17 Facts About Dai Rees

1.

Winner of many prestigious tournaments in Britain, Europe and farther afield, Dai Rees is best remembered as the captain of the Great Britain Ryder Cup team which defeated the United States at Lindrick Golf Club in Yorkshire, England, in 1957.

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2.

Dai Rees was born in Fontegary, near Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales.

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3.

Dai Rees was brought up around golf, with his father being the head professional and his mother a steward at The Leys Golf Club.

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4.

Dai Rees's family moved to Aberdare, where his father had taken up the position of head professional at Aberdare Golf Club.

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5.

Dai Rees began his professional career aged 16 as an assistant to his father at Aberdare Golf Club.

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6.

Dai Rees moved to Whitchurch Golf Club near Cardiff and then to Surbiton Golf Club in early 1935.

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7.

Dai Rees won many important tournaments around the world including four News of the World Match Plays, two British Masters, the Irish, Belgian and Swiss Opens, and the South African PGA Championship.

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8.

Dai Rees had a good chance of victory in 1946, when he shot a final round 80 to slip into a tie for fourth place.

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9.

Dai Rees continued to play at a competitive level in his "senior" years, and remained successful, especially in match play tournaments.

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10.

Dai Rees reached the final of the News of the World Match Play twice while in his fifties, in 1967 and again in 1969, on each occasion beating several players almost half his age over 18 holes.

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11.

Dai Rees had some success in stroke play tournaments, including a runner-up finish in the Martini International in 1973 when aged 60.

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12.

Dai Rees played in nine Ryder Cups in total, and was selected for the aborted 1939 Cup.

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13.

Dai Rees captained the Great Britain Ryder Cup team on five occasions, in 1955,1957,1959,1961 and 1967.

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14.

In 1957, following Britain's triumph in the Ryder Cup, Dai Rees won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award, perhaps Britain's best known sports award.

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15.

Dai Rees was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1958 New Year Honours.

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16.

In 1983, Dai Rees was involved in a car crash on his way back from watching an Arsenal football match.

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17.

Dai Rees died several months later, aged 70, having failed to recover from his injuries.

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