Christy O'Connor Jnr
Encyclopedia
Christy O'Connor Jnr is an Irish
golf
er. He is known as "Junior" because he is the nephew of another leading Irish golfer Christy O'Connor
.
O'Connor was born in Galway
. He turned professional in 1967. The European Tour
officially began in 1972, and O'Connor made the top hundred on the Order of Merit in each of its first twenty-one seasons, with a best ranking of seventh in 1975. He won four European Tour events. As a senior he has competed on both the European Seniors Tour
and the U.S. based Champions Tour
, and has won two Senior British Open titles (before it became one of the senior majors
) and two Champions Tour events.
O'Connor played in the Ryder Cup
twice. In 1975 he was a member of a losing Great Britain & Ireland team and in 1989 he was part of a European team which tied the match to retain the trophy. His personal record was one win, three loses and no ties. His win over Fred Couples
was best remembered for a stunning 2 iron shot on the last hole at The Belfry
which he left just 4 feet from the hole.
O'Connor is also active in golf course design.
Note:O'Connor did not play in the Masters Tournament, U.S. Open
, or PGA Championship
.
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Yellow background for top-10.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er. He is known as "Junior" because he is the nephew of another leading Irish golfer Christy O'Connor
Christy O'Connor Snr
Christy O'Connor is a former Irish professional golferO'Connor was born in Knocknacarra, Galway. He turned professional in 1946. Throughout the 1960s he won at least one professional event during each year on the British Tour, a level of consistent success matched by very few other players...
.
O'Connor was born in Galway
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
. He turned professional in 1967. The European Tour
PGA European Tour
The PGA European Tour is an organization which operates the three leading men's professional golf tours in Europe: the elite European Tour, the European Seniors Tour and the developmental Challenge Tour. Its headquarters are at Wentworth Club in Virginia Water, Surrey, England...
officially began in 1972, and O'Connor made the top hundred on the Order of Merit in each of its first twenty-one seasons, with a best ranking of seventh in 1975. He won four European Tour events. As a senior he has competed on both the European Seniors Tour
European Seniors Tour
The European Seniors Tour is a professional tour for male golfers aged 50 and over run by the PGA European Tour.The Tour was founded in 1992. In 2008 it had a total prize fund of €7,729,284, so it is much further behind the U.S.-based Champions Tour in relative prize money than the main European...
and the U.S. based Champions Tour
Champions Tour
The Champions Tour, a golf tour run by the PGA Tour, hosts a series of events annually in the United States and the United Kingdom for golfers 50 years of age and older. Many of the PGA Tour's most successful golfers have gone on to play on the Champions Tour.The Senior PGA Championship, founded in...
, and has won two Senior British Open titles (before it became one of the senior majors
Senior major golf championships
Men's professional senior golf is for players aged 50 and above. Golf differs from all other sports in having lucrative competitions for this age group. The leading senior tour is the U.S. based Champions Tour, which was established in 1980 . It has established a roster of five major championships...
) and two Champions Tour events.
O'Connor played in the Ryder Cup
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
twice. In 1975 he was a member of a losing Great Britain & Ireland team and in 1989 he was part of a European team which tied the match to retain the trophy. His personal record was one win, three loses and no ties. His win over Fred Couples
Fred Couples
Frederick Steven Couples is an American professional golfer who competes on the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour. A former World No. 1, he has won numerous events, most notably the 1992 Masters Tournament. In August 2011 he won his maiden senior major at the Senior Players Championship...
was best remembered for a stunning 2 iron shot on the last hole at The Belfry
The Belfry
The Belfry is a golf resort in Wishaw, Warwickshire, England, very near the Sutton Coldfield district of Birmingham, and owned since 2005 by Irish businessman Sean Quinn....
which he left just 4 feet from the hole.
O'Connor is also active in golf course design.
European Tour (4)
- 1975 Martini InternationalMartini InternationalThe Martini International was a men's professional golf tournament that was held from 1961 to 1983. It was hosted by several different golf clubs in England, Scotland and Wales. It was part of the European Tour's schedule from the tour's first official season in 1972 until the event ceased...
(tie with Ian StanleyIan Stanley (golfer)Ian Stanley is an Australian professional golfer.Stanley was born in Melbourne. He turned professional in 1970 and was a prolific tournament winner in Australasia from the mid 1970s through to the early 1990s...
), Carroll's Irish Open - 1989 Jersey OpenJersey OpenThe Jersey Open was a European Tour golf tournament which was played in Jersey, a British Crown dependency in the English Channel, from 1978 to 1995. It had several different names during this period. The venue was La Moye Golf Club. The winners included three major championship winners, Tony...
- 1992 Dunhill British Masters
Other (9)
- 1973 Irish Match Play Championship
- 1974 Zambia OpenZambia OpenThe Zambia Open is a men's professional golf tournament played in Zambia, that has been part of the Sunshine Tour since 1996, and was co-sanctioned by the European based Challenge Tour from 2001 to 2004...
- 1975 Irish Match Play Championship, Irish Dunlop Tournament
- 1976 Sumrie-Bournemouth Better-Ball (with Eamonn DarcyEamonn DarcyEamonn Darcy is one of the most successful golfers produced by the Republic of Ireland.Darcy was born in Delgany, County Wicklow. He turned professional in 1968 and played on the European Tour from 1972, winning four European Tour tournaments. His best years were 1975, when he came third on the...
) - 1977 Irish Match Play Championship, Irish Dunlop Tournament
- 1978 Sumrie-Bournemouth Better-Ball (with Eamonn Darcy)
- 1990 555 Kenya Open
Senior PGA Tour (2)
- 19991999 Senior PGA TourThe 1999 Senior PGA Tour was the 20th season since the Senior PGA Tour officially began in 1980 . The season consisted of 38 official money events with purses totalling $48,900,000, including four majors. Bruce Fleisher won the most tournaments, seven...
State Farm Senior Classic, Foremost Insurance Championship
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
CUT | DNP | DNP | DNP | T24 | T47 | T5 | T52 | CUT | T36 |
| Tournament | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
CUT | DNP | CUT | T8 | CUT | T3 | T11 | CUT | CUT | T49 |
| Tournament | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
T25 | T32 | DNP | T39 | T60 | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | T60 |
Note:O'Connor did not play in the Masters Tournament, U.S. Open
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...
, or PGA Championship
PGA Championship
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...
.
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Yellow background for top-10.
Team appearances
- Ryder CupRyder CupThe Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
: 1975, 1989 - Alfred Dunhill CupAlfred Dunhill CupThe Alfred Dunhill Cup was a team golf tournament which ran from 1985 to 2000. It was for three man teams of professional golfers, one team representing each country, and was promoted as the "World Team Championship". It was a "special approved event" on the European Tour, which means that it was...
: 1985, 1989, 1992 - World Cup: 1974, 1975, 1978, 1985, 1989, 1992
- Hennessy Cognac Cup: 1974 (winners), 1984
- Double DiamondDouble diamondDouble diamond may refer to:* Double Diamond , 1973 release by British jazz-rock group If* Double Diamond Baseball, a sport based on traditional baseball* Double Diamond Burton Ale, a brand of beer brewed by Tetley's Bitter...
: 1972, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977 - Philip Morris International: 1976
- Praia D'el Rey European Cup: 1998