Christy O'Connor Jnr
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Christy O'Connor Jnr (born Christopher O'Connor; 19 August 1948 – 6 January 2016) was an Irish
professional golfer A professional golfer is somebody who receives payments or financial rewards in the sport of golf that are directly related to their skill or reputation. A person who earns money by teaching or playing golf is traditionally considered a "golf pr ...
. He is best known for defeating American
Fred Couples Frederick Steven Couples (born October 3, 1959) is an American professional golfer who has competed on the PGA Tour and the PGA Tour Champions. A former World No. 1, he has won 64 professional tournaments, most notably the Masters Tournament ...
at the
1989 Ryder Cup The 28th Ryder Cup Matches were held 22–24 September 1989 at The Belfry in Wishaw, Warwickshire, England, near Sutton Coldfield. For only the second time, the competition ended in a draw at 14 points each, but the European team retained the C ...
, helping Europe secure the trophy.


Early life

O'Connor was born in Knocknacarra,
Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
in 1948. Knocknacarra is a village in Salthill that is within
County Galway County Galway ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Northern and Western Region, taking up the south of the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht. The county population was 276,451 at the 20 ...
. He was the son of Elizabeth (née Noone) and John O'Connor. The family farmed cattle and pigs near a golf club. O'Connor was not born with the "Junior" suffix. Rather, it was added to his name after he turned pro in the 1970s to distinguish him from his uncle Christy O'Connor, also a well-known professional golfer. (A "Senior" suffix was added to the elder Christy O'Connor's name too.)


Professional career

In 1967, O'Connor turned professional. He played on the
European Tour The European Tour, currently titled as the DP World Tour for sponsorship reasons, and legally the PGA European Tour or the European Tour Group, is the leading men's professional golf tour in Europe. The organisation also operates the European ...
. It took him a few years to find his footing but in 1975 he won two tournaments and finished 7th on the Order of Merit. His second victory of the year at the Carroll's Irish Open was particularly memorable. O'Connor became only the second Irishman to win his national open; the first since the 1940s. His good play earned him his first Ryder Cup appearance that year. In 1976, O'Connor would contend at the
Open Championship The Open Championship, often referred to as The Open or the British Open, is the oldest golf tournament in the world, and one of the most prestigious. Founded in 1860, it was originally held annually at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. Later th ...
for the first time. He opened with the co-lead with
Seve Ballesteros Severiano Ballesteros Sota (; 9 April 1957 – 7 May 2011) was a Spanish professional golfer, a World No. 1 who was one of the sport's leading figures from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s. A member of a gifted golfing family, he won 90 inte ...
, shooting a first-round 69 (−3), before falling out of contention with a 73 and 75. He closed, however, with a one-under-par 71 round to finish in the top 5. O'Connor would finish in the top 30 of the Order of Merit for the third straight year. This good play helped O'Connor earn an invitation to play in the
Masters Tournament The Masters Tournament (usually referred to as simply the Masters, or as the U.S. Masters outside North America) is one of the four men's major championships in professional golf. Scheduled for the first full week in April, the Masters is the ...
for the only time as well. Despite all of this success in his late 20s, O'Connor did not immediately progress into one of the stars of the European golfing scene. While young pros like Ballesteros,
Nick Faldo Sir Nicholas Alexander Faldo (born 18 July 1957) is an English retired professional golfer and television commentator. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, he was renowned for his dedication to the game, and was ranked No. ...
, and
Bernhard Langer Bernhard Langer (; born 27 August 1957) is a German professional golfer. He is a two-time Masters champion and was one of the world's leading golfers throughout the 1980s and 1990s. In 1986, he became the sport's first number one ranked playe ...
were taking the European Tour by storm O'Connor was in the background during these years. In a five-season span, between 1977 and 1981, he recorded only four tops-10s and never finished better than 49th on the Order of Merit. The 1982 season was a return to form. Though he only recorded two top-10s, he finished 40th on the Order of Merit and had his lowest scoring average ever. The next two seasons were similarly solid, with a number of top-10s, similar Order of Merit ranking, and improved scoring average every year. Until his Ryder Cup heroics, O'Connor may be best known to international audiences for his performance at the
1985 Open Championship The 1985 Open Championship was a men's major golf championship and the 114th Open Championship, held from 18 to 21 July at Royal St George's Golf Club in Sandwich, England. Sandy Lyle won his only Open Championship, one stroke ahead of runner-u ...
. He opened with a 64 (−6), taking an astonishing four-stroke lead after the first round. He came back to the field with a second-round 76 but was still in the mix until the last day. He played with champion
Sandy Lyle Alexander Walter Barr "Sandy" Lyle (born 9 February 1958) is a Scottish professional golfer. He has won two major championships during his career. Along with Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam, he became one of Britain's top golfers during the 1980s. ...
in the fourth round and finished only two shots back, placing T-3. He would record an additional five top-10s that year and finish 12th on the Order of Merit, easily his best in a decade. He would build on this success, finishing in the top 30 of the Order of Merit every year, until winning the 1989 Jersey Open. He defeated Englishman
Denis Durnian Denis Durnian (born 30 June 1950) is an English professional golfer. Early life Durnian was born in Wigan, Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. Professional career In 1969, Durnian turned professional. He played on the European Tour from t ...
in a playoff. It was his first victory in 14 years, the longest gap between European Tour victories at the time. This victory helped him earn membership for the
1989 Ryder Cup The 28th Ryder Cup Matches were held 22–24 September 1989 at The Belfry in Wishaw, Warwickshire, England, near Sutton Coldfield. For only the second time, the competition ended in a draw at 14 points each, but the European team retained the C ...
team. Despite his recent good play, he was criticized by many in the media for being selected. He was not one of the nine automatic picks for the team; he was a captain's pick. He had the worst world ranking (#71) of anyone on either team. Early in the event, O'Connor confirmed these suspicions by losing his only team match on the second day of the event. He wound up facing
Fred Couples Frederick Steven Couples (born October 3, 1959) is an American professional golfer who has competed on the PGA Tour and the PGA Tour Champions. A former World No. 1, he has won 64 professional tournaments, most notably the Masters Tournament ...
in Sunday singles play. This match would define O'Connor's career. Couples was a rising star for the American team who, only a few years later, would be ranked #1 in the world. Some members of the British press referred to O'Connor as Europe's "weak link" entering the match. O'Connor, however, played evenly against Couples as the match went down to the last hole. On the 18th, the long-hitting Couples hit a perfect drive, cutting the dogleg and requiring only a 9-iron into the green. O'Connor hit a solid drive down the middle of the fairway but, unable to cut the dogleg, required much more distance to reach the green. He then hit a perfect 2-iron over a pond that skipped to within 4 feet. Couples blew his 9-iron shot over the green and failed to get up and down. He conceded the match to O'Connor. His good play was indispensable as Europe retained the cup with a 14–14 tie. As the 1990s approached, O'Connor was hitting his early 40s, around the time that many pro golfer's games declined. O'Connor played relatively well for a few years, however. He would finish in the top 75 of the Order of Merit between 1990 and 1992, culminating with his victory at the 1992
British Masters The Betfred British Masters is a professional golf tournament. It was founded in 1946 as the Dunlop Masters and was held every year up to 2008, except for 1984. Dunlop's sponsorship ended in 1982, and the name sponsor changed frequently there ...
. He hit several remarkable recovery shots from behind trees during the last round which he took advantage of, making equally remarkable birdies. The victory qualified him for the
NEC World Series of Golf The World Series of Golf was a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, played at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. From its inception in 1962 through 1975, it was an unofficial 36-hole event matching the winners of the four major cham ...
, a prestigious winners-only event in America. O'Connor would no longer remain competitive on the regular tour shortly after his win. He would not finish in the top 100 of the Order of Merit again after the 1992 season. He would, however, play very well for his first two seasons as a senior. Despite rarely playing in the United States during the heart of his career he decided to join the
Senior PGA TOUR PGA Tour Champions (formerly the Senior PGA Tour and the Champions Tour) is a men's professional senior golf tour, open to golfers age 50 and over, administered as a branch of the PGA Tour. History and format The Senior PGA Championship, f ...
in 1999. He played full-time in 1999 and 2000, winning two events and earning over a million dollars. He would also play sporadically on the
European Seniors Tour The European Senior Tour, currently branded as the Legends Tour, is a professional golf tour for male golfers aged 50 and over, run by the PGA European Tour. The tour was titled as the Staysure Tour for the 2018 and 2019 seasons after UK-based i ...
, winning the
Senior British Open The Senior Open Championship, or simply The Senior Open (and originally known as the Senior British Open), is a professional golf tournament for players aged 50 and over. It is jointly owned and run by The R&A, the same body that organises The O ...
twice in back-to-back years,
1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
and
2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
. For the 2001 Senior British Open, O'Connor was not able to play and defend his title due to an ankle injury sustained when his motorcycle fell on him.


Personal life

O'Connor was married to Ann. He had three children, Nigel, Ann, and Darren. His son Darren died in a car accident when he was 17 years old. O'Connor was a supporter of the Special Olympics. O'Connor was also active in
golf course design A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". T ...
, being involved in the design of at least 18 courses in Ireland, and many more abroad. O'Connor died whilst on holiday with his wife Ann on 6 January 2016 in
Tenerife Tenerife ( ; ; formerly spelled ''Teneriffe'') is the largest and most populous island of the Canary Islands, an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain. With a land area of and a population of 965,575 inhabitants as of A ...
,
Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, Autonomous Community of Spain. They are located in the northwest of Africa, with the closest point to the cont ...
.


Professional wins (16)


European Tour wins (4)

European Tour playoff record (2–2)


Safari Circuit wins (2)


Other wins (6)

*1973 Carroll's Irish Match Play Championship *1974
Irish Dunlop Tournament The Irish Dunlop Tournament was a professional golf tournament played in Ireland until 1980. It was one of the top events on the professional circuit in Ireland. Prior to World War II, it was a 72-hole stroke play event known as the Dunlop-Irish ...
*1975 Carroll's Irish Match Play Championship *1976 Sumrie-Bournemouth Better-Ball (with
Eamonn Darcy Eamonn Christopher Darcy (born 7 August 1952) is an Irish professional golfer. He won four times on the European Tour and played in the Ryder Cup four times. Professional career Darcy, with a handicap of 12, turned professional at the age of ...
) *1977 Carroll's Irish Match Play Championship *1978 Sumrie-Bournemouth Better-Ball (with
Eamonn Darcy Eamonn Christopher Darcy (born 7 August 1952) is an Irish professional golfer. He won four times on the European Tour and played in the Ryder Cup four times. Professional career Darcy, with a handicap of 12, turned professional at the age of ...
)


Senior PGA Tour wins (4)


European Seniors Tour wins (2)

Source:


Results in major championships

CUT = missed the half-way cut (3rd round cut in 1984 Open Championship)
"T" indicates a tie for a place
''Note: O'Connor never played in the U.S. Open or the
PGA Championship The PGA Championship (often referred to as the US PGA Championship or USPGA outside the United States) is an annual golf tournament conducted by the Professional Golfers' Association of America. The PGA is one of the four men's major golf champi ...
.''


Senior major championships


Wins (2)


Team appearances

*
Double Diamond International The Double Diamond International was a team golf tournament that was played from 1971 to 1977. It was hosted in England for the first three years, and then in Scotland. From 1974 and 1977 the event was preceded by an individual 36-hole stroke pl ...
(representing Ireland): 1972, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977 * Sotogrande Match/
Hennessy Cognac Cup The Hennessy Cognac Cup was a biennial team golf tournament contested from 1976 to 1984. The contests in 1976, 1978 and 1980 were between teams of professional male golfers; one team representing Great Britain and Ireland, the other team representi ...
(representing Great Britain and Ireland): 1974 (winners), (representing Ireland) 1984 *
World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the name is ...
(representing Ireland):
1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; ...
,
1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 – Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
,
1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd ...
,
1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a n ...
,
1989 1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...
,
1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...
*
Ryder Cup The Ryder Cup is a biennial men's golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States, with hosting duties alternating between venues in Europe and the United States for each edition. The cup is named after the English businessman S ...
(representing Great Britain and Ireland/Europe):
1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 – Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
,
1989 1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...
(tied – retained Cup) * Datsun International (representing Great Britain and Ireland): 1976 *
Philip Morris International Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) is a multinational tobacco company, with products sold in over 180 countries. Marlboro is PMI’s most recognized brand, but in the last quarter of 2023, Iqos generated the greatest revenue. Philip Mor ...
(representing Ireland): 1975, 1976 *
Dunhill Cup The Alfred Dunhill Cup was a team golf tournament which ran from 1985 to 2000, sponsored by Alfred Dunhill Ltd. It was for three-man teams of professional golfers, one team representing each country, and was promoted as the "World Team Championsh ...
(representing Ireland):
1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a n ...
,
1989 1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...
,
1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...
* Praia d'El Rey European Cup: 1998 (tie) Source:


References


External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:OConnor, Christy, Jnr Irish male golfers European Tour golfers European Senior Tour golfers PGA Tour Champions golfers Winners of senior major golf championships Ryder Cup competitors for Europe Golf course architects RTÉ Sports Person of the Year winners Sportspeople from Galway (city) Irish expatriates in Spain 1948 births 2016 deaths 20th-century Irish sportsmen