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Christy O'Connor Snr

Ireland · born , Knocknacarra, Galway, Ireland · died

13Ryder Cup points from 36 matches

Summary

  • Ryder Cup 10 Cups · 11-21-4 · 13 points (36.1%)
  • Singles 2-10-2 · Foursomes 6-6-1 · Four-ball 3-5-1
  • Best major finish runner-up, 1965 Open
  • Open top 10s 1955 (T10), 1956 (T10), 1958 (T3), 1959 (T5), 1961 (T3), 1963 (6)

Near misses

  1. 1955 The Open Old Course, St Andrews · finished T10 · 287
  2. 1956 The Open Royal Liverpool Golf Club · finished T10 · 295
  3. 1958 The Open Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club · finished T3 · 279
  4. 1959 The Open Muirfield · finished T5 · 288
  5. 1961 The Open Royal Birkdale Golf Club · finished T3 · 288
  6. 1963 The Open Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club · finished 6 · 286
  7. 1964 The Open Old Course, St Andrews · finished T6 · 291 (+3)
  8. 1965 The Open Royal Birkdale Golf Club · runner-up to Peter Thomson · 287

Ryder Cup

10 Cups, 36 matches: 11 won, 21 lost, 4 halved, 13 points. Foursomes 6-6-1, four-ball 3-5-1, singles 2-10-2.

  1. 1955 Thunderbird Ranch & Country Club GB · USA won 8–4 · 0-1-0, 0 points · automatic
  2. 1957 Lindrick Golf Club GB · GB won 7.5–4.5 · 1-1-0, 1 point · automatic
  3. 1959 Eldorado Country Club GB · USA won 8.5–3.5 · 1-1-0, 1 point · automatic
  4. 1961 Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club GB · USA won 14.5–9.5 · 1-2-1, 1.5 points · automatic
  5. 1963 Atlanta Athletic Club (East Lake course) GB · USA won 23–9 · 1-4-0, 1 point · automatic
  6. 1965 Royal Birkdale Golf Club GB · USA won 19.5–12.5 · 3-2-0, 3 points · automatic
  7. 1967 Champions Golf Club GB · USA won 23.5–8.5 · 0-4-0, 0 points · automatic
  8. 1969 Royal Birkdale Golf Club GB · tied 16–16 · 2-1-1, 2.5 points · automatic
  9. 1971 Old Warson Country Club GB · USA won 18.5–13.5 · 1-2-1, 1.5 points · committee pick
  10. 1973 Muirfield GB&I · USA won 19–13 · 1-3-1, 1.5 points · automatic

Rivals

Beat him

Ryder Cup partners

Ryder Cup opponents

Next in the chain: Peter Thomson's rivals →

Moments

Records and firsts

  1. 1973 Ryder Cup Oldest Europe #2 · 48y 273d

Results by championship

    Best day

    1965 The Open

    Runner-up to Peter Thomson · 287.

    Chosen by rule: the most recent of the best major finishes. Year page: 1965.

    Career line, 1955–1973

    The Open
    1955 The Open: finished T101956 The Open: finished T101958 The Open: finished T31959 The Open: finished T51961 The Open: finished T31963 The Open: finished 61964 The Open: finished T61965 The Open: runner-up to Peter Thomson
    Ryder Cup
    1955 Ryder Cup (GB): 0-1-01957 Ryder Cup (GB): 1-1-01959 Ryder Cup (GB): 1-1-01961 Ryder Cup (GB): 1-2-11963 Ryder Cup (GB): 1-4-01965 Ryder Cup (GB): 3-2-01967 Ryder Cup (GB): 0-4-01969 Ryder Cup (GB): 2-1-11971 Ryder Cup (GB): 1-2-11973 Ryder Cup (GB&I): 1-3-1
    1955196019651970

    18 results. Hover or tap a mark; click it for the year.

    • Runner-up
    • Top 10
    • Ryder Cup, GB / Europe

    Christy O'Connor Snr was born in 1924 in Knocknacarra, Galway, Ireland. Snr's best major finish was second, at the 1965 Open. Snr played in 10 Ryder Cups for GB and GB&I (1955, 1957, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1965, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1973), winning 11, losing 21 and halving 4 of 36 matches for 13 points.

    See Christy O'Connor Snr in our rooms: The Open and Every Ground.

    Cards you pull this visit stack here. Tap one to go back to it.

    The record

    Near misses

    Top-10 finishes are listed for The Open, the one championship with a full top 10 every year.

    1. 1955 The Open Old Course, St Andrews · finished T10 · 287
    2. 1956 The Open Royal Liverpool Golf Club · finished T10 · 295
    3. 1958 The Open Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club · finished T3 · 279
    4. 1959 The Open Muirfield · finished T5 · 288
    5. 1961 The Open Royal Birkdale Golf Club · finished T3 · 288
    6. 1963 The Open Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club · finished 6 · 286
    7. 1964 The Open Old Course, St Andrews · finished T6 · 291 (+3)
    8. 1965 The Open Royal Birkdale Golf Club · runner-up to Peter Thomson · 287

    Ryder Cup

    Snr played 10 Ryder Cups for GB and GB&I: 36 matches, 11 won, 21 lost, 4 halved, 13 points (36.1% of those available). By format: foursomes 6-6-1, four-ball 3-5-1, singles 2-10-2 (won-lost-halved).

    1. 1955 Thunderbird Ranch & Country Club GB · USA won 8–4 · 0-1-0, 0 points · automatic
    2. 1957 Lindrick Golf Club GB · GB won 7.5–4.5 · 1-1-0, 1 point · automatic
    3. 1959 Eldorado Country Club GB · USA won 8.5–3.5 · 1-1-0, 1 point · automatic
    4. 1961 Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club GB · USA won 14.5–9.5 · 1-2-1, 1.5 points · automatic
    5. 1963 Atlanta Athletic Club (East Lake course) GB · USA won 23–9 · 1-4-0, 1 point · automatic
    6. 1965 Royal Birkdale Golf Club GB · USA won 19.5–12.5 · 3-2-0, 3 points · automatic
    7. 1967 Champions Golf Club GB · USA won 23.5–8.5 · 0-4-0, 0 points · automatic
    8. 1969 Royal Birkdale Golf Club GB · tied 16–16 · 2-1-1, 2.5 points · automatic
    9. 1971 Old Warson Country Club GB · USA won 18.5–13.5 · 1-2-1, 1.5 points · committee pick
    10. 1973 Muirfield GB&I · USA won 19–13 · 1-3-1, 1.5 points · automatic

    Partners, with matches played together: Peter Alliss (12), Neil Coles (7), Eric Brown (1), Peter Townsend (1), Brian Barnes (1).

    Records and firsts

    Rows from our record tables that name this player, worded as the tables word them.

    1. 1973 Ryder Cup Oldest Europe #2 · 48y 273d

    Sources

    Elsewhere: Wikipedia.

    Every fact on this page comes from Golf Network News data sets compiled in October 2026 (Masters, PGA Championship, The Open, U.S. Women's Open, Ryder Cup, PGA Tour 2024–2026, major host sites, Champions Dinner menus, and the U.S. Open and state rooms). These are the sources those rows cite.

    1. WP: List of European Ryder Cup golfers
    2. WP: Christy O'Connor Snr
    3. R&A 1955
    4. R&A 1956
    5. R&A 1958
    6. Golf Compendium 1959
    7. R&A 1961
    8. Golf Compendium 1963
    9. R&A 1964
    10. SI Vault 1964 (par)
    11. GC: 1955 ryder cup
    12. Wikipedia: 1955 Ryder Cup
    13. GC: 1957 ryder cup
    14. Wikipedia: 1957 Ryder Cup
    15. GC: 1959 ryder cup
    16. Wikipedia: 1959 Ryder Cup
    17. GC: 1961 ryder cup
    18. WP 1961
    19. GC: 1963 ryder cup
    20. WP 1963
    21. GC: 1965 ryder cup
    22. WP 1965
    23. GC: 1967 ryder cup
    24. WP 1967
    25. GC: 1969 ryder cup
    26. WP 1969
    27. GC: 1971 ryder cup
    28. WP 1971
    29. GC: 1973 ryder cup
    30. WP 1973
    31. Wikipedia: List of Ryder Cup records