World Match Play Championship | 2 and 1 | Nick Faldo | |
Other playoff record (1–0)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1979 | STV Scottish Professional Championship | Sam Torrance | Won with par on third extra hole |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 Mar2011 | ISPS Handa Senior World Championship | −12 (68-66-70=204) | 3 strokes |  Peter Fowler |
Korean Tour playoff record (0–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1997 | Hyundai Motor Masters | Ian Woosnam | Lost to birdie on second extra hole |
| Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | The Open Championship | 3 shot deficit | +2 (68-71-73-70=282) | 1 stroke | Payne Stewart |
| 1988 | Masters Tournament | 2 shot lead | −7 (71-67-72-71=281) | 1 stroke | Mark Calcavecchia |
Results not in chronological order in 2020.
| Tournament | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | ||||||
| U.S. Open | ||||||
| The Open Championship | CUT | CUT | CUT | T19 | ||
| PGA Championship |
| Tournament | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 48 | T28 | CUT | T25 | T11 | T17 | 1 | CUT | ||
| U.S. Open | CUT | CUT | T45 | T36 | T25 | CUT | ||||
| The Open Championship | T12 | T14 | T8 | CUT | T14 | 1 | T30 | T17 | T7 | T46 |
| PGA Championship | CUT |
| Tournament | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | CUT | CUT | T37 | T21 | T38 | CUT | CUT | T34 | CUT | T48 |
| U.S. Open | CUT | T16 | T51 | T52 | ||||||
| The Open Championship | T16 | WD | T12 | CUT | 74 | T79 | T56 | CUT | T19 | CUT |
| PGA Championship | T16 | CUT | T56 | T73 | T39 |
| Tournament | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | T37 | CUT | CUT | 43 | 45 | T20 |
| U.S. Open | ||||||||||
| The Open Championship | CUT | T69 | T75 | CUT | 73 | T32 | CUT | T65 | WD | CUT |
| PGA Championship |
| Tournament | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | CUT | CUT | CUT | T54 | T44 | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT |
| U.S. Open | |||||||||
| The Open Championship | CUT | CUT | CUT | 84 | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT |
| PGA Championship |
| Tournament | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT |
| PGA Championship | |||||
| U.S. Open | |||||
| The Open Championship | NT |
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 toCOVID-19 pandemic
| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 42 | 17 |
| PGA Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 |
| U.S. Open | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 6 |
| The Open Championship | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 43 | 22 |
| Totals | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 20 | 101 | 49 |
| Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Tournament Players Championship | 2 shot deficit | −14 (67-71-66-70=274) | Playoff | Jeff Sluman |
| Tournament | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Players Championship | CUT | CUT | 1 | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | T74 | CUT | CUT | T70 | CUT |
CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Results not in chronological order before 2021.
| Tournament | 2008 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|
| The Tradition | 51 | T50 |
| Senior PGA Championship | T43 | CUT |
| U.S. Senior Open | CUT | |
| Senior Players Championship | T65 | T31 |
| Senior British Open Championship | CUT | T13 |
| Tournament | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Tradition | T45 | T33 | T69 | T35 | T34 | T58 | T57 | T68 | ||
| Senior PGA Championship | CUT | CUT | T4 | T42 | CUT | T9 | CUT | T63 | T64 | CUT |
| U.S. Senior Open | ||||||||||
| Senior Players Championship | T67 | T30 | T22 | T65 | T64 | T72 | T68 | T60 | ||
| Senior British Open Championship | CUT | CUT | CUT | 7 | CUT | T51 | CUT | T45 | T43 | CUT |
| Tournament | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Tradition | NT | 73 | WD |
| Senior PGA Championship | NT | ||
| Senior Players Championship | |||
| U.S. Senior Open | NT | ||
| Senior British Open Championship | NT | CUT |
CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
NT = No tournament due toCOVID-19 pandemic
Amateur
Professional
Sandy Lyle in theRyder Cup | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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