Lyle turns 50

[mat562]

Happy Birthday Sandy!

Many people will have missed the fact that yesterday saw another great of the game turn 50. Much of the fanfare that surrounded Norman, Langer, Faldo and Ballesteros' passing of the milestone was lost when it came to Lyle - perhaps due to his dramatic loss of form in recent years, but in many ways fittingly for a man who has always preferred a low key existence and who remained a modest and unassuming character during his prime.

I've been fortunate to see many of the game's greats in my teenage years, and, for my money, I still say Lyle was amongst the most supreme strikers of the ball and the most naturally gifted player (along with Seve and Woods) I've ever seen.

A naturally modest and self-effacing character who eschewed the limelight, it was a sad day when Lyle's game took an inexorble turn for the worse in the late 80s - ironically the year following his finest season in which he won the US Masters and World Matchplay as well as several other titles worldwide. It also was a year which included arguably the finest shot seen in major championship history on Augusta National's 18th hole. Lyle also triumphed in the 1987 Players Championship and was Open Champion at Sandwich in 1985.

Attached is an interesting article from the European Tour's website.

Although it's unlikely that Lyle will embark on a full schedule of senior golf, I know there are many people who still remember him as a sublime talent and who will be wishing him well at 50.

http://www.europeantour.com/default.sps?pa...p;newsid=530998

[stealthontour]

One of the most naturally gifted golfers of the last 30/40 years, a pure talent. He still plays regularly on the European Tour when it's in Europe, and a number of the new current crop of young players coming through, especially the Scots enjoy his company and can't believe there on the shuttle to the course/hotel with their boyhood hero.

 

He still hits the ball a very long way, even in today's numbers, and if he can get his putting sorted then he could have a very good career on the Champions Tour.

[dlygrisse]

Without a doubt one of the most under rated players in the history of the game, especially here in the USA. Coming up in an era of Euro dominace along with Faldo, Seve, Langer, Woosie, did not help either, but I bet most casual golf fans would never guess that he won both the Masters and the Open Championship.

[jgpl]

A great player and one of the best ball strikers to ever grace the game. He still plays the odd tour event and sadly, rarely has a crowd following him around. If you get the chance follow him for a few holes and watch how he strikes an iron. Fantastic hands, super crisp striking. It is quite demoralising when you remember he is fifty years old...

[Purealive]

He is my favourite player of all time. I grew up watching Sandy. An exceptional player and gentleman.

[jebb]

A super talent and one very much overlooked.

 

I spent a fair amount of time in the late 80s trying to hit a 1 iron like Sandy. We all did.

 

What is also overlooked is how his victories in the Majors were the first of their kind for British golfers after a long fallow period. Especially his Masters victory.

 

It was very sad to see how rapidly the decline came but equally the grace and dignity with which he accepted it despite his best efforts to arrest the fall.

 

I once read a magazine article that seemed to sum up Sandy when it said "to walk with kings nor lose the common touch".

 

Congratulations on the 50th and very best of luck for the Seniors Tour.

[mat562]

Regular WRXers will no doubt have me sussed as a bit of a fan of the dying art of the 1 iron. As well as Lyle's mercurial character, I've always had a soft spot for anyone who can hit a mean 1 iron.

 

In my book, Sandy Lyle was the best 1 iron player I've ever seen, and has to rank as one of the greatest exponents of the beloved club of all time. Nicklaus, Snead and Hogan were all revered for hitting a long iron, and, of the players I've seen up close, Lyle, Watson, Norman, Faldo, Woosnam and Woods are the best I've seen with a 1 iron in their hands. (or a 2 iron in Tiger's case) A blast from the European Tour past, but Barry Lane was also a fantastic 1 iron merchant.

 

I remember visiting the World Matchplay in 1988 and seeing the weekend play with my father. I watched Lyle on the practice ground hit a dozen 1 irons, with a beryllium Eye 2, all of which were exactly the same. A towering flight that tailed about 3 yards left at the top of the flight and thudded down about 245 yards away. To say I was awestruck by the quality of the ballstriking was an understatement. It was truly mesmerising to watch someone with such a talent for hitting the ball.

 

I was lucky enough to see the Faldo/Lyle contest on the Sunday and saw Sandy finally win on his fourth appearance in the final after seeing him lose to Woosnam and Norman the preceding two years. It had some of the finest golf I've evers seen before or since, from both players. The morning 18 had Lyle finish -5 for the last 5 holes, including a glorious eagle 3 on 17 and a ridiculous chip-in birdie on 18 after being all over the place on the hole. Typical Lyle golf. A mixture of truly incredible play and scoring with the odd horrible shot thrown in for good measure.

 

The afternnon round saw Faldo fight his way into the lead, in a truly awful pink Pringle sweater as I recall, before a flat cap-wearing Lyle, looking remarkably like a man taking his whippet out for a walk made a crucial birdie on 14 prompting Faldo to miss a short, pivotal birdie putt that turned the tide of play. Lyle then casually birdied the next three holes as well to take the title 2&1.

 

Marvelous stuff. Sadly, other than a few flashes in the pan subsequently in the early 90s it proved to be his last real hurrah.

 

Sorry for rambling on... :)

[mat562]

Sadly, that year was one of the Opens I missed out on attending. In fact, I've never been to a Muirfield Open thinking about it.

 

I remember that round being spoken about in awe by people who saw it - sadly there was very little TV coverage of it (if any) as I remember.

[jebb]

You are right about that 71.

 

He went out in the worst of it and I guess for comparison remember Tiger's travails at Muirfield in that sort of weather.

 

In keeping with the man sublime and yet overlooked.

[neilc]

He is one of the best ball strikers ever and a great gentleman.

 

I watched him at a local Pro Am in aberdeen many years ago.

 

His first nine was adventourous to say the least.He eagle the par 5 ninth after two decent shots chipping in.

 

He proceeded to partake in the buffet laid out by the 10th tee and remembered to thank each and every lady there involved ,

 

On the 17th hole a short par 4 with a raised green and ob left right and big. He took out a 5 iron or so and one old lady let out a cry of disapointment.he asked her what the problem was and she stated that she has never seen anyone drive the green.

He put back the iron and hit the best golf shot i have ever seen a 275 yard effort with 30 yards of cut that landed on the green and sat down like a wdge shot.

 

After the round he was available to all for a chat as he stood by the beer tent.

 

I believe he has spent the last few years running a small hotel .

 

I hope he plays abit and shows everbody waht he can still achieve

 

hell of a nice guy!

[mat562]

He has indeed been running a hotel/guest house along with his wife Yolande the last I heard of him.

 

I remember reading an article a year or two ago about his semi-retirement in which he stated how he still enjoyed golf, but did not miss the pressure of the pro game and that his greatest pleasures were 'pottering about in the garden and walking the dogs.'

 

I remember thinking what a contrast he was to his similarly-aged contemporary Greg Norman who still pushes himself so hard in the business world and still enjoys a lavish jet-setting lifestyle representing his numerous business interests.

 

Hopefully he may be tempted to do a bit more commentary for Sky TV in the future. He may not have the witty retorts of Faldo but I thought he did a decent job at last year's USPGA. In an ideal world I'd like to see him out on the course and playing some of the golf he's remembered for though.

 

It's a shame that so many greats seem to have disappeared off the map in such a short space of time. Seve and Woosnam are a loss to the game, and Faldo and Lyle along with Greg Norman are greats who I grew up to idolise. Only Langer remains of the 'born in the late 50s club' as a competitive golfer sadly.

[dlygrisse]

Is Lyle still a proponent and practicer of the Moe Norman Natural golf swing. I remember seeing him do infomercials several years ago. Was the reason he lost his game becasue he was seeking new methods, when he should have just stuck with his own natural swing, or his putting?

[mat562]

Lyle was always a somewhat 'streaky' player; perhaps more than any golfer amongst his world class contemporaries he would combine fantastic scoring and ballstriking with some truly horrendous shots, often in the same hole.

 

He began to lose his game as of the start of the '89 season, and by the late summer of that year his game had become so inconsistent that he asked Tony Jacklin to omit him from the Ryder Cup selection. Jacklin was apparently keen to pick Lyle as a wild card choice, but omitted Sandy from the team at his request.

 

His problems were primarily caused by inconsistent ballstriking. Lyle always had a unique move in his wide, inside-the-line takeaway before an upright three quarter backswing. Most of his career he hit a predominantly straight ball with little movement but he began to hit alarmingly wide blocks and snap hooks with the driver on a regular basis. Iremember watching him at Wentworth a couple of years after his victory and it was like watching a different player.

 

Early in the season, he began to consult numerous teachers and began practicing many wierd and wonderful drills - both of which were alien to his game since he had always esentially played by feel and under the tutilege of his father Alex.

 

His game became increasingly inconsistent and disjointed and his scoring average soared. His lack of confidence seemingly permeated all aspects of his game and he began to play some poor golf on a regular basis.

 

He did rally somewhat in the next few years - winning in Italy 1991, and twice in 1992 (including the season-ending Volvo Masters) - but he never looked the same player as he was in his prime. Sadly, those victories were more of a pleasant surprise rather than something that was expected of one of the best players in the world as had been the case only a few years previously. Those of us in the UK and Europe who were fans of Sandy had a similar 'maybe this week will be the start of a comeback' outlook that people have applied to David Duval in recent times, but it never happened unfortunately.

 

His Volvo Masters victory represents his last win.

 

Lyle now only plays a limited schedule in Europe, and major-wise only plays in the Masters and Open Championship these days - his last top 20 finish being a decade ago at Birkdale which was the last time I saw him play.

 

In a field that included Tiger Woods, Mickelson and Duval I still spent a fair while watching Sandy hit balls and made a beeline to watch him on the course. He still struck the ball supremely well and was a big draw, especially amongst people of a certain age who remembered him in his prime.

 

Always renowned as a genuinely nice bloke who had no airs and graces and was down to earth throughout his career it strikes me as a genuine shame that we didn't get to see him at his best for a longer period of time.

[Langlands]

I've always been a big Lyle fan, I remember following him round for 18 holes at the last round of the 1988 Scottish Open at the Kings Course in Gleneagles. What a ball striker.

 

In his prime he used to ditch the 3 wood in favour of an additional wedge - his argument was that he could hit the 1 iron so well he would only hit a 3 wood half a dozen times a season. Who could argue with him?

 

Would be a travesty if he was overlooked for the Ryder Cup captaincy, especially after the PGA handed it to numptys like James and Torrance.

 

Hopefully he will play on the Champions Tour/Euro Seniors Tour for a season or two.

[mat562]

Would be a travesty if he was overlooked for the Ryder Cup captaincy

 

Couldn't agree more.

 

28 professional victories (I think) and a couple of major championships stack up pretty well when taken in concert with a solid Ryder Cup record both as a player and as an assistant captain.

 

Faldo and Woosnam are certainly deserving, as were Seve and Langer. For the remaining member of the 'big five' to be overlooked by the PGA would be shameful.

[stealthontour]

Unfortunatley it looks like Sandy may miss out on the Ryder Cup captaincy... it's widely tipped Monty will be Captain for Celtic Manor in 2010 if he's no longer good enough to qualify (he's just finished redesiging a new course there and has big links with the owner) and then Olazabal in 2012.

It would be great if he was made captain for Gleneagles in 2014 but by then he'd be 56 and maybe too old, as the tours seem to want players who are still in touch with the current crop of players (proving very sucessful with Seve, Torrance, Langer and Woosnam)

[jebb]

I remember Sandy trying to change his swing and some of the attempts looked increasingly bizarre.

 

Early in the piece he had a visor that had coloured balls over the peak that had something to do with aim. Then later on there was stopping the backswing at the top which really did look at odds with such a natural talent.

 

I have very fond memories of Sandy playing in Tvs Pro Celebrity against Lee Trevino. Some of Sandy's play was absolutely sublime and the 1 iron was such a weapon.

 

I can also recall him being longer than John Daley on the measured holes at one of the majors in the early 90s. Always a swing all of his own but what a talent.

[mat562]

Same fond memories here of those old pro celebrity matches. Lyle and Trevino in '87 were probably the best series, although the Woosie/Rodger Davies combo was a good one too the following year.

 

I remember seeing him with the clip-on plastic rectangle/balls combo. I think it was in Phoenix in early '89. I remember wondering what the hell was going on when I saw pictures of that.

 

I also remember the Lyle comments at Baltusrol in 1993. If I recall rightly, he announced to a crowd of journalists that 'I hit it twice as far as John Daly...' after Daly was being lauded for knocking it on #17 in two.

 

To the bemused looks he then added 'I hit it as far as he does and I've only got half the swing he has...'

 

Classic.

 

The all time greatest Sandy comment must be the one he made at Riviera in '92 when asked what he thought of Tiger Woods (who was playing in the LA Open as a 16-year old)

 

After mulling over the question for a short while, Sandy's reply was: 'I don't think I've played there yet..' ;)

 

Stick to the 1 irons Sandy.