Wayne Westner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wayne Westner |
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| Personal information | |
| Full name | Wayne Brett Westner |
| Nickname | Westy |
| Born | 28 September 1961 Johannesburg, South Africa |
| Died | 4 January 2017 (aged 55) Pennington, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) |
| Weight | 82 kg (181 lb; 12.9 st) |
| Nationality |  South Africa |
| Spouse | Alison Jean Westner |
| Career | |
| Turned professional | 1982 |
| Former tour(s) | Sunshine Tour European Tour |
| Professional wins | 13 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| European Tour | 2 |
| Sunshine Tour | 11 |
| Other | 1 |
| Best results in Major Championships |
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| The Masters Tournament | DNP |
| U.S. Open | T50: 1996 |
| The Open Championship | T34: 1993 |
| PGA Championship | DNP |
| Achievements and awards | |
| Sunshine Tour Order of Merit winner |
1995/96 |
Wayne Brett Westner (born 28 September 1961 – died 4 January 2017) was a famous golfer from South Africa. He was known for winning the South African Open twice. He also won two tournaments on the European Tour, which is a big golf competition.
One of his most exciting wins was with fellow South African golfer Ernie Els. They teamed up to win the 1996 World Cup of Golf. This big event was held in South Africa, near Cape Town. In that competition, Ernie Els won the individual part, and Wayne Westner came in second. Together, they won the team event by a huge 18 shots!
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Wayne Westner's Golf Journey
Wayne Westner was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. He became a professional golfer in 1981. This means he started playing golf for money, not just for fun. He quickly started winning many events in his home country.
He played for many years on the European Tour. This is one of the top golf tours in the world. He won two big tournaments there. His best year on the European Tour was 1993, when he finished twentieth in the Order of Merit. This ranking shows how well a golfer has played throughout the season.
In 1992, he almost won the Carroll's Irish Open. He played against the famous golfer Nick Faldo in a sudden-death playoff. This is when golfers keep playing extra holes until one wins. Wayne Westner lost on the fourth extra hole.
His partnership with Ernie Els was very successful. They won the 1996 World Cup of Golf for South Africa. Wayne Westner also won the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit in the 1995/96 season. This award goes to the best player on the Sunshine Tour, which is a golf tour mainly in Southern Africa.
Sadly, Wayne Westner had a serious injury in 1998. During a practice round at the Madeira Island Open, he fell and hurt his ankle very badly. He tried to play again, but he was never able to fully recover from the injury. After his playing career, he opened his own golf school called The Wayne Westner Golf College. He wanted to help new golfers learn the game.
Major Golf Wins
Wayne Westner won a total of 13 professional golf tournaments. Here are some of his most important victories:
- He won two tournaments on the European Tour:
- The Dubai Desert Classic in 1993.
- The FNB Players Championship in 1996. This event was also part of the Sunshine Tour.
- He won 11 tournaments on the Sunshine Tour, including:
- The ICL International in 1983.
- The Southern Suns South African Open in 1988.
- The Protea Assurance South African Open in 1991.
- The San Lameer South African Masters in 1995.
- His most famous "other win" was the 1996 World Cup of Golf. He won this as a team with Ernie Els for South Africa. They beat the second-place team by 18 shots!
Playing in Major Championships
Wayne Westner played in some of golf's biggest tournaments, known as "major championships."
- He played in the U.S. Open in 1996, where he finished tied for 50th place.
- He also played in The Open Championship (sometimes called the British Open) several times. His best finish there was tied for 34th place in 1993.
- He never played in the Masters Tournament or the PGA Championship.
Playing for His Country
Wayne Westner often represented South Africa in team golf events:
- Dunhill Cup: He played for South Africa in 1994 and 1996.
- World Cup: He played for South Africa in 1994, 1996 (where they won!), and 1997.
- Alfred Dunhill Challenge: He was part of the Southern Africa team that won in 1995.
