Brian Huggett
Encyclopedia
Brian George Charles Huggett, MBE (born 18 November 1936) is a Welsh
professional golf
er. In 2006 he was inducted into the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame
.
Huggett turned professional in 1951 and won sixteen events on the European circuit, including two after the formal start of the European Tour in 1972. He topped the Order or Merit in 1968 and was the third highest money winner in the first season of the formal tour. He finished third in the Open Championship in 1962, albeit a full thirteen shots behind runaway winner Arnold Palmer
, but in 1965 finished second, only two shots behind Australia's Peter Thomson at Royal Birkdale. In 1970 he was ranked among the top ten players in the world in McCormack's World Golf Rankings, the forerunner of the modern World Ranking.
Huggett joined the European Seniors Tour
when it debuted in 1992 and won ten times at that level. He finished second on the European Seniors Tour Order of Merit in 1993, 1994 and 1998. He played six times for Great Britain & Ireland in the Ryder Cup
(1963, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1973 and 1975) and had an 8-10-6 win-loss-half record. He was Great Britain & Ireland's non-playing captain in 1977.
Huggett has also been a golf-course designer.
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
professional golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er. In 2006 he was inducted into the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame
Welsh Sports Hall of Fame
The Welsh Sports Hall of Fame is a charitable organization created to commemorate the sporting achievements and preserve the artifacts of Welsh athletes. It was established in 1980 from the memorabilia collection of Welsh radio announcer G. V. Wynne-Jones...
.
Huggett turned professional in 1951 and won sixteen events on the European circuit, including two after the formal start of the European Tour in 1972. He topped the Order or Merit in 1968 and was the third highest money winner in the first season of the formal tour. He finished third in the Open Championship in 1962, albeit a full thirteen shots behind runaway winner Arnold Palmer
Arnold Palmer
Arnold Daniel Palmer is an American professional golfer, who is generally regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of men's professional golf. He has won numerous events on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour, dating back to 1955...
, but in 1965 finished second, only two shots behind Australia's Peter Thomson at Royal Birkdale. In 1970 he was ranked among the top ten players in the world in McCormack's World Golf Rankings, the forerunner of the modern World Ranking.
Huggett joined the European Seniors Tour
European Seniors Tour
The European Seniors Tour is a professional tour for male golfers aged 50 and over run by the PGA European Tour.The Tour was founded in 1992. In 2008 it had a total prize fund of €7,729,284, so it is much further behind the U.S.-based Champions Tour in relative prize money than the main European...
when it debuted in 1992 and won ten times at that level. He finished second on the European Seniors Tour Order of Merit in 1993, 1994 and 1998. He played six times for Great Britain & Ireland in the Ryder Cup
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
(1963, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1973 and 1975) and had an 8-10-6 win-loss-half record. He was Great Britain & Ireland's non-playing captain in 1977.
Huggett has also been a golf-course designer.
European circuit wins (14)
- 1962 Dutch Open
- 1963 Cox Moore (Sweaters), German OpenGerman Open (golf)The German Open was a men's golf tournament. It was first staged in 1911 when the winner was Harry Vardon. The following year the champion was another of the Great Triumvirate of late 19th and early 20th century British golfers, John Henry Taylor. The tournament was then cancelled for over a decade...
- 1967 British PGA Closed Championship, Martini InternationalMartini InternationalThe Martini International was a men's professional golf tournament that was held from 1961 to 1983. It was hosted by several different golf clubs in England, Scotland and Wales. It was part of the European Tour's schedule from the tour's first official season in 1972 until the event ceased...
(tie with Malcolm GregsonMalcolm GregsonMalcolm Edward Gregson is an English professional golfer.Gregson was born in Leicester. He turned professional in 1961 and was in his prime in the 1960s, before the official establishment of the European Tour in 1972...
) - 1968 News of the World Match Play, Sumrie Clothes, Martini InternationalMartini InternationalThe Martini International was a men's professional golf tournament that was held from 1961 to 1983. It was hosted by several different golf clubs in England, Scotland and Wales. It was part of the European Tour's schedule from the tour's first official season in 1972 until the event ceased...
- 1969 Bowmaker (tie), Daks TournamentDaks TournamentThe Daks Tournament was a golf tournament of the European circuit from 1950 to 1971. It was played at a number of different locations in England.-Tournament hosts:-Winners:*1971 Neil Coles and Brian Huggett *1970 Neil Coles*1969 Brian Huggett...
- 1970 Algarve Open, Carrolls InternationalIrish Open (golf)The Irish Open is a professional golf tournament on the European Tour, currently played at the end of July or early August each year. The event has been played in many locations on the island; its current home is the Killarney Golf & Fishing Club in County Kerry in southwestern Ireland...
, Dunlop Masters - 1971 Daks TournamentDaks TournamentThe Daks Tournament was a golf tournament of the European circuit from 1950 to 1971. It was played at a number of different locations in England.-Tournament hosts:-Winners:*1971 Neil Coles and Brian Huggett *1970 Neil Coles*1969 Brian Huggett...
(tie with Neil ColesNeil ColesNeil Chapman Coles, MBE is an English professional golfer. As of 2005, Coles is only the second man to win a professional golf tournament in six different decades, starting in the 1950s and extending into the 21st century.Coles was born in England...
)
Other wins (3)
- 1962 Singapore International
- 1972 Sumrie Clothes Better-Ball (with Malcolm GregsonMalcolm GregsonMalcolm Edward Gregson is an English professional golfer.Gregson was born in Leicester. He turned professional in 1961 and was in his prime in the 1960s, before the official establishment of the European Tour in 1972...
) - 1978 Welsh Professional Championship
European Seniors Tour wins (10)
- 1992 Gary Player Anvil Senior Class, Northern Electric Seniors
- 1993 Northern Electric Seniors, Forte PGA Seniors Championship
- 1994 La Manga Spanish Seniors Open
- 1995 Windsor Senior Masters, Shell Scottish Seniors Open
- 1998 Schroder Senior Masters, Senior British Open
- 2000 Beko Classic
Results in major championships
- Note: Huggett only played in The Open Championship.
Tournament 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 The Open Championship The Open ChampionshipThe Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...T27 T3 T14 CUT T2 T43 T25 T13 T16
| Tournament | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
T28 | T25 | T26 | CUT | CUT | T40 | CUT | T48 | CUT | CUT |
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
Regular
- Ryder CupRyder CupThe Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
: 1963, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1977 (non-playing Captain) - World Cup: 1963, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1976, 1979
- Hennessy Cognac Cup: 1974 (winners), 1978 (winners)
- Double Diamond: 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977