Both parents are Welsh, and he learned the game on his local Llanmynech course, which has 15 holes in Wales and three in England.

Worked on the family farm for six months after leaving school, and credits his stocky but powerful physique to lifting heavy hay bales.

Used to travel in a camper van and eat tins of beans to save money when making his way on the European Tour.

Having twice topped the European Tour Order of Merit in 1987 and 1990, he joined the greats of the game when he won The Masters in 1991. Captained Europe to a record-equalling 18½-9½ victory in The Ryder Cup at The K Club in Ireland in 2006, as the team won all five sessions for the first time in the biennial contest and secured an unprecedented third consecutive victory.

Received the OBE in the New Year’s Honours List in recognition of the feat. In eight Ryder Cups, and in 1993 became the first European to claim the maximum four points from the two foursomes and two fourball matches – a feat later matched by Sergio Garcia in 2006.

The Welshman narrowly missed out on a win in his home tournament as he finished tied second in the SSE Enterprise Wales Senior Open. Won his fifth European Seni or Tour title at the 2014 Dutch Senior Open, claiming his first victory since 2011 on The International, near Amsterdam – a course he designed himself. Continued the winning feeling in 2015 when he claimed a maiden Champions Tour victory at the Insperity Invitational at the Woodlands Country Club in Texas, holing a 30-foot birdie putt to emerge victorious from a play-off against Tom Lehman and Kenny Perry.

Became the first former winner of the European Tour Order or Merit to repeat the feat on the Senior Tour when he lifted the John Jacobs Trophy in 2008 after a dream rookie season in which he won the Parkridge Polish Seniors Championship in his third event, followed by the Russian Seniors Open.