Ronan Rafferty
Name:
Ronan RaffertyCountry:
N. IrelandBorn:
Jan 13, 1964 in Newry, N. Ireland.Original/Home Club:
Warrenpoint GC and Ardglass GC.Occupation:
Professional golfer, TV & radio commentator; golf writer.Turned Pro:
1981Website:
https://www.ronanraffertygolf.comEurope
Hohe Brucke
Played as the Hohe Brucke Austrian Open (Aug 12-15; Eurpn Tr event). Rafferty (N.Ire) beat Anders Sorensen (Den) in a playoff. [West course, Colony Club Gutendorf, Himberg, nr Vienna].
Europe
x
Played as the Portuguese Open. Second-placed Anders Forsbrand (Swe) finished 1 shot behind Rafferty (N.Ire). [Vila Sol Resort, nr Vilamoura, Algarve, Portugal].
Europe
PLM
Played as the PLM Open (Aug 2-5; in 1991 the PLM Open was merged into the Scandinavian Enterprise Open to create the Scandinavian Masters tournament). Second-placed Vijay Singh (Fiji) finished 4 shots behind Rafferty (N.Ire). [Bokskogens GC, Bara, nr Malmo, Sweden].
Europe
Ebel
Played as the Ebel European Masters Swiss Open. Second-placed John Bland (RSA) finished 2 shots behind Rafferty (N.Ire). [GC Crans-sur-Sierre, Crans-Montana, Switzerland].
Awards
Volvo
Rafferty (N.Ire) won the Harry Vardon Trophy as the European Tour 1989 Volvo Order of Merit winner, with earnings of £400,311 on the Tour. Jose Maria Olazabal (Esp) was second with £336,239; Craig Parry (Aus) was third with £277,321.
Europe
Lancia
Played as the Lancia Italian Open. Second-placed Sam Torrance (Scot) finished 1 shot behind Rafferty (N.Ire). [Red course, GC Monticello, Cassina Rizzardi, nr Como].
Europe
Scandinavian Enterprise
Played as the Scandinavian Enterprise Open (Aug 3-6). Second-placed Michael Allen (USA) finished 2 shots behind Rafferty (N.Ire), who recorded his second European Tour win. [Royal Drottningholm GC, nr Stockholm; at the time known as Drottningholm GC].
Europe
Volvo
Played as the Volvo Masters (Oct 26-29; Eurpn Tr season-ending event). Second-placed and defending champion Nick Faldo (Eng) finished 1 shot behind Rafferty (N.Ire). [Valderrama GC, San Roque, Spain].
Europe
Equity & Law
Played as the Equity & Law Challenge (Oct 17/18; unofficial Eurpn Tr money event over 54 holes; pts accumulated based on eagles and birdies). Second-placed and defending champion Barry Lane (Eng) finished 1 point behind Rafferty (N.Ire). [Composite course, Royal Mid-Surrey GC, Richmond, Surrey].
Aus/NZ
Nissan-Mobil
Played as the Nissan-Mobil New Zealand Open (Dec 10-13). Ronan Rafferty (N.Ire) beat Larry Nelson (USA) with a par at the seventh sudden-death playoff hole. [Wellington GC, Heretaunga, Upper Hutt, nr Wellington, NZ; from 2004 Royal Wellington GC].
America
x
Played as the Venezuelan Open. Won by 18-year-old Rafferty (N.Ire), who recorded his first win as a professional. [Lagunita CC, nr Caracas, Venezuela].
Amateur
R&A
Played as the Boys Amateur Championship. Rafferty (N.Ire) beat D. Ray 6 and 5 in the 36-hole final match. [Kilmarnock (Barassie) GC, Troon, Ayrshire].
Tournaments:
Solheim Cup: can Europe defend the most prestigious team trophy in women’s professional golf, when the 17th Solheim Cup is played out at the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio (Sept 4-6).
Italian Open: Nicolai Højgaard recorded his first European Tour win (Sept 5), just a week after his twin brother Rasmus landed the European Masters title (Aug 29); the first brothers to win back-to-back on the European Tour.
Who's Who:
Patrick Cantlay: moved into the world top 5, after winning the final two FedEx Cup playoff events and scooping the $15 million first prize.
Trish Johnson: kept the Senior LPGA Championship trophy in European hands, with her second win in this event in its four-year history.
The San Roque Club: "... how best to revitalise a course that had previously been fit to play regular host to the European Tour’s qualifying school finals..." by Toby Ingleton.
New 27-hole golf complex to be built in southern Belgium
A new golf complex in southern Belgium, close to the border with Luxembourg, will start construction in June 2021.
Marco Simone Golf & Country Club "makes its tournament debut with the hosting of the Italian Open on the European Tour" by Richard Humphreys
Gamble Sands opens short course:
David McLay Kidd’s 14-hole QuickSands short course has opened for play at Gamble Sands in Brewster, Washington.
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