Sam Torrance

2.1. Childhood and family

Samuel Robert Torrance was born and grew up in Largs, a town on the west coast of Scotland. His early engagement with golf took place at Routenburn Golf Club, located near his family home. His father, Bob Torrance (1932-2014), was a highly respected golf instructor who personally coached Sam from his childhood, significantly influencing his development in the sport.

2.2. Turning professional

Torrance transitioned into professional golf at the age of 17. His first professional engagement was at Sunningdale Golf Club in England. During this period, he supplemented his income, which was a modest 5 GBP per week as an assistant professional, by playing for money with club members. In August 1970, before turning professional, Torrance represented Scotland in the Boy's International Match against England at Hillside, Southport.

3.1. European Tour achievements

Torrance officially joined the European Tour in 1970, which was formally established in 1972. His first professional victory came in 1972, the same year he was honored with the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year award. He secured his inaugural European Tour win in 1976. Throughout his career, Torrance amassed 21 victories on the European Tour. Among golfers who have not won a major championship, only fellow Scot Colin Montgomerie has accumulated more European Tour titles. His highest ranking on the European Tour Order of Merit was second, which he achieved twice, in 1984 and 1995. In total, he consistently performed at a high level, finishing within the top-10 of the Order of Merit 10 times. For a period, he held the record for the most career appearances on the European Tour, completing 706 events. This record was later surpassed by Miguel Ángel Jiménez at the 2020 Hero Open.

Below is a detailed list of his 21 European Tour victories:

• Note: Tournament shortened to 54 holes due to weather.

His European Tour playoff record is 4 wins and 2 losses.

3.2. International tournament performances

Torrance's success extended beyond the European Tour to other international circuits. On his first visit to the PGA Tour of Australasia (then known as the PGA Tour of Australia), he finished second at the 1980 New South Wales Open. The following week, he secured a significant victory at the Australian PGA Championship at Royal Melbourne Golf Club, defeating golf legend Seve Ballesteros by two strokes. He returned to Australia the next year, finishing second in October after losing a playoff to Eamonn Darcy at the 1981 CBA West Lakes Classic.

His sole victory on the PGA Tour of Australasia is as follows:

His PGA Tour of Australasia playoff record is 0 wins and 1 loss.

On a rare appearance on the U.S.-based PGA Tour in October 1983, Torrance tied for first after 72 holes at the Southern Open in Columbus, Georgia. This marked his first time making the cut in a PGA Tour tournament. He ultimately lost in a playoff to Ronnie Black on the fourth extra hole.

His PGA Tour playoff record is 0 wins and 1 loss.

Torrance also came close to victory on the Japan Golf Tour. In 1984, he lost in a playoff to Masahiro Kuramoto at the Bridgestone Tournament in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. That same year, he finished second at the Malaysian Open, tying Terry Gale two strokes behind winner Lu Chien-soon. In 1987, he again finished second in Japan at the Casio World Open, losing by two strokes to David Ishii after holding or sharing the lead for the first three rounds.

His PGA of Japan Tour playoff record is 0 wins and 1 loss.

Torrance also secured victories in other international circuits, including the Safari Circuit and the South American Golf Circuit. His sole Safari Circuit win was at the 1975 Zambia Open, where he won in a playoff against Brian Barnes. His only South American Golf Circuit win was at the 1979 Colombian Open, where he beat Ray Carrasco by three strokes.

Additionally, he accumulated 11 other professional wins:

• 1972 Lord Derby's Under-25 Match Play Championship, Radici Open (Italy)
• 1975 Scottish Uniroyal Tournament
• 1978 Scottish Professional Championship
• 1979 Skol Tournament
• 1980 Scottish Professional Championship
• 1982 Skol Tournament
• 1985 Scottish Professional Championship
• 1991 Scottish Professional Championship
• 1993 Scottish Professional Championship
• 2006 Hassan II Golf Trophy

3.3. Major championship participation

Sam Torrance participated in golf's four major championships throughout his professional career, including the Masters Tournament, U.S. Open, The Open Championship, and PGA Championship. His best finish in any major was a tied 5th place at The Open Championship in 1981 at Royal St George's Golf Club in Sandwich, England.

His results in major championships are summarized in the following tables:

• CUT = missed the half-way cut (3rd round cut in 1973, 1977 and 1978 Open Championships)
• "T" indicates a tie for a place

Summary of his major championship results:

• Most consecutive cuts made - 10 (1980 Open Championship - 1988 Open Championship)
• Longest streak of top-10s - 1 (twice)

3.4. Ryder Cup and team representations

Torrance was a cornerstone of the European Ryder Cup team, making eight consecutive appearances as a player from 1981 to 1995. His most iconic moment came in the 1985 Ryder Cup, where he sank the winning putt on the 18th green at The Belfry in England, marking the first time in 28 years that the Americans were deprived of the trophy. He was also a member of the winning European teams in 1987, which was Europe's first-ever victory on American soil, as well as in 1989 (where the match was tied, and Europe retained the trophy) and 1995.

His influence extended to leadership roles; in 2002, he served as the non-playing captain of the European team that won the 2002 Ryder Cup at The Belfry. This achievement made him the second European, after Seve Ballesteros, to both sink the winning putt as a player and captain a winning team in separate Ryder Cups. He was also named a vice-captain for the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club, supporting captain Darren Clarke.

Beyond the Ryder Cup, Torrance represented Scotland extensively in various team events:

• He played for Scotland 11 times in the World Cup. Team Scotland finished second twice with Torrance as part of the two-man team: in 1984 with Gordon Brand Jnr and in 1987 with Sandy Lyle. Individually, Torrance finished tied 5th at the 1978 World Cup in Hanalei, Hawaii and 3rd at the 1995 World Cup of Golf at the Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen, China.
• He participated nine times in the Alfred Dunhill Cup. In 1995, he was part of the winning Scotland team, alongside Colin Montgomerie and Andrew Coltart, at the Old Course at St Andrews in Scotland. The home team defeated Zimbabwe 2-1 in the final, with Torrance winning his match against Mark McNulty.
• Torrance also represented Scotland in the Double Diamond International in 1973 (winners), 1976, and 1977.
• He was part of the Great Britain and Ireland team that won the Hennessy Cognac Cup in 1976, 1978, 1980, and 1982. He also represented Scotland in the same event in 1984.
• He represented Europe in the Four Tours World Championship in 1985 and was a winning captain in 1991.
• He played for the Rest of the World team in the UBS Cup in 2001, 2002, and 2004.
• In 2013, he served as the non-playing captain for Great Britain & Ireland in the Seve Trophy.

4.1. European Senior Tour achievements

Torrance secured his first victory on the European Senior Tour in 2004. He dominated the European Senior Tour's Order of Merit, finishing first three times in 2005, 2006, and 2009. In total, he achieved 11 victories on the European Senior Tour, marking him as one of the tour's most successful players.

Detailed list of his 11 European Senior Tour victories:

His European Senior Tour playoff record is 1 win and 1 loss.

4.2. Senior major championship results

Despite his numerous victories on the European Senior Tour, Torrance never won a senior major championship. His best performance in a senior major was a lone 5th place finish at The Senior Open Championship in 2009. This matched his best result in a regular major championship, which was also a 5th place finish at The Open Championship.

His results in senior major championships are summarized below:

• CUT = missed the halfway cut
• "T" indicates a tie for a place.
• Torrance never played in the Senior Players Championship.

4.3. Retirement from competitive golf

Sam Torrance formally retired from competitive golf after participating in his final event on the European Senior Tour, then known as the Staysure Tour, in October 2017.

4.4. Playing style and equipment

During his prime, Sam Torrance was recognized for his distinctive playing style. He was particularly known for his long driving and accurate short iron play, often executing shots with a daring approach. Torrance was also an early adopter of the broomhandle putter. Following a disappointing 1988 season on the greens, he began experimenting with the long putter, which had already seen some success in the United States. He introduced his version of the putter, designed to be anchored on the chin rather than the midriff, at the 1989 Jersey Open. This change proved effective, as he subsequently finished in the top five in that event and continued to use the broomhandle putter with relative success throughout his later career.

5.1. Broadcasting and authorship

Sam Torrance has had a successful career as a golf commentator for BBC Sport's golf coverage. His commentary work also extended to video games, as he provided commentary alongside Kelly Tilghman for Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09. He is also an accomplished author or co-author of several golf-related books, including:

• Play It Again, Sam: The Autobiography (2001)
• An Enduring Passion: My Ryder Cup Years (2003)
• Sam: The Autobiography of Sam Torrance, Golf's Ryder Cup Winning Hero (2003)
• With Friends Like These: A Selective History of the Ryder Cup (2006)
• Out of Bounds: Legendary Tales From the 19th Hole (2012)

5.2. Media appearances

Torrance has made five appearances on the popular sport personality quiz show A Question of Sport since 2005. In October 2006, during one episode, he took over nine minutes to deliberate with his teammates, Ally McCoist and Michael Holding, on the question: "Who is the only golfer from Europe or the United States to have won two majors without making a Ryder Cup appearance?" He eventually provided the correct answer, John Daly. On March 17, 2008, competing with Sharron Davies and team captain Phil Tufnell in the 37th season of A Question of Sport, Torrance achieved a historical milestone by recording the show's first-ever perfect score since its inception in 1970.