Ex-Ryder Cup player & Open runner-up Oosterhuis dies
- Peter Oosterhuis, a former Ryder Cup golfer, passed away at the age of 75.
- The Englishman led the European Tour’s Order of Merit from 1971 to 1974 and finished second at The Open twice, in 1974 and 1982.
- Peter Oosterhuis, a former Ryder Cup player and Open Championship runner-up, passes away. Oosterhuis, a renowned figure in golf, leaves behind a legacy of remarkable achievements and contributions to the sport
After that, he started working as a TV pundit and was given an Alzheimer’s diagnosis in 2014.
“This is an incredibly sad day for everyone who was lucky enough to know Peter, but also for the game of golf as a whole,” stated Bernard Gallacher, his former Ryder Cup teammate.
Oosterhuis had an excellent amateur career before turning professional in 1968. In the 1970 Open at St. Andrews, where Jack Nicklaus defeated Doug Sanders in a play-off, Oosterhuis tied for sixth place.
He was leading the 1973 Masters by three going into the final round, but a closing 74 put him in a tie for third, two shots behind winner Tommy Aaron.
Despite losing all six of his Ryder Cup matches during the American supremacy period, he won the singles matches against Gene Littler, Johnny Miller, Arnold Palmer, and JC Snead.
“I played alongside Peter at the boys, youth, and senior amateur levels all the way through to being his partner in the 1971 Ryder Cup in Missouri, where we combined to beat Lee Trevino and Billy Casper before he went on to win both his singles matches, including beating Arnold Palmer,” stated Gallacher.
“Peter was a very smart golfer who put a lot of practice and skill into his game. His proficiency in both course management and putting made him a formidable opponent to overcome.
“He was also a very intelligent man and a lovely person to be with in company.”
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