Former PGA golfer and broadcaster Peter Oosterhuis dies at age 75

Peter Oosterhuis (YouTube)

According to Tom Alter of the PGA Tour on Thursday, former golfer and broadcaster Peter Oosterhuis of London, England has passed away at the age of 75. No direct cause of death was given, but it should be noted that Oosterhuis had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease for the last decade.

Oosterhuis is best known for his Ryder Cup success. Even though he was not part of a Great Britain/Ireland or European team to win the Ryder Cup, Oostherhuis holds the record for most Ryder Cup singles victories of all-time with six. He beat Gene Littler 4&3, and Arnold Palmer 3&2, in 1971 in St. Louis, Missouri, Palmer 4&2 in 1973 in East Lothian, Scotland, Johnny Miller 2 up and J.C. Snead 3 &2 in 1975 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Jerry McGee 2 up in 1977 at Royal Lytham.

Oosterhuis’s lone PGA Tour win came at the 1981 Canadian Open at Glen Abbey in Oakville, Ontario. Oosterhuis posted a score of -4 and beat three Americans by a stroke. The three Americans in second place at -3 were Bruce Lietzke, Jack Nicklaus and Andy North. In a remarkable statistic, Nicklaus finished second seven times at the Canadian Open, but never won the title.

From 1998 to 2009, Oosterhuis worked full time for CBS Sports as a golf broadcaster, and part-time thereafter. In 2014, CBS golf broadcaster Gary McCord notified Jim Nantz, the lead broadcaster of CBS Sports that Oosterhuis was struggling according to John Strege of Golf Digest. Even though Nantz did not see it right away, it became clear that Oosterhuis had the early stages of Alzheimer’s Disease.

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