European Ryder Cup hero Christy O’Connor Jnr has died suddenly while on holiday in Spain, aged 67.
The popular Irishman famously helped Europe retain the Ryder Cup at the Belfry in 1989, when his now legendary two-iron approach at the last sealed a singles win over Fred Couples.
O’Connor won four European Tour titles, including his Irish Open triumph at Woodbrook in 1975. That victory helped secure a Ryder Cup spot that year and he played in the competition again 14 years later.
His uncle Christy O’Connor Snr, who is now 91, played in 10 Ryder Cups and came close to winning the Open Championship on a couple of occasions. Like his uncle, O’Connor Jnr starting playing golf in his native Galway and he turned professional while still in his teens in 1967.
His breakthrough season on the European Tour came eight years later when his tied victory with Ian Stanley in the Martini International and Irish Open triumph secured his Ryder Cup place.
After struggling for consistency in the late 1970s, O’Connor regained his form in the following decade and finished in a share of third place in the 1985 Open at Royal St George’s.
He was a controversial omission from the Ryder Cup team that same year, after narrowly missing out on automatic selection. However, European captain Tony Jacklin selected the then 41-year-old as one of his wild card picks in 1989, and the skipper’s decision was vindicated by O’Connor’s vital singles win over Couples.
His fourth and final European Tour triumph came at the British Masters at Woburn in 1992, and a successful Senior Tour career followed on both sides of the Atlantic.
O’Connor also forged a career as a well-respected golf course architect, with over 30 projects throughout Europe. He was most prolific in his home country, where he designed or co-designed 18 courses, 13 of which are rated in the Top 100 Courses of Ireland.
Fellow Irishman and Ryder Cup player Eaamon Darcy was one of many players to offer a glowing tribute to one of the game’s most popular figures. He said: “Christy was a great player and a great friend. He had a great life, but I’m just sorry it went so quickly and so suddenly, without time to say goodbye. Christy and I used to travel together everywhere and practise and play together all the time. The 1975 Ryder Cup was a very proud moment for both of us, but that shot in 1989 was just amazing. Away from golf, he was the life and soul of every party – ask anybody and they will tell you the same thing. He would always be the one to get the party going if the atmosphere was a bit flat. It’s a sad day, and I have lost a true friend.”
O’Connor is survived by his wife Ann, daughter Ann and son Nigel.