Peter Oosterhuis turns 70 today and, to celebrate, europeantour.com looks back on the remarkable career of a European golf icon.
Early on, Oosterhuis demonstrated a special gift for the sport, gaining recognition as a top amateur and going on to compete in the 1967 Walker Cup—the biennial amateur team competition that pits Great Britain and Ireland against the United States.
After turning professional in 1968 at the age of 20, the Englishman enjoyed tremendous success, claiming seven European Tour victories and a total of 20 wins around the world. He also finished runner-up at The 1974 and 1982 Open Championships as well as third in the 1973 Masters Tournament.
A dominant force in European golf during the tour’s formative years, the London-native won four consecutive Orders of Merit from 1971 to 1974. He would also find fortune on the US PGA Tour, winning the 1981 Canadian Open.
At The Ryder Cup, Oosterhuis provided European fans with much to be proud of across his six consecutive appearances. His career singles point total of 6.5 is only half a point shy of the all-time record, which is held in part by Arnold Palmer, whom Oosterhuis defeated twice in head-to-head play at the event.
Following his distinguished playing career, the man who took up golf at Dulwich and Sydenham Hill Golf Club became a hugely successful broadcaster in the USA. Together with Renton Laidlaw, the pair brought the European Tour to a growing audience in America through the newly formed Golf Channel. In 1997, he joined the CBS Sports network and became one of the game’s most respected analysts throughout his 20-year broadcasting career.
In recognition of his remarkable accomplishments, Oosterhuis was awarded the European Tour’s Honorary Life Membership in 2016.
At the ceremony, Oosterhuis said: “I have to be honest and say that I am completely overwhelmed by this award and the reception you all have given myself and my family this evening. To join the list of great names who have been given Honorary Life Membership is very humbling and I thank the European Tour from the bottom of my heart.”
