Lu Liang-huan, affectionately known to golf fans around the world as Mr. Lu, died on March 15 of unspecified health issues, the Professional Golf Association (PGA) of Taiwan confirmed. He was 85.
He helped put Taiwan on the golf map when he finished runner-up at the 1971 British Open at Royal Birkdale in England. In his annual year-end retrospective, IMG’s Mark McCormack claimed credit for the nickname “Mr. Lu” while doing his annual chores as a BBC commentator for the Open telecast. The nickname stuck.
Lu, who was competing in his first Open, may have been a virtual unknown but he was easy to pick out of a crowd with his distinctive pork pie hat. Lu endeared himself to the crowds by lifting or doffing his lid before bowing to acknowledge their applause. He had bought the bright blue hat a few days earlier to shade his neck from the sun when he realized the forecast called for unusually warm temperatures.
