John O'Leary (golfer)
John O'Leary | |
---|---|
Personal information | |
Full name | John Eudes O'Leary |
Born | Southern Africa Tour | 19 August 1949
Professional wins | 5 |
Number of wins by tour | |
European Tour | 2 |
Sunshine Tour | 1 |
Other | 2 |
Best results in major championships | |
Masters Tournament | DNP |
PGA Championship | DNP |
U.S. Open | DNP |
The Open Championship | T13: 1979 |
John Eudes O'Leary (19 August 1949 – 26 March 2020) was an Irish
After retiring as a tournament golfer he was an active administrator, being a director of the European Tour from 1985 to 2019 and being on the Ryder Cup committee.
Amateur career
O'Leary was born in Dublin and joined Foxrock Golf Club, situated in the southern part of the city, as a junior member in the 1960s. In 1969, he was runner-up to Vincent Nevin in the Irish Amateur Close Championship and represented Ireland in the European Amateur Team Championship. In 1970, he won the South of Ireland Amateur Open Championship and was runner-up in the West of Ireland Amateur Open.[1]
Professional career
O'Leary turned professional in late 1970. In 1971, his first season as a professional, he made the cut in the
Although Leary played full-time on the European Tour, he played in South Africa in the winter. His first professional successes were on its tour. In December 1972 he took a three-shot lead entering the final round of the
Later in 1975, back in Europe, he picked up a runner-up finish at the
Also in February 1975, while he was in South Africa, O'Leary received a £500 fine and a one-year ban from representing any PGA team, a ban that would have ruled him out of the
The next season produced O'Leary's first European Tour win, the Greater Manchester Open. Like his first official win, it was a four-shot victory over South Africa's John Fourie. He finished a career-best 16th on that year's European Tour Order of Merit.[13]
Afterwards, O'Leary played solidly but did not move into the upper echelon of European players. He finished in the top 60 on the Order of Merit every season through 1987 but never the top 15.
During the 1988 and 1989 seasons, O'Leary did not come close to making the top 100 of the Order of Merit.[13] He retired as a touring professional after the 1989 season.[15]
From 1985 O'Leary served as one of the directors of the European Tour, leaving the position in 2019.[16] He had also been on the Ryder Cup committee and had been head professional at Buckinghamshire Golf Club.[17]
Death
Following a short illness, O'Leary died in Esher, Surrey, United Kingdom on 26 March 2020, aged 70.[18]
Amateur wins
- 1970 South of Ireland Amateur Open[1]
Professional wins (5)
European Tour wins (2)
No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 20 Jun 1976 | Greater Manchester Open | −4 (64-68-70-74=276) | 4 strokes | John Fourie |
2 | 15 Aug 1982 | Carroll's Irish Open
|
−1 (74-68-72-73=287) | 1 stroke | Maurice Bembridge |
Southern Africa Tour wins (1)
No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runners-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 9 Feb 1975 | Holiday Inns Invitational
|
−17 (70-69-65-67=271) | 4 strokes | John Fourie, Dale Hayes |
Other wins (2)
- 1972 Irish Dunlop Tournament
- 1975 Sumrie-Bournemouth Better-Ball (with Jack Newton)[7]
Results in major championships
Tournament | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Open Championship | T40 | T56 | T44 | CUT | CUT | T26 | T13 | CUT | T58 | WD | T59 | T54 |
CUT = missed the half-way cut (3rd round cut in 1975, 1976 and 1980 Open Championships)
WD = Withdrew
"T" = tied
Note: O'Leary only played in The Open Championship.
Source:[21]
Team appearances
Amateur
- European Amateur Team Championship (representing Ireland): 1969
Professional
- World Cup (representing Ireland): 1972, 1980, 1982[22]
- Ryder Cup (representing Great Britain & Ireland): 1975[1]
- Double Diamond International (representing Ireland): 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977
- Marlboro Nations' Cup/Philip Morris International (representing Ireland): 1972, 1973, 1975
- Hennessy Cognac Cup (representing Great Britain and Ireland): 1976 (winners),[23] 1978 (winners),[24] 1982 (winners)[25]
References
- ^ a b c "John O'Leary". Foxrock Golf Club. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
- ^ "Lytham". The Times. 23 July 1971. p. 6.
- ^ "O'Leary Deposes Player". The Glasgow Herald. 2 December 1972. p. 2. Retrieved 6 December 2019 – via Google News Archive Search.
- ^ "Baiocchi slips by O'Leary". The Glasgow Herald. 15 January 1973. p. 5.
- ^ "It's the Player Habit". The Age. 3 February 1975. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
- ^ "O'Leary's win". The Glasgow Herald. 10 February 1975. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
- ^ The Glasgow Herald. 19 May 1975. p. 23.
- The Glasgow Herald. 18 February 1975. p. 23.
- The Glasgow Herald. 13 May 1975. p. 25.
- ^ "Horton chosen for Ryder Cup but is centre of controversy again". The Times. 19 August 1975. p. 6.
- Glasgow Herald. 19 August 1975. p. 21.
- ^ a b "John O'Leary: Former Irish Open winner and Ryder Cup player dies". BBC Sport. 26 March 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
- ^ a b c "John O'Leary". European Tour. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
- ^ "Former Irish Open champion John O'Leary passes away". Irish Examiner. 26 March 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
- ^ "John O'Leary: 1949 – 2020". European Tour. 26 March 2020.
- ^ "Former Irish Open champion John O'Leary passes away aged 70". The Independent. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
- ^ Smith, Colm (8 July 2001). "Clarke king of the K Club". The Independent.
- ^ "O'Leary, John Eudes : Death notice". The Irish Times. 26 March 2020.
- ^ "Results - Greater Manchester Open 1976". European Tour. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
- ^ "Results - Carroll's Irish Open 1982 -". European Tour. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
- ISBN 978-0-7864-3360-5.
- ^ Reid, Philip. "Former Irish Open winner John O'Leary has died". The Irish Times. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
- The Glasgow Herald. 20 September 1976. p. 15.
- The Glasgow Herald. 25 September 1978. p. 12.
- The Glasgow Herald. 13 September 1982. p. 16.
External links
- John O'Leary at the European Tour official site
- O'Leary and the Ryder Cup