Peter McEvoy – Former Amateur Champion and Captain of the Walker Cup, at 72 years old
Peter Mcevoy, the first British amateur golfist to cut the Masters, died at the age of 72.
Born in London, Mcevoy was raised near Turnberry on the Ayrshire coast. Despite a delicate Scottish burr, it represented England in a career decorated among the unpaid ranks.
“We have lost one of the most respected figures of amateur golf,” said the CEO of R&A Mark Darbon.
“Peter was an exceptional amateur golfist and enjoyed an illustrious career. He also worked so hard to develop the game as an administrator and help to offer opportunities to aspiring players.
“On behalf of the R & A and Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, I would like to offer our deepest condolences to Peter’s family at this sad moment.”
Although considered quite talented to earn to live playing, Mcevoy preferred to remain a prominent figure away from professional circuits.
He won the amateur championship both in 1977 and in 1978, the second of those victories arriving in the same year in which he arrived on the weekend to end 53 ° in Augusta.
Later in 1978 it was the lowest amateur outdoors, ending up in a part of 39th place. The following year in Lytham he was the main unpaid finisher, 17th arriving.
Mcevoy was part of the Walker Cup’s winning team – the amateur equivalent of the Ryder Cup – in 1989 at the Peachtree Golf Club in Atlanta. It was unbeaten in each of the first three sessions while visitors built a crucial advantage for 11-5 compared to the United States.
A decade afterwards led GB & I to a famous 15-9 victory in Nairn in Scotland. Mcevoy happened a team that included the current European Ryder Cup skipper Luke Donald, Paul Casey, Simon Dyson and Graeme Storm.
Donald played two years later in Sea Island in Georgia, while Mcevoy inspired GB & I to another convincing victory. The team also included the winner of the tour Nick Dougherty and Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland, which would continue to win the US Open.
McEvoy became president of the R&A selection committee while embarking on a career involving the design of the golf courses.
It was an extremely respected figure in every aspect of the game, receiving an obese in 2003 for its golf services.
