by Former Ryder Cup captain Brian Huggett, who finished second in the 1965 Open Championship, has died aged 87.
A statement released on behalf of Huggett’s family said he died early Sunday morning after a short illness. His daughter Sandra also shared the news on X, formerly Twitter, describing herself as her “#1 fan”.
Huggett, born in Porthcawl on November 18, 1936, played in the Ryder Cup six times, including the 1969 Ryder Cup at Royal Birkdale which ended in a 16-16 draw after Jack Nicklaus conceded a vital putt to Tony Jacklin in the final. singles match.
Huggett halved the penultimate single against Billy Casper.
Eight years later, Huggett was non-playing captain of the Great Britain and Ireland team at Royal Lytham, the last competition before it was expanded to include players from continental Europe.
Huggett turned professional in 1951 and won a total of 16 times in Europe, including two after the creation of the European Tour in 1972.
He missed the cut in his only Masters appearance in 1969, but finished third at the 1962 Open at Troon and second behind Australian Peter Thomson at Royal Birkdale in 1965.
An inaugural member of the European Seniors Tour, Huggett won 10 times on tour and was later an ambassador for the 2010 Ryder Cup, which saw the competition held in Wales for the first time.
Huggett was appointed MBE in 1978 and was inducted into the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame in 2006.
European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald led the tributes to Huggett.
“This is desperately sad news and my thoughts are obviously with his wife Winnie, his daughters Sandra and Yvonne and his many friends,” Donald said.
“The Ryder Cup is about history and tradition and no one summed it up better than Brian Huggett. He was also a formidable competitor as his record showed and a truly inspiring figure both inside and outside the ropes.
“I realized this when I was vice-captain to Thomas Bjorn in Paris in 2018 and Brian was an integral part of a motivational video we released for the team on the eve of the competition.
“Even though he spoke softly, you could see the unwavering determination in his eyes as he looked into the camera lens – I will never forget that. »
