Sandy Lyle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sandy LyleOBE |
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Lyle in 2006
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| Personal information | |
| Full name | Alexander Walter Barr Lyle |
| Born | 9 February 1958 Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in |
| Nationality |  Scotland |
| Residence | Balquhidder, Perthshire, Scotland Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, U.S. |
| Spouse |
Christine
(m. 1981; div. 1987)Jolande
(m. 1989) |
| Children | 4 |
| Career | |
| Turned professional | 1977 |
| Current tour(s) | European Senior Tour Champions Tour |
| Former tour(s) | European Tour PGA Tour |
| Professional wins | 30 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 6 |
| European Tour | 18 |
| Japan Golf Tour | 1 |
| European Seniors Tour | 1 |
| Other | 6 |
| Best results in Major Championships (Wins: 2) |
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| The Masters Tournament | Won: 1988 |
| U.S. Open | T16: 1991 |
| The Open Championship | Won: 1985 |
| PGA Championship | T16: 1991 |
| Achievements and awards | |
| World Golf Hall of Fame | 2012 |
| Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year |
1978 |
| European Tour Order of Merit winner/ Official money list winner |
1979, 1980, 1985 |
Alexander Walter Barr "Sandy" Lyle (born February 9, 1958) is a famous Scottish professional golfer. He is known for winning two major golf championships. During the 1980s, he was one of Britain's best golfers. He played alongside other golf stars like Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam. From 1986 to 1989, he was in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking for 167 weeks.
Contents
Early Life and Golf Start
Sandy Lyle was born in Shrewsbury, England. He now lives in Scotland with his wife, Jolande, and their children. Even though he was born in England, he chose to represent Scotland as a professional golfer.
His father, Alex, was a golf professional. He moved the family from Scotland to England in 1955. They lived very close to the golf course where his father worked. Sandy started playing golf with small clubs when he was only three years old. As a young player, he represented England in school, junior, and amateur golf events.
Amateur Golf Career
In 1974, when he was 16, Sandy Lyle played in The Open Championship for the first time. He won the Brabazon Trophy twice, in 1975 and 1977. He was also part of the Walker Cup team in 1977. This team plays against top amateur golfers from the United States.
Becoming a Professional Golfer
In 1977, Sandy Lyle became a professional golfer. He decided to play for Scotland. He quickly showed his talent. In 1978, he won his first professional tournament, the Nigerian Open. That same year, he received the Sir Henry Cotton Award. This award is given to the best new player on the European Tour.
Sandy Lyle won 18 titles on the European Tour. He was a very strong player in team events too. He helped Scotland finish second in the World Cup of Golf team event three times. In 1987, he also won the individual trophy at that event.
Winning Major Championships
One of Sandy Lyle's biggest wins was The Open Championship in 1985. He won at Royal St George's Golf Club. He was the first British golfer to win this major tournament since 1969. This win showed that European golfers were becoming very strong on the world stage.
He was also a key player for the European Ryder Cup team. He played in five Ryder Cups between 1979 and 1987. The European team won in 1985 and 1987. The 1987 win was special because it was the first time Europe won on American soil.
Many golf fans remember Sandy Lyle for his amazing shot at the Masters in 1988. On the final hole, he hit a fantastic shot from a sand trap. He then made a putt to win the tournament. This made him the first British golfer to win the famous green jacket at the Masters. He also won two other events on the PGA Tour that year.
Sandy Lyle was the top player on the European Tour's money list three times. This was in 1979, 1980, and 1985. He also played on the PGA Tour for several years. In 1987, he won the Tournament Players Championship. This is one of the most important tournaments in America.
Later Career
After turning 50 in 2008, Sandy Lyle started playing on the Champions Tour and the European Senior Tour. In 2011, he won his first tournament in 19 years. This was the ISPS Handa Senior World Championship in China.
He also enjoys playing hickory golf, which uses old-style wooden clubs. He won the World Hickory Open in Scotland in 2014 and 2016. He even called his 2016 win his "fourth major" title!
Sandy Lyle's Impact
Sandy Lyle was known for being calm and steady on the golf course. In his best years, he could hit the ball very far. He was also accurate enough to play well on any course. His success helped inspire other golfers like Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam. They also went on to win major championships.
In 2006, Sandy Lyle wrote a book called "To the Fairway Born." That same year, he was an assistant captain for the European Ryder Cup team. The team won the Ryder Cup with Ian Woosnam as captain.
Awards and Honors
- Sandy Lyle was added to the World Golf Hall of Fame in May 2012. This is a very high honor in golf.
- He was given the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) award in 2024. This was for his great contributions to golf.
Amateur Wins
- 1975 Brabazon Trophy, Carris Trophy
- 1977 Brabazon Trophy, Berkshire Trophy, British Youths Open Amateur Championship, Berkhamsted Trophy, Hampshire Hog
Professional Wins Summary
Sandy Lyle won a total of 30 professional tournaments.
- He won 6 times on the PGA Tour, including 2 major championships.
- He won 18 times on the European Tour, including 2 major championships.
- He won 1 tournament on the PGA of Japan Tour.
- He won 1 tournament on the Safari Circuit.
- He won 5 other tournaments.
- He won 1 tournament on the European Senior Tour.
Major Championship Wins
- 1985 Open Championship
- 1988 Masters Tournament
Team Appearances
Sandy Lyle played for many teams during his career.
As an Amateur
- Walker Cup (representing Great Britain and Ireland): 1977
- Commonwealth Tournament (representing Great Britain): 1975
- St Andrews Trophy (representing Great Britain & Ireland): 1976 (winners)
- European Amateur Team Championship (representing England): 1977
As a Professional
- Ryder Cup (representing Europe): 1979, 1981, 1983, 1985 (winners), 1987 (winners)
- World Cup (representing Scotland): 1979, 1980 (individual winner), 1987
- Hennessy Cognac Cup (representing Great Britain and Ireland): 1980 (winners), 1982 (winners), (representing Scotland) 1984 (individual winner)
- Dunhill Cup (representing Scotland): 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992
- Nissan Cup/Kirin Cup (representing Europe): 1985 (individual winner), 1986, 1987
- UBS Cup (representing the Rest of the World): 2004
See also
In Spanish: Sandy Lyle para niños
