John O'Leary (golfer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids John O'Leary |
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|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Full name | John Eudes O'Leary |
| Born | 19 August 1949 Dublin, Ireland |
| Died | 26 March 2020 (aged 70) Esher, England |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Nationality |  Ireland |
| Career | |
| Turned professional | 1970 |
| Former tour(s) | European Tour |
| Professional wins | 5 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| European Tour | 2 |
| Sunshine Tour | 1 |
| Other | 2 |
| Best results in Major Championships |
|
| The Masters Tournament | DNP |
| U.S. Open | DNP |
| The Open Championship | T13: 1979 |
| PGA Championship | DNP |
John Eudes O'Leary (born August 19, 1949 – died March 26, 2020) was a professional golfer from Ireland. He played on the European Tour, which is a series of golf tournaments, during the 1970s and 1980s.
John O'Leary won two big tournaments on the European Tour. In 1976, he won the Greater Manchester Open. Later, in 1982, he became only the third Irish golfer to win the Irish Open. He also played for his country in important team events like the 1975 Ryder Cup and the World Cup. After he stopped playing professionally, he helped manage the European Tour for many years.
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Early Golf Days
John O'Leary was born in Dublin, Ireland. He started playing golf as a young person at Foxrock Golf Club in the 1960s. Even before he became a professional, he was a very good amateur golfer.
In 1969, he came in second place at the Irish Amateur Close Championship. He also played for Ireland in the European Amateur Team Championship. The next year, in 1970, he won the South of Ireland Amateur Open Championship. He also finished second in the West of Ireland Amateur Open. These were all important amateur golf tournaments.
Becoming a Professional Golfer
John O'Leary became a professional golfer in late 1970. In his first year as a pro, 1971, he did well at the Open Championship. He was even close to the lead after the first day. He also finished second in another tournament for young professional golfers.
During the winter, John O'Leary often played golf in South Africa. He had his first professional wins there. In 1975, he finally won a tournament called the Holiday Inns Royal Swazi Sun Open. This was an official event on the South African Tour, and he won by four shots.
Later in 1975, back in Europe, he finished second at the Open de France. He also won a team event called the Sumrie-Bournemouth Better-Ball with another golfer, Jack Newton.
Playing in the Ryder Cup
In 1975, John O'Leary was chosen to play in the 1975 Ryder Cup. This is a very famous team golf competition between Europe and the United States. He was one of 12 players representing Great Britain and Ireland. He earned his spot on the team because he played very well in several tournaments that year.
Winning on the European Tour
The next year, in 1976, John O'Leary won his first tournament on the European Tour. It was the Greater Manchester Open. He won by four shots, just like his first professional win in South Africa. This helped him finish 16th on the European Tour's "Order of Merit," which ranks players based on how much money they earn.
John O'Leary continued to play well for many years. A big moment in his career was in 1982 at the Carroll's Irish Open. He won this tournament in tough weather conditions. He was only the third Irish golfer ever to win their home open championship. No other Irish golfer won it again for 25 years after him!
John O'Leary stopped playing full-time professional golf after the 1989 season.
After Golf
After retiring from playing, John O'Leary stayed involved in golf. From 1985 until 2019, he was one of the directors of the European Tour. This meant he helped make important decisions about how the tour was run. He was also part of the committee that organizes the Ryder Cup.
Death
John O'Leary passed away on March 26, 2020, in Esher, England. He was 70 years old.
Major Achievements
John O'Leary had several important wins and appearances during his golf career.
Amateur Wins
- 1970 South of Ireland Amateur Open
Professional Wins
- 1972 Irish Dunlop Tournament
- 1975 Holiday Inns Royal Swazi Sun Open (on the Sunshine Tour)
- 1975 Sumrie-Bournemouth Better-Ball (with Jack Newton)
- 1976 Greater Manchester Open (on the European Tour)
- 1982 Carroll's Irish Open (on the European Tour)
Team Appearances
John O'Leary represented Ireland and Great Britain & Ireland in several team competitions:
- Amateur
- European Amateur Team Championship (representing Ireland): 1969
- Professional
- World Cup (representing Ireland): 1972, 1980, 1982
- Ryder Cup (representing Great Britain & Ireland): 1975
- Double Diamond International (representing Ireland): 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977
- Marlboro Nations' Cup/Philip Morris International (representing Ireland): 1972, 1973, 1975
- Hennessy Cognac Cup (representing Great Britain and Ireland): 1976 (winners), 1978 (winners), 1982 (winners)
