Shortest golfer to win a major
Ian Woosnam had a great golf career, winning the 1991 Masters and finishing in the top three in majors three other times. The average size of a PGA golfer today is about 6 feet, but surprisingly, Woosnam did it at his height of 5'4.5. He became the shortest male golfer to win a major championship. He is still the only Welsh golfer to win a major today.
Shortest male golfers to win a major
| Height | Person | Description | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5'4.5 | Ian Woosnam | Won 1991 Masters Tournament | Apr 14, 1991 |
| 5'5.5 | Gene Sarazen | Won 7 majors | |
| 5'6 | Gary Player | Won 9 majors | |
| 5'7 | Brian Harman | Won the 2023 Open Championship | Jul 23, 2023 |
| 5'7 | Jeff Sluman | Won the 1988 PGA Championship | Aug 14, 1988 |
Social Media
Quotes
It’s like you are in a movie and it’s going slow motion. You wonder what the end’s going to be. It’s taking forever.
Ian Woosnam
I stand on the 1st tee and I think ‘I’m the best player here’,...It gave me massive confidence and the chance to go ahead and do what I did that week.
Ian Woosnam
I said to myself, ‘This is your chance’ and hit the putt. Fortunately, it went in. You dream of holing a putt on the last hole to win the Masters, and my dream came true.
Ian Woosnam
References
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The Story Behind the Pic: Ian Woosnam 1991 Masters
Still, 52 career wins, including 29 on the European Tour, two European money list titles, 50 weeks as world No.1, entry in the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2017, and an OBE, make for pretty good reading for a man who stood at just 5ft 41/2 inches in his spikes.
Golf News
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‘I shoveled a lot of s—‘: How Ian Woosnam bomb-and-gouged his way to a Masters green jacket
Woosnam’s strategy for the 1991 Masters was the same as it always had been: Hit it hard without being too far offline. Through 54 rounds that had gotten him to 12 under par and built a three-stroke lead. But as often happens on Sunday at Augusta, the nerves ticked up, and the wheels started to wobble.
Golf
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‘It’s like you’re in a movie and it’s going slow motion’: Woosnam recalls his finest hour
As the Welshman stood on the 18th tee, he was in a three-way tie at 11-under. So paired with Watson, with Olazabal marching up the last, and a partisan crowd cheering on their home favourite, let Woosnam and Morbey describe the action and remember how the Masters was won…
National Club Golfer
