Best British Golfers of the 1980s

We all know the names of famous golf players from across the globe in recent times. But have you ever wondered about the big names back in the day? Some of the best British golfers of the 1980s still hold unbreakable records even now. The names of well-known British golfers that we hear now have been in the game for quite a while. And believe it or not, most of them started to play golf professionally at the beginning of the 1980s.

Do you want to know the number of tour wins of Faldo, Lyle, and Woosnam? How many achievements have they received till now?

In that case, just have a quick read of the blog and gather all the knowledge you need. You, too, can share all this information with others who are interested in the history of the 5 best British golfers of the 1980s.

5 Best British Golfers of the 1980s

We will look into the 5 Best British golfers of the 1980s, where details regarding their achievements and a bit about their personal lives will also be shared.

Let’s start gathering knowledge and interesting facts about the well-known golfers in Britain from the 1980s.

1. Nick Faldo (1957)

Nick Faldo (1957-)
Full NameSir Nicholas Alexander Faldo
Nick NameThe Mechanical Man
Date of Birth18 July 1957
Age65 Years (2022)
Gender Male
Place of BirthWelwyn Garden City, England
ResidenceUnited States
ProfessionEnglish Retired Professional Golfer, TV Commentator
ReligionNot known
NationalityBritish
Relationship StatusMarried
Children4
Height1.19m (6ft 3 in)
Weight88 kg (195 lb)
Hair ColorBrown 
Eye ColorBlue
Net Worth$60 Million

Faldo is the winner of 43 tours and 6 majors, meaning he has won the most majors amongst other players. Due to his high number of wins, he has been the best British golfer till now. Faldo’s career took a high turn when he was declared one the best British golfers of the 1980s, which in turn led to him being ranked number one on the Official World Golf Ranking.

Another interesting fact about Nick Faldo is that in 2009 Queen Elizabeth II awarded him a knighthood. This was presented to  Faldo for all his contributions to golf. He is the only British golfer to receive such an honor till now. The player has been known as Sir Nick Faldo ever since. You can also know more about why people call Nick Faldo Sir.

Here is a quick look at Nick Faldo’s Achievements:

  • 43 Tour Wins
  • 6 Majors
  • PGA Tour, European Tour, US Tour
  • Member, World Golf Hall of Fame
  • Payne Stewart Award 2014
  • Knighted by Queen Elizabeth in November 2009
  • PGA  Player of The Year Award in 1990
  • European Tour Awards in 1989, 1990, 1992, and Many More

2. Ian Woosnam (1958)

Ian Woosnam (1958-)
Full NameIan Harold Woosnam
Nick NameWoosie
Date of Birth2 March 1958
Age64 years (2022)
Gender Male
Place of BirthOswestry, England
ResidenceJersey, Channel Islands
ProfessionGolfer
ReligionUnknown
NationalityWelsh
Relationship StatusMarried
Children3
Height1.64 m ( 5ft 4.5 Inch)
Weight168 lb (76kg)
Hair ColorUnknown
Eye ColorUnknown
Net Worth$ 30 Million

Ian Woosnam is known as one of the best British golfers of the 1980s due to being the only Welsh golfer to win a major. He was ranked number 1 across the world, with his 52 tour wins and one major win. Woosnam even managed to lead Europe to a Ryder Cup victory back in 2006.

In 2017 this well-known golf player was introduced to the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Here is a quick look at Ian Woosnam’s Achievements:

  • 52 tour wins
  • 1 major
  • European Tour, PGA Tour, European Senior Tour
  • US Open, Masters Tournament
  • European Tour Golfer of the Year Award in 1987
  • European Tour Order of Merit Winner Awards in 1987 and 1991
  • European Senior Tour Award in 2008 and Many Others

3. Sandy Lyle (1958)

Sandy Lyle ( 1958- )
Full NameAlexander Walter Barr Lyle
Nick NameSandy
Date of Birth9 February 1958
Age64 years (2022)
GenderMale
Place of BirthShropshire, England
ResidenceFlorida, USA
ProfessionScottish Professional Golfer
ReligionChristian
NationalityScottish
Relationship StatusMarried
Children4
Height1.83 m
Weight85kg
Hair ColorUnknown
Eye ColorUnknown
Net Worth$ 1.5 Million

Sandy Lyle was one of the best British golfers of the 1980s. Throughout his career, he had 30 tour wins and 2 major wins.

Sadly Lyle had not been able to recover from his injuries well enough to play golf. Hence he had to take the harsh decision of retiring from being a professional golfer.

A quick look at Sandy Lyle’s Achievements

  • 30 tour Wins
  • 2 Majors
  • PGA Tour, European Tour
  • Champions Tour, Senior European Tour
  • Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award in 1978
  • European Tour Order of Merit Winner Award in 1979, 1980,1985
  • Open Championship Winner Award in 1985 and Many More

4. Peter Baker (1967)

Peter Baker (1967 -)
Full NamePeter Alan Baker
Nick NameUnknown
Date of Birth7 October 1967
Age55 years (2022)
GenderMale
Place of BirthShropshire, England
ResidenceEngland
ProfessionGolfer
ReligionUnknown
NationalityBritish
Relationship StatusMarried
Children2
Height1.75 m ( 5ft 9 inch)
Weight168lb (76kg)
Hair ColorUnknown
Eye ColorUnknown
Net Worth$1 Million

Born in 1957, Peter Baker has managed 11 tour wins. The golfer still has a chance to win a major as he is still playing with full force. Baker is currently busy with the European Senior Tour.

A quick look at Peter Baker’s Achievements:

  • 11 Tour Wins
  • 0 Majors
  • European Tour, European Senior Tour
  • Challenge Tour
  • Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award in 1987

5. Richard Boxall (1961)

Richard Boxall (1961-)
Full NameRichard Boxall
Nick NameBoxie
Date of Birth28 April 1961
Age61 Years (2022)
GenderMale
Place of BirthMiddlesex, England
ResidenceSurrey, England
ProfessionGolfer, TV Commentator
ReligionUnknown
NationalityEnglish
Relationship StatusSingle
ChildrenNone
Height1.82m (5ft 11 in)
Weight196lb (81kg)
Hair ColorUnknown
Eye ColorUnknown
Net Worth$5 Million

Sadly, Richard Boxall did not manage to earn a great number of wins during his short career. His time as a professional golfer ended very quickly, as he was forced to retire from playing. All because he could not recover fully after being injured at the Royal Birkdale during the Open Championship in 1991.

Currently, Boxall is a much-liked TV commentator for golf.

A quick look at Richard Boxall’s Achievements:

  • 1 Tour Win
  • 0 Majors
  • European Tour and One Other Tour
  • European Tour Winner Award in 1989

Conclusion

The history of the best British golfers of the 1980s is a lot to take in. That era was a time when Nick Faldo’s career flourished.  He became a favorite to all golf lovers and also a competitor who would be hard to beat.

Alongside Faldo, there were Woosnam and Lyle. The three players had a high number of tour wins and many achievements too.

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Lutfunnahar Lira is a golf writer for The News Titan. She writes about the sport, its players, and its history. She is also a die-hard fan of golf, who has been playing since she was a teenager. She shares stories that are entertaining and engaging for readers.

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