Graham Marsh
Encyclopedia
Graham Vivian Marsh MBE
(born 14 January 1944) was one of the leading Australian professional golf
ers of his generation.
and Claremont Teachers College
before turning professional in 1969.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s Marsh was a regular winner on the European Tour, the Japan Golf Tour
and the PGA Tour of Australasia
. He also won several events in Asia outside of Japan and one on the U.S.- based PGA Tour
, the 1977 Heritage Classic
. Marsh had an outstanding win rate on the European Tour, where he accumulated eleven titles even though he never played more than seven events in Europe in a season. He also won the Colgate World Match Play Championship, which was not an official money European Tour event at the time, in England in 1977. He had 56 wins in all in his regular career, making him one of the most successful players of his era not to win a major championship
.
As a senior, Marsh has played extensively in the United States on the Champions Tour
winning six events including two senior majors
: the 1997 U.S. Senior Open and the 1999 Tradition
. He has also won the Japan Senior Open twice.
Marsh is also active in golf course design through Graham Marsh Golf Design which he established in 1986. The company's early projects were in Australia and Japan, but it later branched out to other parts of Asia, Europe and the United States. His work has included golfing masterpieces such as The Vines Resort (Perth), Palm Meadows Resort(Gold Coast) and Terry Hills Golf & Country Club just to name a few.
In 1984, Marsh was an MBE
for services to golf. He is a past chairman of the PGA Tour of Australasia.
His younger brother Rod Marsh
was a distinguished Australian cricketer
and coach.
Senior major championships
are shown in bold.
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 14 January 1944) was one of the leading Australian professional 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....
ers of his generation.
Career outline
Marsh was born in Kalgoorlie, Australia. He attended the University of Western AustraliaUniversity of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia was established by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia and the only university in the state to be a member of the...
and Claremont Teachers College
Claremont Teachers College
Claremont Teachers College was Western Australia’s first post-secondary teaching institution. It opened in 1902 and closed in 1981, when it became a College of Advanced Education and later a campus of Edith Cowan University. The building is on land between Goldsworthy, Princess and Bay Roads in the...
before turning professional in 1969.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s Marsh was a regular winner on the European Tour, the Japan Golf Tour
Japan Golf Tour
The Japan Golf Tour is a prominent golf tour. It was founded in 1973 and as of 2006 it offers the third highest annual prize fund out of the regular men's professional tours after the PGA Tour and the European Tour. However since the early 1990s, the growth in prize money has not kept pace with...
and the PGA Tour of Australasia
PGA Tour of Australasia
The PGA Tour of Australasia is a professional golf tour for men. Official events on the tour count for World Golf Ranking points. The tour was formed in 1973 as the PGA Tour of Australia and adopted its current name in 1991....
. He also won several events in Asia outside of Japan and one on the U.S.- based PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
, the 1977 Heritage Classic
Verizon Heritage
The RBC Heritage, known for much of its history as the Heritage Classic, is a PGA Tour FedEx Cup event, first played in 1969. The venue has been the Harbour Town Golf Links at the Sea Pines Resort on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina...
. Marsh had an outstanding win rate on the European Tour, where he accumulated eleven titles even though he never played more than seven events in Europe in a season. He also won the Colgate World Match Play Championship, which was not an official money European Tour event at the time, in England in 1977. He had 56 wins in all in his regular career, making him one of the most successful players of his era not to win a major championship
Men's major golf championships
The men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...
.
As a senior, Marsh has played extensively in the United States on the 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...
winning six events including two 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...
: the 1997 U.S. Senior Open and the 1999 Tradition
The Tradition
The Tradition is one of the five major championships recognized by the U.S.-based Champions Tour, the world's leading tour for professional golfers aged fifty and older. The inaugural event was staged in 1989.Unlike the U.S...
. He has also won the Japan Senior Open twice.
Marsh is also active in golf course design through Graham Marsh Golf Design which he established in 1986. The company's early projects were in Australia and Japan, but it later branched out to other parts of Asia, Europe and the United States. His work has included golfing masterpieces such as The Vines Resort (Perth), Palm Meadows Resort(Gold Coast) and Terry Hills Golf & Country Club just to name a few.
In 1984, Marsh was an MBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
for services to golf. He is a past chairman of the PGA Tour of Australasia.
His younger brother Rod Marsh
Rod Marsh
Rodney William Marsh MBE is a former Australian wicketkeeper.A colourful character, Marsh had a Test career spanning from the 1970–71 to the 1983–84 Australian season. In 96 Tests, he set a world record of 355 wicketkeeping dismissals, the same number his pace bowling Western...
was a distinguished Australian cricketer
Cricketer
A cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
and coach.
European Tour wins (10)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning Score | Margin of Victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 Jul 1972 | Swiss Open | 1 stroke |  Peter Cowen,  Jan Dorrestein, Mac O'GradyMac O'Grady Mac O'Grady born Phil McGleno, aka Phillip McClelland O'Grady, is an American professional golfer and golf teaching professional who played on the PGA Tour in the 1970s and 1980s, known mainly for his eccentric behavior and brash statements, in addition to his attending PGA Tour qualifying school... , Brenden Moir |
|
| 2 | 6 Aug 1972 | German Open German Open (golf) The German Open was a men's golf tournament. It was first staged in 1911 when the winner was Harry Vardon. The following year the champion was another of the Great Triumvirate of late 19th and early 20th century British golfers, John Henry Taylor. The tournament was then cancelled for over a decade... |
Playoff |  Craig Defoy, David Vaughan |
|
| 3 | 30 Jun 1973 | Sunbeam Electric Scottish Open | 6 strokes | Peter Oosterhuis Peter Oosterhuis Peter A. Oosterhuis is an English professional golfer and golf analyst.-Early years, amateur golf:Oosterhuis was born in London... |
|
| 4 | 25 Sep 1976 | Benson & Hedges International Open Benson & Hedges International Open The Benson & Hedges International Open was a men's professional golf tournament which was played in England. It was founded in 1971 and for its first five years it was called the Benson & Hedges Festival of Golf. It was sponsored by Benson & Hedges, a cigarette company... |
2 strokes | Mark James |
|
| 5 | 29 Jul 1979 | Dutch Open | 1 stroke |  Antonio Garrido, Malcolm GregsonMalcolm Gregson Malcolm Edward Gregson is an English professional golfer.Gregson was born in Leicester. He turned professional in 1961 and was in his prime in the 1960s, before the official establishment of the European Tour in 1972... |
|
| 6 | 6 Oct 1979 | Dunlop Masters | 1 stroke |  Isao AokiIsao Aoki is one of Japan's most successful golfers. He was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2004.Aoki was born in Abiko, Chiba, Japan. He was introduced to golf while caddying at the Abiko Golf Club as a schoolboy. He turned professional in 1964... , Neil ColesNeil Coles Neil Chapman Coles, MBE is an English professional golfer. As of 2005, Coles is only the second man to win a professional golf tournament in six different decades, starting in the 1950s and extending into the 21st century.Coles was born in England... |
|
| 7 | 10 Aug 1980 | Benson & Hedges International Open Benson & Hedges International Open The Benson & Hedges International Open was a men's professional golf tournament which was played in England. It was founded in 1971 and for its first five years it was called the Benson & Hedges Festival of Golf. It was sponsored by Benson & Hedges, a cigarette company... |
2 strokes |  John BlandJohn Bland John Louis Bland is a South African professional golfer who has won more than thirty professional tournaments around the world.... |
|
| 8 | 6 Sep 1981 | Dixcel Tissues European Open | 2 strokes | Seve Ballesteros |
|
| 9 | 13 Jul 1985 | Lawrence Batley International Golf Classic | 2 strokes | Rick Hartmann |
|
| 10 | 28 Jul 1985 | KLM Dutch Open | 1 stroke |  Bernhard LangerBernhard Langer Bernhard Langer is a German professional golfer. He is a two-time Masters champion, and was one of the world's leading golfers throughout the 1980s and 90s, being the first official number one ranked player in 1986... |
Other European wins (4)
- 1970 Swiss Open (pre-European Tour)
- 1976 Dunhill Match-Play (PGA Tour bio list wins in both 1976 and 1977 but his bio at his Golf Design web site lists only one win in that tournament (year unspecified))
- 1977 Lancome Trophy, Colgate World Match Play Championship (unofficial European Tour)
Australasia wins (14)
- 1966 Nedlands Masters (as an amateur)
- 1967 Nedlands Masters (as an amateur)
- 1969 West Australian PGA
- 1970 Watties Tournament
- 1971 Spaulding Masters
- 1976 West Australian Open
- 1978 West Australian PGA
- 1982 Ford Dealers South Australian Open, Australian MastersAustralian MastersThe Australian Masters, currently known as the JBWere Masters for sponsorship reasons, is an annual golf tournament on the PGA Tour of Australasia. The tournament was founded in 1979, and was co-sanctioned by the European Tour for the first time in 2006, with a significant 20% increase in the prize...
, Mayn Nickless Australian PGA ChampionshipAustralian PGA ChampionshipThe Australian PGA Championship, formerly known as the Cadbury Schweppes Australian PGA Championship, is a golf tournament on the PGA Tour of Australasia. It is the home tournament of the Australian PGA and dates back to 1905...
, Dunhill Queensland Open - 1983 Resch's Pilsner Tweed Classic, New Zealand PGA ChampionshipNew Zealand PGA ChampionshipThe New Zealand PGA Championship is a golf tournament on the PGA Tour of Australasia. It is currently known for sponsorship reasons as the HSBC New Zealand PGA Championship. It has been played since 1920, with some gap periods. It was originally a match play event and switched to stroke play in 1965...
- 19?? Bay Classic (Not listed on PGA Tour bio, year unknown)
Japan Golf Tour wins (20)
- 1973 (1) Fujisankei ClassicFujisankei ClassicThe is an annual golf event on the Japan Golf Tour. It was first played in 1973 on the Takasaka Country Club - Yoneyama Course. The tournament moved to the Higashi-Matsuyama Golf Club in 1979 and to the Kawana Hotel's Fuji course in 1981. The tournament has been held at the Fujizakura Country Club...
- 1974 (4) Fujisankei ClassicFujisankei ClassicThe is an annual golf event on the Japan Golf Tour. It was first played in 1973 on the Takasaka Country Club - Yoneyama Course. The tournament moved to the Higashi-Matsuyama Golf Club in 1979 and to the Kawana Hotel's Fuji course in 1981. The tournament has been held at the Fujizakura Country Club...
, Dunlop Tournament, Pepsi-Wilson Tournament, Bridgestone OpenBridgestone OpenThe is a golf tournament on the Japan Golf Tour. It was first played in 1972 at the Mitsukaido Golf Club. In 1973, the event moved to the Tokyo Yomiuri Country Club. Since 1974 it has held at the Sodegaura Country Club. The tournament record is 266 , set by Taichi Teshima in 2006... - 1975 (1) Sapporo Tokyu OpenSapporo Tokyu OpenThe Sapporo Tokyu Open was a Japan Golf Tour event from 1973 to 1998. The tournament was played in June on the Sapporo Kokusai Country Club from 1975...
- 1976 (3) Suntory OpenSuntory OpenThe Suntory Open was a golf tournament on the Japan Golf Tour. It was first played in 1973. The event is held in Chiba, currently at the Sobu Country Club...
, Dunlop Phoenix, KBC AugustaKBC AugustaThe is an annual golf tournament on the Japan Golf Tour. The title sponsor is the Kyushu Asahi Broadcasting Company. The tournament was first played in 1973 and is held in August. The event's venue is the Keya Golf Club in Itoshima, Fukuoka. The 2010 purse was ¥110,000,000, with ¥22,000,000 going... - 1977 (1) Chunichi Crowns
- 1979 (1) ANA Sapporo Open
- 1981 (2) Chunichi Crowns, Pepsi-Wilson Tournament
- 1982 (1) Mitsubishi Galant Tournament
- 1983 (1) Yomiuri OpenYomiuri OpenThe Yomiuri Open was a golf tournament on the Japan Golf Tour from at least 1979 to 2006. In 2007 it merged with the Mizuno Open to form the Gateway to the Open Mizuno Open Yomiuri Classic...
- 1985 (1) Tokai Classic
- 1986 (1) Suntory OpenSuntory OpenThe Suntory Open was a golf tournament on the Japan Golf Tour. It was first played in 1973. The event is held in Chiba, currently at the Sobu Country Club...
- 1987 (1) Visa Taiheiyo Masters
- 1989 (1) Sapporo Tokyu OpenSapporo Tokyu OpenThe Sapporo Tokyu Open was a Japan Golf Tour event from 1973 to 1998. The tournament was played in June on the Sapporo Kokusai Country Club from 1975...
- 1990 (1) Tokai Classic
Other wins in Japan (5)
- 1972 Dunlop International
- 1973 Japan vs Australia Match individual
- 1974 Dunlop Wizard
- 1975 Dunlop Wizard
- 1977 Dunlop Wizard
Asian wins (5)
- 1971 Indian Open
- 1973 Thailand OpenThailand Open (golf)The Thailand Open is a golf tournament. It was an Asian Tour event through 2009. In 2010, it will become part of the fledgling OneAsia Tour's schedule. It was founded in 1965.-Winners:-External links:*...
, Indian Open - 1974 Malaysian Open
- 1975 Malaysian Open
Champions Tour wins (6)
- 19951995 Senior PGA TourThe 1995 Senior PGA Tour was the 16th season since the Senior PGA Tour officially began in 1980 . The season consisted of 38 official money events with purses totalling $33,650,000, including four majors. Jim Colbert and Bob Murphy won the most tournaments, four...
Bruno's Memorial Classic - 19961996 Senior PGA TourThe 1996 Senior PGA Tour was the 17th season since the Senior PGA Tour officially began in 1980 . The season consisted of 39 official money events with purses totalling $37,400,000, including four majors. Jim Colbert won the most tournaments, five...
World Seniors Invitational, Franklin Quest Championship - 19971997 Senior PGA TourThe 1997 Senior PGA Tour was the 18th season since the Senior PGA Tour officially began in 1980 . The season consisted of 38 official money events with purses totalling $41,750,000, including four majors. Hale Irwin won the most tournaments, nine...
Nationwide ChampionshipNationwide ChampionshipThe Nationwide Championship was a golf tournament on the Champions Tour from 1991 to 2000. It was played in Alpharetta, Georgia, United States, at the Country Club of the South and at the Golf Club of Georgia ....
, U.S. Senior Open - 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...
The TraditionThe TraditionThe Tradition is one of the five major championships recognized by the U.S.-based Champions Tour, the world's leading tour for professional golfers aged fifty and older. The inaugural event was staged in 1989.Unlike the U.S...
Senior major championships
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...
are shown in bold.
Other senior wins (4)
- 1997 Liberty Mutual Legends of GolfLiberty Mutual Legends of GolfThe Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf is a golf tournament on the Champions Tour. It is played annually in April currently in Savannah, Georgia at The Westin Savannah Harbor Resort. Liberty Mutual is the main sponsor of the tournament...
(with John BlandJohn BlandJohn Louis Bland is a South African professional golfer who has won more than thirty professional tournaments around the world....
) - 1998 Japan Senior Open
- 1999 Japan Senior Open
- 2010 Liberty Mutual Legends of GolfLiberty Mutual Legends of GolfThe Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf is a golf tournament on the Champions Tour. It is played annually in April currently in Savannah, Georgia at The Westin Savannah Harbor Resort. Liberty Mutual is the main sponsor of the tournament...
- Raphael Division (with John BlandJohn BlandJohn Louis Bland is a South African professional golfer who has won more than thirty professional tournaments around the world....
)
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | T31 | T22 | T9 | T31 | DNP | T28 |
| 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... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | T35 | CUT | T16 |
| 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 | 57 | T50 | T31 | T44 | 6 | T17 | T15 | CUT | T7 |
| 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 | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | T58 | T7 | T16 |
| Tournament | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | T33 | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| 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... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| 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... |
T45 | T19 | T25 | 4 | T9 | T20 | T56 | T11 | T38 | DNP |
| 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 | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| Tournament | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| 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... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT |
| 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... |
DNP | T44 | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| 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 | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
Wins (2)
| Year | Championship | Winning Score | Margin | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | U.S. Senior Open United States Senior Open The U.S. Senior Open is one of the major championships in men's senior golf. It was first played in 1980 and is administered by the United States Golf Association and is recognized as a major championship by both the Champions Tour and the European Seniors Tour... |
E (72−67−67−74=280) | 1 stroke |  John BlandJohn Bland John Louis Bland is a South African professional golfer who has won more than thirty professional tournaments around the world.... |
| 1999 | The Tradition The Tradition The Tradition is one of the five major championships recognized by the U.S.-based Champions Tour, the world's leading tour for professional golfers aged fifty and older. The inaugural event was staged in 1989.Unlike the U.S... |
−8 (69−67=136) | 3 strokes | Larry Nelson Larry Nelson Larry Gene Nelson is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments at both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour level.Nelson was born in Fort Payne, Alabama and grew up in Acworth, Georgia, northwest of Atlanta... |
See also
- Golfers with most Japan Golf Tour winsGolfers with most Japan Golf Tour winsThis is a list of golfers who have won 10 or more events on the Japan Golf Tour since it was established in 1973. The official Japan Golf Tour website lists winners beginning with the 1985 season...
- Golfers with most PGA Tour of Australasia winsGolfers with most PGA Tour of Australasia winsThis is a list of golfers who have recorded the most tournament wins on the PGA Tour of Australasia since it was established in 1911. It is currently known as the PGA Tour of Australasia. It was previously named the Australian Tour from 1973 to 1991. This list contains golfers who have won any...