For a country that’s only 8,000 square miles in size and with a population of three million, Wales punches considerably above its weight in most sports – and golf is no different. So here are the 20 best Welsh golfers of all time…
Top 20 Welsh golfers of all time
20. Amy Boulden – 2 professional wins (1 Ladies European Tour)
19. Stuart Manley – 4 professional wins
18. Rhys Enoch – 4 professional wins
17. Oliver Farr – 5 professional wins
16. Sion Bebb – 6 professional wins
15. Becky Morgan – 1 professional win (1 Ladies European Tour)
14. Errie Ball – 10 professional wins
13. Craig Defoy – 10 professional wins
12. Lydia Hall – 3 professional wins (1 Ladies European Tour)
11. Rhys Davies – 5 professional wins (1 European Tour)
10. Becky Brewerton – 3 professional wins (2 Ladies European Tour)
9. Bradley Dredge – 4 professional wins (2 European Tour)
8. Mark Mouland – 6 professional wins (2 European Tour)
7. Phillip Price – 6 professional wins (3 European Tour)
6. Stephen Dodd – 16 professional wins (3 European Tour)
So who makes our top 5 of the best Welsh golfers of all time? Head to the next page to find out…
5. Jamie Donaldson
Professional wins: 8 (3 European Tour)
A European Tour stalwart for years, Jamie Donaldson has finished inside the top 50 on the Order of Merit on numerous occasions.
And how many on our list can say they have secured the winning point at a Ryder Cup? And what a moment in golf history that was.
Who is at No 4 in our best Welsh golfers of all time list? Find out on the next page…
4. Dave Thomas
Professional wins: 17
Dave Thomas turned professional in 1949, and plied most of his trade in Great Britain and Ireland, where he won more than a dozen professional titles.
He agonisingly missed out on a major title victory at the 1958 Open, where he was beaten in a play-off by Australian Peter Thomson. He had three other Open top 10s, including another runner-up spot in 1966, where Jack Nicklaus edged him by one.
Along with those achievements, he represented Great Britain and Ireland in the Ryder Cup on four occasions, and was only defeated once in the five singles matches he played.
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Thomas died at his home in Spain in 2013, aged 79.
Who is at No 3 in our best Welsh golfers of all time list? Find out on the next page…
3. Brian Huggett
Professional wins: 34 (2 European Tour)
Brian Huggett won 14 times on the pre-European Tour circuit in the 1960s, and won two more after it was formed. Like Dave Thomas, he also missed out on the Claret Jug thanks to Peter Thomson.
Huggett also made six appearances in the Ryder Cup and ended his career on the senior circuit, where he won 10 more times before being inducted into the Welsh Hall of Fame and awarded an MBE.
Who is at No 2 in our best Welsh golfers of all time list? Find out on the next page…
2. Dai Rees
Professional wins: 39
Known as one of the greatest players from Great Britain, either side of World War II, Rees won 39 professional tournaments between 1935 and 1975.
Rees has seven Open top 10s on his CV, including three runner-up finishes, but his crowning glory is captaining the winning Ryder Cup team in 1957 – the only defeat the United States suffered in the competition between 1933 and 1985.
In 1983, Rees was involved in a car crash on his way home from watching his favourite football team, Arsenal. He couldn’t recover from his injuries and died a few months later, aged 70.
Who is at No 1 in our best Welsh golfers of all time list? Find out on the next page…
1. Ian Woosnam
Professional wins: 52 (28 European Tour, 1 PGA Tour, 1 major)
Who else was going to be No 1 but our Woosie?
He’s sixth on the all-time European Tour wins list, he’s won the Ryder Cup as a player and captain, and let’s not forget of course, he has a Masters Green Jacket in his wardrobe.
Safe to say that his CV speaks for itself.
Do you agree with our order? Let us know in the comments below, or you can tweet us.
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