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Sandy Lyle OBE
Lyle in 2006
Personal information
Full name	Alexander Walter Barr Lyle
Born	(1958-02-09) 9 February 1958 (age 66) Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Sporting 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
Highest ranking	2 (10 April 1988)
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour	6
European Tour	18
Japan Golf Tour	1
European Senior Tour	1
Other	6
Best results in major championships (wins: 2)
Masters Tournament	Won: 1988
PGA Championship	T16: 1991
U.S. Open	T16: 1991
The Open Championship	Won: 1985
Achievements and awards
World Golf Hall of Fame 2012 (member page) 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 OBE (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. He spent 167 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Ranking from its introduction, in 1986, until 1989. Lyle was inducted to the World Golf Hall of Fame in May 2012.

Lyle was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2024 Birthday Honours for services to golf.

Early life

Lyle was born in Shrewsbury, England and now lives in Scotland with his wife Jolande and children Lonneke and Quintin. He represented Scotland during his professional career. He was introduced to golf by his father, Alex, who had taken the family from Scotland to England in 1955 when he became resident professional at Hawkstone Park golf course. Their family home was just 40 yards from the pro-shop and 18th green. He began playing with miniature clubs at the age of 3. At schoolboy, junior and amateur level Lyle represented England.

Amateur career

In the summer of 1974, Lyle received a golf scholarship to the University of Houston. However, he did not pass the entrance examination and was not allowed to attend the university. Lyle returned to Britain "to find another route into professional golf."

As an amateur Lyle made his debut in The Open Championship at age 16 in 1974 and won the Brabazon Trophy in 1975 and 1977. He was a member of the Walker Cup team in 1977.

Professional career

In 1977 he turned professional and decided to represent Scotland. He was medalist at the 1977 Qualifying School tournament for the European Tour. His first professional win came in the 1978 Nigerian Open, and he also won the Sir Henry Cotton Award as European Rookie of the Year that season. Lyle attained the first of an eventual 18 European Tour titles in 1979.

Lyle, for Scotland, finished runner-up at the World Cup of Golf team event in 1979, 1980 and 1987; in the latter year Lyle captured the low individual trophy in that event.

Lyle showed his quality by winning The Open Championship at Royal St George's Golf Club in 1985. He was the first British winner since Tony Jacklin in 1969, and continued the rise of European golfers in the world scene.

Lyle was a member of five European Ryder Cup teams, from 1979 to 1987 inclusive. Highlights from those years included the team that was victorious at the Belfry in the autumn of 1985, and the 1987 team which won for the first time ever on American soil, at Muirfield Village.

For many golf fans he is best known for the fairway bunker shot and the subsequent birdie putt at the 18th hole in the final round of the Masters in 1988 when he became the first Briton to wear the green jacket. He also won two other events on the PGA Tour that season, along with the World Match Play Championship, after being a losing finalist on several occasions.

Lyle topped the European Tour's order of merit in 1979, 1980 and 1985. He finished in the top ten nine times between 1979 and 1992. He was also a member of the PGA Tour for several years and finished seventh on the US money list in 1988, despite a limited playing schedule. He won the 1987 Tournament Players Championship, one of the most prestigious American titles. Lyle's form dropped after 1992, when he was 34, and he has not won a significant event since.

Legacy

As a player, Lyle is known for his cool temperament and placid exterior. In his peak years, he was very long from the tee and through the set, and had enough accuracy to master any course. His achievements inspired fellow rivals such as Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam to raise their games, and go on to win the majors. Lyle published his first book, "To the Fairway Born" in 2006. In the same year he was assistant captain to Ian Woosnam when Europe won the Ryder Cup. He had been hoping to be picked as the captain for the 2010 European Ryder Cup team but missed out to Colin Montgomerie.

In July 2009, Lyle became involved in a public row with Colin Montgomerie where he unfavourably compared Montgomerie's actions at the Indonesian Open four years previously with his own actions in not completing a round at the 2008 Open Championship. Reaction to this was mixed with some players supporting Lyle while other players and commentators felt that Lyle's timing was unfortunate and that any point he may have had was lost in the ensuing controversy.

Senior career

On turning 50 in 2008, Lyle played on the Champions Tour and the European Senior Tour.

Lyle won his first tournament in 19 years when he captured his first European Senior Tour title at the 2011 ISPS Handa Senior World Championship, held in China.

He took up hickory golf, winning the World Hickory Open in his native Scotland in 2014 and 2016. Lyle referred to the 2016 victory as his "fourth major" to go along with the 2014 crown, as well as the 1988 Masters and 1985 Open titles.

Amateur wins

• 1975 Brabazon Trophy, Carris Trophy
• 1977 Brabazon Trophy, Berkshire Trophy, British Youths Open Amateur Championship, Berkhamsted Trophy, Hampshire Hog

Professional wins (30)

PGA Tour wins (6)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner-up
1	21 Jul 1985	The Open Championship	+2 (68-71-73-70=282)	1 stroke	Payne Stewart
2	6 Apr 1986	Greater Greensboro Open	−13 (68-64-73-70=275)	2 strokes	Andy Bean
3	29 Mar 1987	Tournament Players Championship	−14 (67-71-66-70=274)	Playoff	Jeff Sluman
4	31 Jan 1988	Phoenix Open	−15 (68-68-68-65=269)	Playoff	Fred Couples
5	3 Apr 1988	KMart Greater Greensboro Open (2)	−17 (68-63-68-72=271)	Playoff	Ken Green
6	10 Apr 1988	Masters Tournament	−7 (71-67-72-71=281)	1 stroke	Mark Calcavecchia

PGA Tour playoff record (3–1)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponent(s)	Result
1	1987	Tournament Players Championship	Jeff Sluman	Won with par on third extra hole
2	1988	Phoenix Open	Fred Couples	Won with bogey on third extra hole
3	1988	KMart Greater Greensboro Open	Ken Green	Won with birdie on first extra hole
4	1989	Bob Hope Chrysler Classic	Paul Azinger, Steve Jones	Jones won with birdie on first extra hole

European Tour wins (18)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
1	3 Jun 1979	B.A./Avis Open	−13 (66-71-66-68=271)	3 strokes	Howard Clark
2	8 Jul 1979	Scandinavian Enterprise Open	−12 (73-69-65-69=276)	3 strokes	Seve Ballesteros
3	9 Sep 1979	European Open Championship	−9 (71-67-72-65=275)	7 strokes	Dale Hayes, Peter Townsend
4	29 Jun 1980	Coral Welsh Classic	−11 (72-69-67-69=277)	5 strokes	Martin Foster
5	10 May 1981	Paco Rabanne Open de France	−14 (70-66-67-67=270)	4 strokes	Bernhard Langer
6	7 Jun 1981	Lawrence Batley International	−4 (70-70-69-71=280)	2 strokes	Nick Faldo
7	25 Jul 1982	Lawrence Batley International (2)	−15 (70-66-67-66=269)	2 strokes	Manuel Piñero
8	24 Apr 1983	Cepsa Madrid Open	−3 (70-69-76-70=285)	2 strokes	Gordon J. Brand
9	6 May 1984	Italian Open	−11 (71-70-68-68=277)	4 strokes	Bobby Clampett
10	7 Oct 1984	Trophée Lancôme	−10 (74-70-67-67=278)	Playoff	Seve Ballesteros
11	21 Jul 1985	The Open Championship	+2 (68-71-73-70=282)	1 stroke	Payne Stewart
12	18 Aug 1985	Benson & Hedges International Open	−14 (70-69-71-64=274)	1 stroke	Ian Woosnam
13	11 Oct 1987	German Masters	−10 (73-69-70-66=278)	Playoff	Bernhard Langer
14	10 Apr 1988	Masters Tournament	−7 (71-67-72-71=281)	1 stroke	Mark Calcavecchia
15	5 Jun 1988	Dunhill British Masters	−15 (66-68-68-71=273)	2 strokes	Nick Faldo, Mark McNulty
16	13 Oct 1991	BMW International Open	−20 (65-65-71-67=268)	3 strokes	Tony Johnstone
17	3 May 1992	Lancia Martini Italian Open (2)	−18 (66-71-65-68=270)	1 stroke	Colin Montgomerie
18	1 Nov 1992	Volvo Masters	+3 (72-70-72-73=287)	Playoff	Colin Montgomerie

European Tour playoff record (3–3)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponent	Result
1	1983	Ebel European Masters Swiss Open	Nick Faldo	Lost to par on second extra hole
2	1984	Trophée Lancôme	Seve Ballesteros	Won with birdie on first extra hole
3	1985	Whyte & Mackay PGA Championship	Paul Way	Lost to birdie on third extra hole
4	1985	Glasgow Open	Howard Clark	Lost to birdie on second extra hole
5	1987	German Masters	Bernhard Langer	Won with par on second extra hole
6	1992	Volvo Masters	Colin Montgomerie	Won with par on first extra hole

PGA of Japan Tour wins (1)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner-up
1	25 Nov 1984	Casio World Open	−9 (68-69-71-71=279)	Playoff	Gary Koch

PGA of Japan Tour playoff record (1–0)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponent	Result
1	1984	Casio World Open	Gary Koch	Won with birdie on first extra hole

Safari Circuit wins (1)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner-up
1	27 Feb 1978	Nigerian Open	−15 (61-63-70-75=269)	Playoff	Michael King

Other wins (5)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner-up
1	2 Sep 1979	STV Scottish Professional Championship	−10 (66-71-70-67=274)	Playoff	Sam Torrance
2	14 Dec 1980	World Cup International Trophy	−6 (69-69-74-70=282)	1 stroke	Bernhard Langer
3	11 Nov 1984	Kapalua International	−18 (68-64-69-65=266)	8 strokes	Bernhard Langer
4	10 Nov 1985	Nissan Cup Individual Trophy	−21 (68-67-68-64=267)	3 strokes	Curtis Strange
5	10 Oct 1988	Suntory World Match Play Championship	2 and 1		Nick Faldo

Other playoff record (1–0)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponent	Result
1	1979	STV Scottish Professional Championship	Sam Torrance	Won with par on third extra hole

European Senior Tour wins (1)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner-up
1	13 Mar 2011	ISPS Handa Senior World Championship	−12 (68-66-70=204)	3 strokes	Peter Fowler

Playoff record

Korean Tour playoff record (0–1)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponent	Result
1	1997	Hyundai Motor Masters	Ian Woosnam	Lost to birdie on second extra hole

Major championships

Wins (2)

Year	Championship	54 holes	Winning score	Margin	Runner-up
1985	The Open Championship	3 shot deficit	+2 (68-71-73-70=282)	1 stroke	Payne Stewart
1988	Masters Tournament	2 shot lead	−7 (71-67-72-71=281)	1 stroke	Mark Calcavecchia

Results timeline

Results not in chronological order in 2020.

CUT = missed the half way cut (3rd round cut in 1974 and 1983 Open Championships)
WD = withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place
NT = No tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic

Summary

• Most consecutive cuts made – 12 (1984 Open Championship – 1988 Open Championship)
• Longest streak of top-10s – 1 (four times)

The Players Championship

Wins (1)

Year	Championship	54 holes	Winning score	Margin	Runner-up
1987	Tournament Players Championship	2 shot deficit	−14 (67-71-66-70=274)	Playoff	Jeff Sluman

Results timeline

CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place

Results in senior major championships

Results not in chronological order before 2021.

CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
NT = No tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic

Team appearances

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

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

• List of golfers with most European Tour wins

References

1. "Week 15 1988 Ending 10 Apr 1988" (pdf). OWGR. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
2. "69 Players Who Have Reached The Top-10 In World Ranking" (PDF). Official World Golf Ranking. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
3. "Sandy Lyle, Peter Alliss picked for Hall". ESPN. Associated Press. 15 December 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
4. "Awards for Birthday Honours List 2024" (PDF).
5. "Sandy Lyle". PGATOUR.com. Archived from the original on 3 January 2008. Retrieved 16 January 2008.
6. "Hawkstone Park Golf Club". National Club Golfer. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
7. "The Sydney Morning Herald 23 Jul 1985, page Page 27". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
8. Viner, Brian (28 March 2008). "Sandy Lyle: 'I don't know whether there's ever been a better shot in a major'". The Independent. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
9. "Lyle downcast over Cup decision". BBC News. 29 January 2009. Retrieved 28 May 2011.
10. Donegan, Lawrence (12 July 2009). "Sandy Lyle accuses Colin Montgomerie of a 'form of cheating'". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 May 2011.
11. "Lyle's Montgomerie outburst condemned". Channel 4. 23 May 2011. Archived from the original on 18 July 2009. Retrieved 28 May 2011.
12. "PGA Tour profile". PGA Tour. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
13. Ballengee, Ryan (13 March 2011). "Sandy Lyle wins for first time in nearly two decades". NBC Sports. Archived from the original on 17 April 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
14. "Sandy Lyle Adds to 'Major' Titles with Another World Hickory Open Victory". Society of Hickory Golfers. Retrieved 7 October 2018.

External links

• Sandy Lyle at the European Tour official site
• Sandy Lyle at the PGA Tour official site
• Sandy Lyle at the Japan Golf Tour official site
• Sandy Lyle at the Official World Golf Ranking official site
• Sandy Lyle at the World Golf Hall of Fame
• Sandy Lyle at the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame

Sandy Lyle in the Ryder Cup

v t e European Ryder Cup team – 1979 Seve Ballesteros Brian Barnes Ken Brown Nick Faldo Bernard Gallacher Antonio Garrido Tony Jacklin Mark James Michael King Sandy Lyle Peter Oosterhuis Des Smyth John Jacobs (non-playing captain) Lost: 11 – 17 v t e European Ryder Cup team – 1981 José María Cañizares Howard Clark Eamonn Darcy Nick Faldo Bernard Gallacher Mark James Bernhard Langer Sandy Lyle Peter Oosterhuis Manuel Piñero Des Smyth Sam Torrance John Jacobs (non-playing captain) Lost: 9.5 – 18.5 v t e European Ryder Cup team – 1983 Seve Ballesteros Gordon J. Brand Ken Brown José María Cañizares Nick Faldo Bernard Gallacher Bernhard Langer Sandy Lyle Sam Torrance Brian Waites Paul Way Ian Woosnam Tony Jacklin (non-playing captain) Lost: 13.5 – 14.5 v t e European Ryder Cup team – 1985 Seve Ballesteros Ken Brown José María Cañizares Howard Clark Nick Faldo Bernhard Langer Sandy Lyle Manuel Piñero José Rivero Sam Torrance Paul Way Ian Woosnam Tony Jacklin (non-playing captain) Won: 16.5 – 11.5 v t e European Ryder Cup team – 1987 Seve Ballesteros Gordon Brand Jnr Ken Brown Howard Clark Eamonn Darcy Nick Faldo Bernhard Langer Sandy Lyle José María Olazábal José Rivero Sam Torrance Ian Woosnam Tony Jacklin (non-playing captain) Won: 15 – 13

• Scottish male golfers
• European Tour golfers
• PGA Tour golfers
• European Senior Tour golfers
• PGA Tour Champions golfers
• Ryder Cup competitors for Europe
• Winners of men's major golf championships
• World Golf Hall of Fame inductees
• Officers of the Order of the British Empire
• People educated at Thomas Adams School
• Anglo-Scots
• Sportspeople from Shrewsbury
• 1958 births
• Living people