Ian Woosnam facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ian Woosnam OBE
Woosnam in 2009
Personal information
Full name	Ian Harold Woosnam
Nickname	Woosie
Born	(1958-03-02) 2 March 1958 (age 67) Oswestry, England
Height	1.64 m
Weight	168 lb (76 kg; 12.0 st)
Nationality	Wales
Residence	Jersey
Spouse	Glendryth ​ (m. 1983)​
Children	3
Career
Turned professional	1976
Current tour(s)	European Senior Tour
Former tour(s)	European Tour PGA Tour Champions
Professional wins	52
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour	2
European Tour	29 (6th-all-time)
PGA Tour of Australasia	2
Champions Tour	1
European Seniors Tour	5
Other	16
Best results in Major Championships (Wins: 1)
The Masters Tournament	Won: 1991
U.S. Open	T2: 1989
The Open Championship	T3: 1986, 2001
PGA Championship	6th: 1989
Achievements and awards
World Golf Hall of Fame	2017
European Tour Order of Merit winner	1987, 1990
European Tour Golfer of the Year	1987
European Seniors Tour Order of Merit winner	2008
European Seniors Tour Rookie of the Year	2008

Ian Harold Woosnam (born 2 March 1958) is a famous Welsh professional golfer. People often call him "Woosie". He was part of a special group of European golfers known as the "Big Five". These five players were all born around the same time. They all won major golf championships and helped Europe become very strong in the Ryder Cup. The other golfers in this group were Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, and Sandy Lyle.

Ian Woosnam won his biggest championship, the Masters Tournament, in 1991. Because of his amazing career, he was added to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2017.

Early Life and Golf Start

Ian Woosnam was born in Oswestry, England. His family lived nearby in a village called St Martin's.

Starting Golf as an Amateur

Woosnam began playing golf at the Llanymynech Golf Club. This golf course is unique because it's right on the border between Wales and England! Even though he is not very tall for a male golfer (1.64 meters), he could hit the ball with great power. As a young amateur player, he competed in local games in Shropshire, England, often alongside his friend and fellow golfer, Sandy Lyle.

Becoming a Professional Golfer

Woosnam became a professional golfer in 1976. He started playing on the European Tour in 1979. In his early days, he traveled around Europe in a camper van and ate simple food to save money.

Rising to the Top

After a few quiet years, his career really took off in 1982. He won the Swiss Open and finished eighth on the Order of Merit, which is a list of top prize money winners. From 1983 to 1991, he was always in the top ten on this list. He even finished first in 1987 and 1990. In 1987, he earned a world record amount of money from tournaments, over £1 million! He has won 28 official events on the European Tour and many others worldwide.

In 1991, Woosnam became the number one golfer in the world, according to the Official World Golf Ranking. He held this top spot for 50 weeks! That same year, he won the 1991 Masters Tournament. This was a huge achievement, as he was the first person from Wales to win a major golf championship.

Challenges and Comebacks

After winning the Torras Monte Carlo Golf Open in 1991, Woosnam felt very tired from playing in too many tournaments. His Masters trophy was even stolen from a train later that year.

His last big win on the European Tour was the 1997 Volvo PGA Championship in 1997. Later, in 2001, he almost won The Open Championship. He finished third, even though he got a penalty because he had 15 clubs in his bag instead of the allowed 14. His caddie (the person who carries the golf clubs) made the mistake. Woosnam first decided not to fire him, saying, "He won't do it again." However, he did dismiss his caddie two weeks later when he didn't show up for a tee-time.

In 2001, at 43 years old, Woosnam became the oldest player to win the HSBC World Match Play Championship. He had won this championship twice before, in 1987 and 1990, making him the first player to win it in three different decades. In the 2001 final, he made seven birdies in a row, which tied a tournament record!

Ryder Cup Hero

Ian Woosnam was a key player in the European Ryder Cup team. He played in eight Ryder Cups in a row from 1983 to 1997. Even though he didn't win any of his individual matches, he had a strong overall record in team play. In 2006, he was chosen to be the captain of the European team for the Ryder Cup. He led his team to a big victory over the U.S. team in Ireland.

Senior Tour Success

After turning 50 in 2008, Woosnam joined the European Seniors Tour. He quickly won his first tournament, the Parkridge Polish Seniors Championship. That same year, he won the European Seniors Tour Order of Merit. This made him the only golfer to have won the Order of Merit on both the regular European Tour and the European Seniors Tour.

Awards and Recognition

• In 1987, 1990, and 1991, Woosnam won the BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year award.
• He was given an OBE award in 2007. This is a special honor from the British government.
• In 2010, he was added to the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame.

Personal Life

In 1987, Ian Woosnam was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). This is a condition that affects the spine.

Major Championship Results

Ian Woosnam won one major championship: the 1991 Masters Tournament.

Masters Tournament Win

Year	Championship	54 holes	Winning score	Margin	Runner-up
1991	Masters Tournament	1 shot lead	−11 (72-66-67-72=277)	1 stroke	José María Olazábal

Performance in Major Tournaments

This table shows how Ian Woosnam performed in the four biggest golf tournaments, called "majors," over the years.

     Win      Top 10      Did not play CUT = missed the halfway cut (meaning he didn't play the last two rounds)
WD = withdrew (meaning he left the tournament early)
"T" indicates a tie for a place
NT = No tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Summary of Major Results

This table gives a quick overview of his performance in major championships.

• He made the cut in 15 tournaments in a row from 1989 to 1992.
• He had a streak of two top-10 finishes in 1992.

Results in Other Important Tournaments

The Players Championship

This table shows his results in The Players Championship, another big golf event.

     Did not play CUT = missed the halfway cut
WD = withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place

World Golf Championships

Here are his results in the World Golf Championships, a series of important international golf events.

     Did not play QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play (match play is a type of golf where players compete hole by hole)
"T" = Tied

Senior Major Championships

This table shows how he did in the major tournaments for senior golfers (players over 50).

     Top 10      Did not play CUT = missed the halfway cut
WD = withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place
NT = No tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Team Competitions

Ian Woosnam has been a part of many important golf teams representing Wales or Europe.

• World Cup (representing Wales): He played many times, winning both the team and individual trophies in 1987, and the individual trophy again in 1991.
• Hennessy Cognac Cup (representing Great Britain & Ireland and Wales): He was part of the winning team in 1982.
• Ryder Cup (representing Europe): He played in eight Ryder Cups, helping Europe win in 1985, 1987, 1995, and 1997. He was also the winning non-playing captain in 2006.
• Alfred Dunhill Cup (representing Wales): He played in this team event many times.
• Four Tours World Championship (representing Europe): He was part of the European team in this championship.
• Seve Trophy (representing Great Britain & Ireland): He played in 2000 and was part of the winning team in 2002.
• UBS Cup (representing the Rest of the World): He played in this competition several times.
• Royal Trophy (representing Europe): He was part of the winning European team in 2006.