Alex Caygill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alex Caygill |
|
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Gordon Alexander Caygill |
| Born | 24 April 1940 Appleby-in-Westmorland, England |
| Nationality |  England |
| Career | |
| Status | Professional |
| Former tour(s) | European Tour |
| Professional wins | 20 |
| Best results in Major Championships |
|
| The Masters Tournament | DNP |
| U.S. Open | DNP |
| The Open Championship | T16: 1966 |
| PGA Championship | DNP |
| Achievements and awards | |
| Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year |
1961 |
Gordon Alexander Caygill (born on April 24, 1940) is an English professional golfer. He had a lot of success early in his career, from 1960 to 1963. After that, he faced some health challenges which affected his game. But he made a strong comeback in the late 1960s. He won two big tournaments in 1969 and earned a spot on the 1969 Ryder Cup team.
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Becoming a Golf Pro
Alex Caygill started his golf career at a young age. He became an assistant golf professional at West Bowling Golf Club. Later, he worked briefly at Sunningdale. While there, he won the 1960 British Youths Open Championship by a large margin.
In 1961, he moved to Pannal Golf Club as an assistant. That same year, famous golfer Henry Cotton chose him as his "Rookie of the Year." This award recognized him as a promising new professional golfer.
Early Wins and Challenges
Caygill won the British Youths Open Championship again in 1962. He won by an even bigger margin this time. In 1963, he had more success, winning two tournaments in the same week. These were the Coombe Hill Assistants' Tournament and the Rediffusion Tournament.
In 1964, he almost won the Swallow-Penfold Tournament. He was leading by 3 strokes with only 5 holes left. But he didn't finish as strongly and ended up tied for second place. After these early wins, he didn't win another big tournament until 1969. This was partly because he was dealing with health issues.
Ryder Cup and Comeback
In 1969, Alex Caygill made a great comeback. He won the Penfold Tournament and then the Martini International. In the Martini International, he tied for first place with South African golfer Graham Henning.
His strong performance helped him get chosen for the Great Britain and Ireland 1969 Ryder Cup team. The Ryder Cup is a major golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. Caygill played one match with his partner Brian Huggett. They tied their match against the American team. He finished the season ranked 9th among golfers.
Later Career and Achievements
In 1970, Caygill won his only tournament outside of Great Britain. This was the Lusaka Dunlop Open in Africa. He played in some events on the European Tour from 1972 to 1977. His best result was reaching the semi-finals of the 1975 Piccadilly Medal.
Caygill also played in the Open Championship 14 times between 1962 and 1977. This is one of golf's four major championships. He made the "cut" (meaning he played well enough to continue) six times.
Alex Caygill also worked as a golf professional at several clubs. He was at Cleckheaton Golf Club, then Pleasington club, and later Crimple Valley club and Branshaw.
Professional Wins (20)
Alex Caygill won 20 professional tournaments during his career. Here are some of his notable wins:
Great Britain and Ireland Wins (6)
| Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Aug 1960 | British Youths Open Championship | 279 | 7 strokes |  Campbell Brownlee (a) |
| 10 Aug 1962 | British Youths Open Championship | 287 | 12 strokes |  Cliff Bowman (a) |
| 26 Sep 1963 | Coombe Hill Assistants' Tournament | 216 | 2 strokes | Malcolm Gregson, Tony Jacklin |
| 29 Sep 1963 | Rediffusion Tournament | 271 | Playoff | David Snell,  Flory Van Donck |
| 3 May 1969 | Penfold Tournament | 278 | 2 strokes |  Christy O'Connor Snr |
| 14 Jun 1969 | Martini International | 282 | Tie |  Graham Henning |
Safari Circuit Wins (1)
| Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Mar 1970 | Lusaka Dunlop Open | −7 (285) | 2 strokes |  Craig Defoy |
Other Wins (13)
- 1961 Yorkshire Professional Championship
- 1963 Northern Professional Championship (which included the Leeds Cup)
- 1964 Yorkshire Professional Championship, Ryder Cup Reunion Foursomes Tournament (with Ken Bousfield)
- 1966 Yorkshire Professional Championship, Gleneagles Hotel Foursomes Tournament (with Bernard Cawthray)
- 1967 Leeds Cup
- 1971 Yorkshire Open
- 1973 Leeds Cup, Lancashire Open
- 1974 Northern Professional Championship
- 1978 Sunningdale Foursomes (with Julia Greenhalgh), Yorkshire Professional Championship
Team Appearances
Alex Caygill also represented Great Britain and Ireland in team golf events:
- Ryder Cup (representing Great Britain and Ireland): 1969 (the event ended in a tie)
- Diamondhead Cup (representing Great Britain and Ireland): 1974
