Dai Rees

Early life In 1913, Rees was born in Fontegary, near Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. He was brought up around golf, with his father being the head professional and his mother a steward at The Leys Golf Club.

During World War II, Rees served as a driver for Air vice-marshal Harry Broadhurst.

Professional career In 1929, Rees began his professional career aged 16 as an assistant to his father at Aberdare Golf Club.

Rees won many important tournaments around the world including four News of the World Match Plays, two British Masters, the Irish, Belgian and Swiss Opens, and the South African PGA Championship.

Rees never won The Open Championship but finished as runner-up three times, in 1953, 1954 and 1961. He had a good chance of victory in 1946, when he shot a final round 80 to slip into a tie for fourth place. Having regained the Ryder Cup in 1959, the United States would not relinquish it again until 1985, by which time the British team had been expanded to include the rest of Europe.

Death In 1983, Rees was involved in a car crash on his way back from watching an Arsenal football match. He died several months later, aged 70, having failed to recover from his injuries.

Tournament wins this list may be incomplete 1935 Daily Mirror Assistants' Tournament 1936 News of the World Match Play, Daily Mirror Assistants' Tournament, Surrey Open Championship 1937 Sunningdale Foursomes (with Stanley Anderson) 1938 News of the World Match Play 1939 Yorkshire Evening News Tournament, Addington Foursomes (with Alfred Critchley) 1946 Silver King Tournament, Spalding Tournament 1947 Penfold Tournament (tie with Reg Whitcombe and Norman Von Nida), Daily Mail Tournament, News Chronicle Tournament 1948 Irish Open 1949 News of the World Match Play 1950 Yorkshire Evening News Tournament, News Chronicle Tournament, News of the World Match Play, Dunlop Masters 1951 Royal Canberra Professional Purse, New South Wales Jubilee Open, Yorkshire Evening News Tournament (tie with Norman Von Nida) 1952 Wiseman's Tournament, Yorkshire Evening News Tournament 1953 Daks Tournament 1954 Spalding Tournament, Belgian Open, Southern Professional Championship 1956 Swiss Open, Yorkshire Evening News Tournament (tie with Ken Bousfield) 1958 Dunlop South African Professional Match Play 1959 PGA Close Championship, Swiss Open, Sherwood Forest Foursomes Tournament (with Dennis Smalldon) 1960 Hammonds-Carling Jubilee Tournament, Gleneagles Hotel Foursomes Tournament (with W Glennie) 1962 Dunlop Masters, Daks Tournament (tie with Bob Charles) 1963 Swiss Open 1966 PGA Seniors Championship, Southern Professional Championship 1970 Beefeater Tournament (Bermuda) 1975 Southern Professional Championship

Results in major championships

Note: Rees only played in The Open Championship.

NT = No tournament CUT = missed the half-way cut (3rd round cut in 1969 and 1971 Open Championships) "T" indicates a tie for a place

Team appearances Ryder Cup (representing Great Britain): 1937, 1947, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1955 (captain), 1957 (winners, captain), 1959 (captain), 1961 (captain), 1967 (non-playing captain) Canada Cup (representing Wales): 1954, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964 Coronation Match (representing the Ladies and Professionals): 1937 Triangular Professional Tournament (representing Wales): 1937 Llandudno International Golf Trophy (representing Wales): 1938 Great Britain–Argentina Professional Match (representing Great Britain): 1939 (winners) Joy Cup (representing the British Isles): 1954 (winners), 1955 (winners), 1958 (winners, captain) Slazenger Trophy (representing Great Britain and Ireland): 1956 (winners) Amateurs–Professionals Match (representing the Professionals): 1956 (winners), 1957 (winners), 1958, 1959 (winners), 1960 (winners) R.T.V. International Trophy (representing Wales): 1967 (captain) Double Diamond International (representing Wales): 1971 (captain), 1972 (captain), 1973 (captain), 1975 (captain), 1976 (captain)