Brian Waites

Brian J. Waites (1 March 1940 – 8 March 2025) was an English professional golfer. Although he turned professional in 1957, he played little top-level golf for the next 20 years, but then had considerable success, winning twice on the European Tour, five times on the Safari Circuit and playing in the 1983 Ryder Cup. After reaching 50 he had further success as a senior, winning the PGA Seniors Championship twice, and winning four times on the European Senior Tour. Waites died of complications from Parkinson's disease on 8 March 2025, at the age of 85.

Professional career Waites turned professional in 1957. He was an assistant professional at Hesketh Golf Club in Southport, becoming the professional at Saltburn Golf Club in Saltburn-by-the-Sea from 1961, before moving to Brough Golf Club in East Yorkshire in 1965. In early 1969 Waites became the professional at Hollinwell (Notts Golf Club), replacing David Talbot. He stayed at Hollinwell until 1998. Before moving to Hollinwell, Waites played relatively few national events and had limited success. While at Saltburn, he qualified for the 1964 Open Championship at St Andrews but missed the cut. After moving to Brough, he won the Yorkshire Open Championship in 1966 and was tied for third place in the 1968 Bowmaker Tournament, a 36-hole event at Sunningdale Golf Club.

In 1969 Waites qualified for the Open Championship at Royal Lytham and played all four rounds, finishing tied for 34th place. In the News of the World Matchplay in September, just his third national event of the year, he qualified in second place and reached the quarter-finals before losing to the eventual winner, Maurice Bembridge. Waites continue to play few national events in the early 1970s but had success locally. He won the Midland Open Championship in 1971 and the Midland Professional Championship in 1972. He played in the inaugural PGA Club Professionals' Championship in 1973 at Calcot Park Golf Club. The event was won by Doug Sewell but Waites was in the leading nine finishers that formed the team for the first Diamondhead Cup, played later in 1973. Waites continued to play in the PGA Club Professionals' Championship, finishing tied for fourth place in the 1975 and runner-up in 1976, to get a place each year in the PGA Cup, which replaced the Diamondhead Cup. In late 1976 he reached the quarter-finals of the Sun Alliance Match Play Championship, losing to Brian Barnes.

In the late 1970s Waites gradually extended his schedule. He played on the Safari Tour in 1977 and was a runner-up in the Zambia Open, behind Tommy Horton. In 1977 he had his first top-10 finishes in stroke-play events on the European Tour, finishing 6th in the Benson and Hedges International Open and 5th in the Callers of Newcastle tournament, a stroke from being in a playoff.

Between 1978 and 1984 Waites was ranked in top 25 of the European Tour Order of Merit in each of those seven years. He won two European Tour events. He had his first win on the European Tour in 1978 at the Tournament Players Championship, finishing a stroke ahead of Neil Coles and taking the first prize of £8,000. Two weeks later he was a runner-up in the Dunlop Masters. a shot behind Tommy Horton. His best performance in 1979 was again late in year, a solo runner-up finish in the TPC behind Michael King. In 1980 Waites lost to Des Smyth at the sixth hole of a sudden-death playoff in the Cold Shield Greater Manchester Open, and was a runner-up in the Bob Hope British Classic. In 1981 he again came close to winning the TPC, but lost at the fourth hole of a playoff to Brian Barnes, who had earlier scored a final round 62 to tie with Waites. Waites second European Tour win came at the 1982 Car Care Plan International, winning by a stroke despite a final round 73 and taking the first prize of £10,000.

Despite his successes, Waites continued to play in the PGA Club Professionals' Championship. He was runner-up in 1978, tied for third place in 1979 and solo third in 1980, to get a place each year in the PGA Cup, although he turned down the place in 1980 because of a clash with the Tournament Players Championship. Later in 1980 the PGA changed the eligibility rules, excluding Waites from the event for a number of years.

Waites was a member of the European 1983 Ryder Cup team. The European team of 12 was chosen entirely from the 1983 European Tour money list as at the conclusion of the St. Mellion Timeshare TPC on September 18. Waites was guaranteed his place before the final event and didn't play in it, finishing 7th in the money list with £40,482 and making his only appearance at the age of 43. He had played in 19 qualifying events and although he had not won, he had made the cut in all 19, with 7 top-10 finishes including runner-up finishes in the Car Care Plan International and the Lawrence Batley International. His other four wins were in Zambia. He won the Mufulira Open in 1980, a week after his Kenyan win, and he won there again in 1982. He won the Zambia Open the following week and won the Cock o' the North in 1985 at the age of 45.

Waites was runner-up in the 1984 Tunisian Open, the opening event of the European Tour season but had little success on the tour after that. In 1990 he was a joint runner-up in the Seniors' British Open, a stroke behind Gary Player. In August 1991 Waites was seriously injured in a car accident, spending three months in hospital.

Waites won the Nottinghamshire Open Championship seven times, the Notts Professional Strokeplay Championship seven times and the Notts Professional Matchplay Championship five times.

Professional wins (41) European Tour wins (2)

European Tour playoff record (0–2) Sources: Nottinghamshire Open, 1989 Notts Professional Strokeplay Championship,

European Seniors Tour playoff record (1–0) Source:

Other senior wins (2) Sources:

Team appearances Ryder Cup (representing Europe): 1983 World Cup (representing England): 1980, 1982, 1983 Hennessy Cognac Cup (representing Great Britain and Ireland): 1980 (winners), 1982 (winners), (representing England) 1984 (winners) PGA Cup/Diamondhead Cup (representing Great Britain and Ireland/Europe): 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978 (winners), 1979 (winners), 1990 Chrysler Cup (representing the International team): 1991 Praia d'El Rey European Cup: 1997 (winners), 1998 (tie)