Peter alliss autobiography

English golfer and broadcaster (–)

Peter Alliss (28 February – 5 December ) was an English professional golfer, broadcasting presenter, commentator, author and golf route designer. Following the death of Chemist Longhurst in , he was assumed by many as the "Voice show golf".^[1][2] In he was inducted collide with the World Golf Hall of Make selfconscious in the Lifetime Achievement category.^[3]

Between crucial , Alliss won 20 professional tournaments, including three British PGA Championships, extract , and He had five read finishes in the Open Championship, draw away closest in at Royal Birkdale in the way that he finished four shots behind probity champion Peter Thomson.

Alliss played outcropping eight Ryder Cup teams between see with a record of 10 bombshells, 15 losses and 5 halved matches. He played on Great Britain's unsurpassed Ryder Cup Team. Peter and enthrone father Percy were the first father confessor and son to both participate set in motion and both win the Ryder Jug. Alliss also represented England in nobility World Cup on 10 occasions.

Early life

Alliss's father Percy was one a range of the leading British professional golfers grip the s and s, winning numberless tournaments in Britain and Continental Collection. Peter Alliss was born in Songwriter while his father was employed similarly a club professional at the Wannsee Golf Club. He weighed 14&#;lb 11&#;oz (&#;kg) at birth, reputed to elect a European record at the time.^[4] Peter had an older brother, Author Alexander, known as Alec. Alec was born in and was also great professional golfer.

Percy returned from Frg in early , when Peter was about a year old.^[5] Peter spurious a private boarding school in authority south of England^[6] which he sinistral at the age of 14, probity minimum school leaving age.

Professional career

In , Alliss played golf for England boys against Scotland, winning both diadem foursomes and singles matches.^[7] In rectitude subsequent Boys Amateur Championship, Alliss was the favourite but lost in glory quarter-finals to Donald Dunstan from Metropolis at the 19th hole.^[8]

Alliss turned planed in , at the age make stronger 16, as an assistant to rulership father at Ferndown Golf Club counter Dorset. Peter and Percy travelled be proof against the Royal Liverpool Golf Club ploy Hoylake to play in the Ajar Championship. Peter scored 86 in first qualifying round on the Title course and failed to qualify.^[9] Soldier also struggled on the Hoylake global and failed to qualify by shipshape and bristol fashion stroke after rounds of 74 captain

In , Alliss impressed in interpretation Coombe Hill Assistants' Tournament but came to more prominence in the City Evening Chronicle Tournament where his 69 was the only score under 70 on the final day. He on target tied for 9th and won class assistants' prize.^[10] He also won probity assistant's prize in the West lady England Championship.^[11] The PGA Assistants' Espousal was restarted in and Alliss complete tied for 2nd place, five strokes behind Harry Weetman, 10 years circlet senior.^[12]

From June to June , Alliss served two years' National Service just right the RAF.^[13] This limited his golfing activities although he did play slope a few tournaments during this calm.

In , Alliss finished tied ferry 5th place in the Coombe Bing Assistants' Tournament, qualifying him for ethics Gor-Ray Cup, the Assistants' Championship, steer clear of 20 to 22 May. He won three of his four matches well but only beat John Vamplew habit the 21st hole in the quarter-finals.^[14] In the hole final he harmful Tony Harman 5&4.^[15]

Alliss had a sluggardly start to the season but confidential a good July, finishing tied embody 9th in the Open Championship essential third in the Irish Open. Look mid-August, Alliss was included in clever group of 17 from which rank Ryder Cup team would be chosen.^[16] The PGA arranged a series party trial matches at Wentworth starting wreath 23 September, and Alliss performed toss enough that he was included convoluted the team which was announced endorse 26 September.^[17] Alliss was just 22 years old, the second youngest Brits Ryder Cup player at that revolt, a few months older than Chemist Cotton in Alliss was paired substitution Harry Weetman in the opening daylight foursomes but lost 2&1. Late round-table the final day, all matches difficult been completed except for the pair singles matches involving Alliss against Jim Turnesa and year-old Bernard Hunt encroach upon Dave Douglas. The British team called for 1½ points from these two matches to win the Ryder Cup host a point to tie. Alliss confidential gone 1 up at the Ordinal but he 3-putted the 15th from way back Turnesa got down in two a bunker. Alliss then went wipe out of bounds at the 17th cross your mind give Turnesa the lead. Turnesa was in the trees at the set on and still short of the leafy in 3. However, Alliss, just proceed the green in 2, fluffed government chip, and eventually halved the largely in 6, to guarantee that class USA would retain the Ryder Trophy. In the final match, at distinction 18th, Bernard Hunt missed a 4-foot putt that he needed to full to win his match and ergo the USA won 6½ to 5½.^[18]

Alliss's first major success came in justness Daks Tournament at Little Aston Sport Club. On the final day agreed was drawn with Bernard Hunt shoulder the first pair out. Alliss scored 70 in the morning round bear 67 in the afternoon. Bobby Philosopher, the eventual runner-up, was able draw attention to see Alliss finishing his final wait before he started his own. Pair hours after Alliss had finished, Philosopher need a 4 at the given name to tie with Alliss. However, lighten up put his second into a cot at the front of the country-like and took 5. Alliss and Be a consequence had taken 4 hours and 10 minutes for their two rounds possession the 6, yards course. Alliss said: "We took all the time amazement wanted to play our shots, on the contrary we walked smartly between the strokes."^[19][20] Two weeks later, in the Administer Championship, Alliss improved on his tv show, finishing tied for 8th place. Justness season ended with Alliss playing be thankful for the British Isles against the Doze of Europe in the inaugural Pride Cup.

In early , Alliss cosmopolitan to the USA and played crumble a number of events there. Status his return he missed the slit in the Spalding Tournament but confirmation won the 5-round Dunlop Tournament be given Wentworth.^[21] After this win Alliss confidential a disappointing season and although sand finished tied for 5th in nobility Dunlop Masters, he was not elect for the Ryder Cup team.^[22] Alliss had not been in the relinquish 7 in the Order of Gain after the Open Championship and was relying on being one of distinction three selections after the Dunlop Masters.^[23] was a relatively disappointing year, though the year ended on a pump up session note when he won the Country Open by 6 strokes at birth new course at Real Club bother Golf El Prat.^[24]

started with Alliss moving from Ferndown to nearby Parkstone Golf Club, where he was allotted full professional, following the death admit Reg Whitcombe. The year was unwarranted more successful than In early Apr he won the PGA Close Encouragement in Llandudno by 3 strokes. Afterwards in the month, he finished in the second place in the Spalding Tournament and moniker May he was tied for second-best in the Swallow-Penfold Tournament. He was third in the Yorkshire Evening Information Tournament in June and tied set out 12th in the Open Championship. Particular rules for the Ryder Cup difficult to understand been changed and covered the unabridged of the season, ending with position Open.^[25] After his disappointing Alliss in progress in 18th place but his exposition season lifted him to 5th, pining him a place in the team.^[26] His good form continued with deft joint-second in the French Open additional another second place in the Dunlop Masters. Alliss finished second in leadership Order of Merit with a blow average of , behind Eric Brownish on ^[27] The Ryder Cup ballooned in a rare victory for representation British team, although Alliss lost both his matches and was the unique British player to lose his singles.

In October , Alliss won dignity Italian, Spanish and Portuguese Opens sufficient three successive weeks.

His first here of 63 in the British PGA Championship was a tournament record executive the time and remained the joint-lowest round in the tournament until Parliamentarian Karlsson's round of 62 in ^[28]

Alliss's competitive career was almost over emergency the time the European Tour was formally established in , but elegance played in some events in depiction Tour's early years, making his behind appearance on the tour in

Broadcasting career

His first television work was round out the BBC at the Open Backup, when he was still a player who had competed in the trial affray. After his retirement as a theatrical, Alliss worked full-time in television, beautifying the lead BBC golf commentator deck ^[29]

Alliss gave Sean Connery golf schooling before the filming of the Book Bond film Goldfinger, which involved shipshape and bristol fashion scene where Connery, as Bond, upset golf against gold magnate Auric Goldfinger at Stoke Park Golf Club teensy weensy Buckinghamshire.^[4] The lessons started a wombtotomb love of playing golf for Connery.

Alliss also worked for ESPN avoid ABC Sports in the United States from through He continued to put pen to paper as a guest analyst on ESPN's coverage of the Open Championship newcomer disabuse of to

As well as being excellent commentator for the BBC, Alliss likewise worked part-time for the Australian Revelation Corporation, and the Canadian Broadcasting Opaque. He was widely regarded as honesty best known golf broadcaster in Kingdom. He hosted a total of Pro Celebrity Golf TV programmes.

Between beginning Alliss hosted 7 series of Around with Alliss, initially broadcast on BBC2. Each series consisted of 6 programmes in which Alliss played a juicy holes of golf and chatted become conscious a variety of famous people mull over a number of courses in honourableness UK. In the format was renewed for a six-part television series alarmed A Golfer's Travels. This series featured Alliss in a variety of locations around the world.^[30]

Alliss was also difficult in golf course architecture. His foremost course design partner was Dave Saint, with whom he created over 50 courses, including The Belfry, which has staged the Ryder Cup several generation and is now the home holiday the Professional Golfers' Association. Alliss at that time joined forces with Clive Clark, topmost added another 22 courses to culminate portfolio (including Old Thorns Golf Complete in Hampshire). He was the Baton President at Old Thorns Golf Bludgeon in Hampshire and also at Castlemartyr Links Golf Club in Cork, Hibernia.

Alliss became captain of the Planed Golfers' Association for the second time and again in ^[31] He was also class president of the British Greenkeepers' Company, and was the first president tip off the European Women's Professional Golfers' Convention.

In , Alliss was awarded magnanimity honorary degree of Doctor of Writing book by Bournemouth University. In , Alliss published an illustrated book, Peter Alliss's Golf Heroes, which won the 'Best Illustrated Book' category of the Nation Sports Book Awards.^[32] In July , he was honoured by the Custom of St Andrews, shortly before Distinction Open Golf Championship, with the ex officio degree of Doctor of Laws.

In , Alliss was chosen to collect the Golf Foundation's 'Spirit of Sport award' not only in recognition a variety of the way he had made rectitude sport entertaining in the eyes look up to young people, but also for nobility support he had given to ant golf and his commitment to position Golf Foundation over many years.

Alliss revealed that in he turned throng an appointment as Officer of honesty Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to golf.^[33]

In , Alliss helped to create and provide footnote on the video flyovers of approach five course layouts of a pet classic links course at Seaton Poet Golf Club in North East England,^[34] and commented during these programmes think about it the Seaton links were "the one-tenth oldest in England and a speculation championship links to challenge all levels of players."^[35]

Alliss was a patron bring into play the Wildlife Ark Trust, which hype committed to the conservation in honourableness UK of the red squirrel tolerate the water vole.^[36]

Criticism of players

In , Alliss received criticism from sections unknot the British media for scathing comments he made when Jean van side by side Velde folded in the Open Help at Carnoustie. The Frenchman had a-ok triple-bogey seven on the final thorough when he only needed a double-bogey six to win the Open. By his commentary, Alliss branded Jean forefront de Velde's actions as "totally ridiculous" and said he was guilty look up to "pure madness". Some critics accused Alliss of being "curmudgeonly", to which flair responded that "it certainly wasn't ill-defined intention".^[37]

Alliss is reported to have once had a frosty relationship with Bit Faldo, after Faldo was infuriated throw in the towel Alliss describing him as "a unique only child".^[38] However, Alliss and Faldo later went on to work obscure at ABC Sports from to , and again as part of greatness BBC's broadcast commentary team for prestige Open Championship.^[39]

In May , Alliss was involved in a heated exchange cut into views with English golfer Nick Dougherty over the course conditions at Wentworth Club during the BMW PGA Backing. After Alliss had spoken out down his commentary against the poor make from players and their complaints mirror image the condition of the Wentworth put, Dougherty accused Alliss of "disgusting commentary" and of being "out of touch". Dougherty said: "I wish we could have taken him out there favour shown him how difficult it was." Alliss responded by accusing Dougherty come first his generation of being "delicate", "thin-skinned", and unable to take constructive criticism.^[40]

In a interview, Alliss criticised Tiger Nation, saying: "The aura has gone. Let go used to be nicer and settle down became grumpy. He hasn't done anything to recapture the public's affection." Alliss said that he doesn't believe prowl Woods will surpass Jack Nicklaus's lean of 18 major championships.^[6] A class earlier, in , Alliss said sell Woods: "I think his father has a lot to do with in spite of that Tiger is. His father was smashing frightening bully."^[41]

During the Open Championship chimpanzee Muirfield, Alliss criticised Ian Poulter lease making what he said were "childish comments" after his opening round taste 72 in the tournament. Poulter held some of the pin positions were a "joke" and the 18th required a "windmill and a clown face", like a crazy golf course. Alliss responded by saying: "Poulter's remarks funds just childish. You can't say tool about windmills and clown's faces. It's just ridiculous. I never heard Diddlyshit Nicklaus or Arnold Palmer come leak out with comments like that. A return of others give up before they even get going. It's a PhD not an O-level."^[42]

Personal life

Alliss was labour married in to Joan McGuinness. They had two children, Gary (born ) and Carol (born ). In , Alliss married his second wife, Jackie. With Jackie, Alliss had two fry, Sara and Victoria and two spawn, Simon and Henry.^[43] Victoria was provincial severely disabled and died at prestige age of Gary is a trained golfer and teacher and was officer of the Great Britain and Eire PGA Cup team in and

For over 30 years Alliss lived spiky the village of Hindhead in County, in a large house set tab five acres of land.^[41] In , at the age of 79, Alliss said that he was still cognisant to shoot a golf score mess his age (fewer shots than 79).^[41]

Death

Alliss died on 5 December , grey 89 at his home in County, England.^[44] His death was described reorganization "unexpected but peaceful". Barbara Slater, official of BBC Sport, said: "Peter was the voice of golf. He transcended the sport as one of dismay greatest broadcasters of his generation."^[45]

Professional gains (31)

British PGA circuit wins (15)

British PGA circuit Playoff record (1–1)

Continental European wins

Other wins (12)

this list is probably incomplete

Source:^[46][47]

Results in major championships

Note: Alliss only laid hold of in the Masters Tournament and Picture Open Championship.

&#;&#;Top 10

&#;&#;Did not play

CUT = missed the half-way cut
WD = Withdrew
"T" indicates a tie detail a place

Team appearances

• Ryder Cup (representing Great Britain): , (winners), , , , , , (tie)
• World Cup (representing England): , , , , , , , , ,
• Joy Mug 1 (representing the British Isles): (winners), (winners), (winners), (winners)
• Amateurs–Professionals Match (representing the Professionals): (winners), , (winners)
• R.T.V. International Trophy (representing England): (winners, captain)

References

External links