The reminiscent memories of 1980 and the top 15 golfers of that time (Part 3)
With the advent of the 1980s, many revolutionary events took place to change our civilization forever. The eighties were marked as the most blissful era for golf and were dominated by 15 golfing legends. The bottom 8 golfers of the top 1980s list are Craig
Stadler, Lee Trevino, Fuzzy Zoeller, Payne Stewart, Greg Norman, Bernhard Langer, Ben Crenshaw and Sandy Lyle.
Raymond Floyd and the Neo conceptual art
Floyd has a total of 10 PGA victories and two Majors which were the 1882 PGA Championship and the 1986 U.S. Open. The all-famous Chip artist reigns from the era of neo-conceptual art and stands at number 7 in our list.
Raymond Floyd won one of his majors at the 1982 PGA Championship and was able to beat Lanny Watkins with 3 shots. He also won the 1986 U.S Open, where Floyd beat Lanny Watkins and Chip Beck after a two shot lead.
The Ryder Cup event welcomed Floyd as a Captain in 1989, and ended the event tied with the European side. The teams levelled each other with 14 points but the win favoured the Europeans based on their earlier victory of 1987. Floyd appeared in the Ryder
Cup matches up till1993 after reaching the age of 51.
Floyd is considered to be as the greatest chip artist in history. He became legendary after his 1980 Chip game, where he beat Jack Nicklaus at the Doral Eastern Open. The golfer played the sudden death playoff at the event and is famous till date.
Floyd’s star-life emerged at a time when the concept of Neo-conceptual art was making its prominence. Where Floyd was the renowned ship artist, the new concept included the Moscow Conceptualist, the counter movement by Stuckism and major criticism from the
1970s art group ‘the Art and Language’.
A 21 too soon-Simpson
Next comes the humble, modest, much-loved Larry Nelson. Nelson became a star golfer after turning 21 as compared to those who have been playing since toddlers. Other than Nelson shinning in the year 1987, ‘The Simpsons’ first appeared in April and dazzled
almost the whole world.
Nelson has a total of eight wins from the 1980s time line and includes three Major titles. The major titles were collected in 1981, 1983 and 1987 at the PGA Championships and the U.S. Open.
He became famous after the 1983 U.S. Open record. Nelson made the record for the lowest score of 65 and 67. The minus 10 score at the Oakmont from Nelson beat Tom Watson with 1 stroke.
His Ryder appearances are two in number with one in 1981 and the second in 1987 hence at number 6.
Curtis Strange
Strange is the holder of 18 victories with two Majors, 1988 and 1989.
At the Brookline Country Club 1988, Strange tied with Nick Faldo at the U.S. Open and defeated him at the playoff. At the 1989 U.S Open, Strange beat Chip Beck, Ian Woosnam and Mark McCumber with 1 stroke and after the Open victory; after that Strange never
won the PGA Tour again.
Strange has played 4 times at the Ryder Cup on the years 1983, 1985, 1987 and 1989 and has spent 200 weeks on the World Golf Hall of Fame between years 1986 and 1990.
Nick – The Ryder man
At number four, the ever-so-impressive Faldo rules the golf fields. The Englishman has three PGA wins and remarkably seven times more in Europe. He won 6 majors in total with two of them in 80s.
Faldo won his first major in 1987 British Open and won the tournament with a shot lead over Paul Azinger and Rodger Davis. His second win was in 1989 Masters from Scott Hotch had he not missed his 2-foot winning putt.
Faldo is one golfer from 80s that appeared in all the Ryder Cup events for Europe. From either side, this man is the greatest Ryder Cup player ever and has played almost 11 Ryder events carding the most points and matches.
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