Posted: 20 September 2006
Ryder Cup Team Captains honoured by UCD
For their exceptional achievements which are inspirational to sporting people worldwide, Ian Woosnam, Europe Ryder Cup Captain 2006, and Tom Lehman, United States Ryder Cup Captain 2006, were conferred with honorary Doctor of Laws degrees by University College Dublin at an award ceremony at The K Club, County Kildare, Ireland, the venue for the 2006 Ryder Cup, on 19 Sept 2006.
Ian Woosnam, Captain European Ryder Cup Team 2006;
and Tom Lehman, Captain USA Ryder Cup Team 2006
‘University College Dublin prides itself as Ireland’s premier nursery for sporting excellence. We award more golf scholarships than any other Irish university and the award of the degrees today will inspire our current and future students to sporting excellence’ said Dr Hugh Brady, President of University College Dublin.
(Back Row L to R) Kieran McGowan, Chairman Governing Authority UCD; Ken Schofield CBE, Former Executive Director of The European Tour; Tim Finchem, Commissioner of the PGA Tour; Dr. Michael WJ Smurfit; Roger Warren, President of The PGA of America; Dr. Pádraic Conway, UCD Vice-President for University Relations; and Philip Weaver, PGA Chairman.
(Front L to R) Ian Woosnam, Captain European Ryder Cup Team 2006; Dr. Hugh R Brady, President UCD; and Tom Lehman, Captain USA Ryder Cup Team 2006
Four other global figures in the world of sport were also conferred with honorary Doctor of Laws degrees at the ceremony including: Kenneth D Schofield CBE, Former Executive Director of The European Tour; Philip Weaver, PGA Chairman; Roger Warren, President of The PGA of America; and Tim Finchem, Commissioner of the PGA Tour.
Ian Woosnam is the Europe Ryder Cup Captain 2006. Since his first professional tournament victory in the 1982 Swiss Open, Woosnam has blazed a trail as one of the most successful golfers in the world winning more tournaments than any other British golfer, excluding Seniors Tour veteran Neil Coles. In 1987, he became the first player to win £1,000,000 in prize money in a single year winning the Hong Kong Open, the World Cup individual prize, the Sun City Million Dollar challenge and five victories in Europe. He has finished in the top 12 of the European Order of Merit for over 12 successive years collecting in excess of £3,500,000 in prize money in Europe alone.
In 1990, Woosnam won five victories worldwide. In 1991, he won the Mediterranean Open, his first event of the year, followed, a couple of weeks later, by his first US event win in New Orleans and a couple of weeks later he won the US Masters at Augusta taking the world number one position. Woosnam has continued to consolidate his position as one of the leading golfers in the world winning many global tournaments and serving as Vice Captain of the successful Ryder Cup team of 2002.
Woosnam’s sporting talents and abilities matched with his tenacity and down to earth personality make his one of the foremost ambassadors in world golf today.
Tom Lehman is the United States Ryder Cup Captain 2006. Lehman’s infectious passion for golf is reflected in his 24-year professional career in the sport through which he has became one of golf’s most respected competitors.
In 1991, he was the leading money-winner on the Nationwide Tour and received the honour of ‘Player of the Year.’ He went on to carve his niche as a premier member of the PGA Tour. And his showcase season came in 1996 when he won the British Open Championship, the Tour Championship, the PGA Grand Slam of Golf, the PGA Player of the Year and the Vardon Trophy.
He has posted three other victories on the PGA Tour, to go with two international triumphs. He competed on the 1995, ’97 and ’99 U.S. Ryder Cup Teams and was one of the most spirited players in each competition.
Today, Lehman remains one of the top performers on the PGA Tour, and for most of the year was a valid candidate to have served as the first “playing” Captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963. Lehman brings his trademark enthusiasm for competition to his position as the leader of the US Ryder Cup Team 2006.