As another year draws to a close, it’s natural to reflect on the past 12 months. It’s been an enthralling (see Brooks Koepka’s US PGA victory and Europe winning the Ryder Cup) and dramatic (see Jon Rahm joining LIV and the mysterious framework agreement between the PIF and the PGA/DP World Tours) year on the professional tours, but away from all that, a number of important figures from within the game sadly lost their lives.
Here, we remember some of those who passed away in 2023 and reflect on the contributions they made to the game.
Andy Bean
In October, Andy Bean died at the age of 70 following complications from double lung transplant surgery. The American won 11 times on the PGA Tour and three times on the PGA Tour Champions. Bean officially retired from golf after the 2014 season.
Barry Lane
On the 1st of January, Barry Lane passed away at the age of 62 following an illness. One of the country's most renowned and respected professionals over the past few decades, Lane made Bernard Gallacher's 1993 Ryder Cup team at The Belfry as one of four rookies on the European side. He is fourth on the DP World Tour’s all-time start list (693) and won five times, including the Scottish Open, European Masters and British Masters. He also won eight times on the Legends Tour.
Ivor Robson
Ivor Robson, known as the ‘Voice of The Open’, died on October 15, but the cause of death wasn’t given for the 83-year-old. Robson announced players onto the first tee at The Open Championship for 41 years until his retirement in 2015 at St Andrews. He was the DP World Tour’s official starter for more than 40 years and also fulfilled that role at the Ryder Cup.
Sir Michael Bonallack
Sir Michael Bonallack, Britain’s greatest ever amateur, died in September at the age of 88. He played in nine straight Walker Cup matches between 1957 and 1973 and was playing captain in 1971. He won the Amateur Championship an incredible five times and he also served as the secretary of The R&A from 1984-1999. He was knighted in 1998 and inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2000.
John Paramor
In February, the golf world lost John Paramor due to an unspecified illness at the age of 67. Paramor was a referee on the European/DP World Tour for 44 years before his retirement in 2020. During those years, he built a reputation as one of the best and most knowledgeable rules officials in the history of the game.
Betsy Rawls
Betsy Rawls died in October at the age of 95, and few professionals in any era can match her CV. Rawls, who trained as a physicist, won 55 times on the LPGA Tour and triumphed in eight Major Championships, including four US Women’s Opens. She ranks sixth all-time in terms of LPGA Tour titles and women’s Majors. She’s a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame and she also served as tournament director of the LPGA Championship for 17 years.
Dale Reid
In November, two-time European Solheim Cup captain Dale Reid passed away at the age of 64 following a battle with cancer. Reid turned professional in 1979 and played against the Americans four times between 1990 and 1996. In 2000, she led the team to victory for only the second time in 11 Solheim Cups and she was awarded an OBE in 2001. Elsewhere, she claimed 21 victories on the Ladies European Tour and registered a record 135 top-tens.
Don January
Don January died in May at the age of 93. The American’s most famous success came in the 1967 US PGA Championship at Columbine Country Club, one of ten PGA Tour titles. He played in two Ryder Cups, in 1965 and 1977, and notched a remarkable 22 wins on the PGA Tour Champions, including two PGA Seniors’ Championships.
John Bland
In May, South Africa’s John Bland passed away at the age of 77 after a 40-year golfing career. He won twice on the European Tour, beating out Bernhard Langer in the 1983 Benson and Hedges International and Seve Ballesteros at the 1986 Suze Open. He also has eight senior titles to his name and a total of 36 overall.
