O'Connor Snr is Galway's Greatest Living Sporting Legend
THE quest to find Galway’s Greatest Living Sporting Legend is over . . . this supreme accolade has been bestowed on Christy O’Connor Snr in recognition of a brilliant golfing career on the Irish and international fairways.
Born in Knocknacarra on December 21, 1924, O’Connor’s achievements have stood the test of time as he blazed a trail through the world of professional golf during the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s.
It was on the his local course of Galway that O’Connor develop the classic swing which helped him win a staggering 44 tournaments, including the prestigious British Masters twice, the John Player Classic in 1970, and the News of the World Match Play in 1957.
The first golfer ever to win a five-figure sum in Europe, O’Connor played in every Ryder Cup from 1955 to 1973, setting a record of ten appearances in the event which stood until surpassed by Nick Faldo in 1997.
In 1958, O’Connor teamed up with Harry Bradshaw to win the then labelled Canada Cup (World Cup) in Mexico, while he was also Irish professional champions on ten occasions, including in 1978 when he was aged 53.
Subsequently, he became the leading ‘senior’ player of his era, winning the PGA Seniors Championship six times and the World Senior Championship in both 1976 and ’77.
On November 2, 2009, O’Connor received one of the highest honours in the sport when he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine, Florida.
Runner up in the 1965 British Open and twice winner of the Order of Merit, he was one of the game’s greatest ball strikers in his pomp and BBC commentator Peter Alliss, who partnered O’Connor in several Ryder Cup matches, once described ‘Himself’ – as the Galway man was affectionately known – as a ‘golfing genius’.
Christy O’Connor Snr, whose nephew Christy O’Connor Jnr also enjoyed an acclaimed golfing career, is being honoured as Galway’s Greatest Living Sporting Legend to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the Supermac’s Galway Sports Stars awards.
Full details of the 2014 Galway Sports Stars award winners in this week's Tribune.