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)
| Full Name | Sir Nicholas Alexander Faldo |
| Nick Name | The Mechanical Man |
| Date of Birth | 18 July 1957 |
| Age | 65 Years (2022) |
| Gender | Male |
| Place of Birth | Welwyn Garden City, England |
| Residence | United States |
| Profession | English Retired Professional Golfer, TV Commentator |
| Religion | Not known |
| Nationality | British |
| Relationship Status | Married |
| Children | 4 |
| Height | 1.19m (6ft 3 in) |
| Weight | 88 kg (195 lb) |
| Hair Color | Brown |
| Eye Color | Blue |
| 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)
| Full Name | Ian Harold Woosnam |
| Nick Name | Woosie |
| Date of Birth | 2 March 1958 |
| Age | 64 years (2022) |
| Gender | Male |
| Place of Birth | Oswestry, England |
| Residence | Jersey, Channel Islands |
| Profession | Golfer |
| Religion | Unknown |
| Nationality | Welsh |
| Relationship Status | Married |
| Children | 3 |
| Height | 1.64 m ( 5ft 4.5 Inch) |
| Weight | 168 lb (76kg) |
| Hair Color | Unknown |
| Eye Color | Unknown |
| 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)
| Full Name | Alexander Walter Barr Lyle |
| Nick Name | Sandy |
| Date of Birth | 9 February 1958 |
| Age | 64 years (2022) |
| Gender | Male |
| Place of Birth | Shropshire, England |
| Residence | Florida, USA |
| Profession | Scottish Professional Golfer |
| Religion | Christian |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Relationship Status | Married |
| Children | 4 |
| Height | 1.83 m |
| Weight | 85kg |
| Hair Color | Unknown |
| Eye Color | Unknown |
| 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)
| Full Name | Peter Alan Baker |
| Nick Name | Unknown |
| Date of Birth | 7 October 1967 |
| Age | 55 years (2022) |
| Gender | Male |
| Place of Birth | Shropshire, England |
| Residence | England |
| Profession | Golfer |
| Religion | Unknown |
| Nationality | British |
| Relationship Status | Married |
| Children | 2 |
| Height | 1.75 m ( 5ft 9 inch) |
| Weight | 168lb (76kg) |
| Hair Color | Unknown |
| Eye Color | Unknown |
| 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)
| Full Name | Richard Boxall |
| Nick Name | Boxie |
| Date of Birth | 28 April 1961 |
| Age | 61 Years (2022) |
| Gender | Male |
| Place of Birth | Middlesex, England |
| Residence | Surrey, England |
| Profession | Golfer, TV Commentator |
| Religion | Unknown |
| Nationality | English |
| Relationship Status | Single |
| Children | None |
| Height | 1.82m (5ft 11 in) |
| Weight | 196lb (81kg) |
| Hair Color | Unknown |
| Eye Color | Unknown |
| 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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