Christy O'Connor Snr facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Christy O'Connor Snr |
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|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Patrick Christopher O'Connor |
| Born | 21 December 1924 Knocknacarra, Galway |
| Died | 14 May 2016 (aged 91) Dublin, Ireland |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight | 203 lb (92 kg; 14.5 st) |
| Nationality |  Ireland |
| Residence | Clontarf, Dublin |
| Career | |
| Turned professional | 1951 |
| Former tour(s) | European Tour European Seniors Tour |
| Professional wins | 64 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| European Tour | 1 |
| Other | 63 |
| Best results in Major Championships |
|
| The Masters Tournament | DNP |
| U.S. Open | DNP |
| The Open Championship | T2: 1965 |
| PGA Championship | DNP |
| Achievements and awards | |
| World Golf Hall of Fame | 2009 |
| Harry Vardon Trophy | 1961, 1962 |
Patrick Christopher "Christy" O'Connor (born December 21, 1924 – died May 14, 2016) was a very famous Irish professional golfer. He was one of the top golfers in Britain and Ireland starting in the mid-1950s.
Christy O'Connor won over 20 important tournaments in Britain and Ireland. He finished in the top 10 at the Open Championship ten times. Later in his career, he also won many senior golf events, including the World Senior Championship twice. He was a key player in team events too. He played in 10 Ryder Cup matches in a row. He also played in 15 Canada Cup/World Cup matches for Ireland. In 1958, he won the Canada Cup with his partner, Harry Bradshaw.
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Early Life and Start in Golf
Christy O'Connor was born in Knocknacarra, Galway, in 1924. He first saw golf at the nearby Galway Golf Club. From age 10, he spent most of his free time there. He started his journey into professional golf by working as a caddy. He caddied first at Galway, then at Tuam Golf Club.
He became a professional golfer in 1951. Members of Tuam Golf Club helped him pay for his first big tournament. This was the Open Championship at Royal Portrush in Antrim, also in 1951. He finished in 19th place, which was a great start! Because of this, he was invited to join Bundoran Golf Club in Donegal, and he accepted.
Amazing Golf Career
Christy O'Connor's first big professional win was the Swallow-Penfold Tournament in 1955. This was the first time a British golf tournament offered a £1,000 prize. He then won the British Masters in both 1956 and 1959. In 1958, he helped Ireland win the Canada Cup in Mexico City. He played with Harry Bradshaw in this event.
A year later, he moved to Dublin and joined The Royal Dublin Golf Club. Throughout the 1960s, he won at least one professional event every year on the British Tour. This showed how consistently good he was. Not many other players could do that! Christy O'Connor usually played tournaments only in Britain or Ireland. He once said he didn't play in the US Masters because it was too expensive for him to travel there.
The only major championship Christy O'Connor played was the Open Championship. He played in this event 26 times between 1951 and 1979. His best result was in the 1965 Open Championship. He tied for second place with Brian Huggett, just two shots behind the winner, Peter Thomson. He even played better than famous golfers like Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Sam Snead, and Gary Player in that tournament.
Christy O'Connor played in every Ryder Cup from 1955 to 1973. This set a record of ten appearances in the event. This record stood until Nick Faldo broke it in 1997. He won the Irish professional championship ten times. One of these wins was in 1978, when he was 53 years old! He also won the Vardon Trophy twice, in 1961 and 1962. This award was for being the top player on the British Tour's Order of Merit.
In 1966, at the Carroll's International tournament at The Royal Dublin Golf Club, O'Connor had an amazing finish. On the last three holes, he scored 2-3-3 (an eagle, then a birdie, then another eagle). This helped him win the tournament by two strokes. At the 16th hole, he hit his ball onto the green from the tee and made a 20-foot putt. He then made a 12-foot putt on the 17th. On the last hole, a par-5, he hit a 3-iron shot close to the hole and made an 8-foot putt. There is a special plaque by the 16th tee to remember this incredible achievement.
In 1970, he won the John Player Classic. The first prize was £25,000, which was the biggest prize in golf at that time. Even the British Open champion received only about £5,000 back then! This win made him the top money-winner that season.
Later in his career, Christy O'Connor became the best "senior" professional player. Senior players are golfers over 50 years old. He won the PGA Seniors Championship six times. He also won the World Senior Championship in 1976 and 1977. In 2009, Christy O'Connor was chosen to be in the World Golf Hall of Fame. This is a very special honor for golfers.
Personal Life
Christy O'Connor met his wife, Mary Collins, in Donegal. They got married in 1954 and had six children. Early in his career, he was known simply as Christy O'Connor. But his nephew, who had the same name, also became a famous golfer. So, to tell them apart, they became known as Christy O'Connor Senior and Christy O'Connor Junior. Among his golf friends, he was often called "Himself." He passed away at the age of 91 in Mater Hospital on May 14, 2016.
Honours and Awards
In 2006, Christy O'Connor Senior and his nephew, Christy O'Connor Junior, both received a special honorary degree from NUI Galway university.
Team Play
Christy O'Connor was a very important part of many golf teams.
- He played for Great Britain & Ireland in the Ryder Cup ten times, from 1955 to 1973. His team even won in 1957.
- He represented Ireland in the World Cup (also known as the Canada Cup) 15 times, from 1956 to 1975. He helped Ireland win the Canada Cup in 1958.
- He also played in other team events like the Joy Cup and Slazenger Trophy. He was even a captain for Ireland in several tournaments like the R.T.V. International Trophy and Double Diamond International.
