Malcolm Gregson, the former Ryder Cup player and Harry Vardon Trophy winner, has passed away at the age of 80.
The Englishman won five times between 1964 and 1968 and represented Great Britain & Ireland in the 1967 Ryder Cup – the same year he won the Harry Vardon Trophy. He also went on to win five times on the European Senior Tour between 1994 and 2004.
Born in Leicester, England on August 15, 1943, and educated at Millfield School in Somerset from 1957 to 1960, he was a talented amateur golfer, reaching the last-16 of the Boys Amateur Championship a week after his 14th birthday.
In 1959 he represented England boys in their annual match against Scotland, and in 1960 he again played for England boys against Scotland and was also selected for a combined England and Scotland team to play a Continental Europe team.
He turned professional in 1961, becoming an assistant professional to Pat Keene at Moor Park Golf Club, and won his first title at the Gor-Ray Cup in 1964.
Gregson then won three times in 1967 – the Schweppes PGA Championship in April, the 1967 Daks Tournament at Wentworth Club in June and the Martini International later the same month.
He also claimed the Harry Vardon that year and represented Great Britian & Ireland in the 1967 Ryder Cup at Champions Golf Club in Houston as the United States Team, Captained by Ben Hogan recorded a record 23½ - 8½ victory.
He also represented England in the 1967 World Cup in Mexico City, alongside Peter Alliss to finish tied 13th in the team event. He finished tied for 6th in the individual standings.
Gregson won the Daks Tournament at Wentworth again in 1968 and claimed a Safari Tour win in the Cock o’ the North in Zambia in 1974 when he defeated Australian Jack Newton in a play-off.
After turning 50 in 1993, he competed on the European Senior Tour – now known as the Legends Tour – winning five times in a decade. He won the Tandem Stockley Park Seniors Opens (1994), Lawrence Batley Seniors (1996), Is Molas Senior Open (1998), Irvine Whitlock Jersey Seniors Classic (2003) and the De Vere Northumberland Seniors Classic (2004).
His son Matt later worked as part of the European Tour group’s Scoring Services team from 2011-2021.
The thoughts of everyone at the European Tour group are with Malcom’s family.
