Brian Huggett dead: Welsh golfer and former Ryder Cup captain dies at 87 after 'short illness'

A statement issued on behalf of Huggett’s family said he died in the early hours of Sunday morning. His daughter Sandra also shared the news on X, formerly Twitter. She said: “My darling Dad passed away at 1am this morning. A part of my heart went with him. It was such a blessing to be with him and hold his hand for those last few hours. Love you Dad, from your No 1 fan.” Huggett, who was born in Porthcawl on November 18, 1936, played in the Ryder Cup six times, including the 1969 contest at Royal Birkdale which ended in a 16-16 tie after Jack Nicklaus famously conceded a vital putt to Tony Jacklin in the final singles match. Huggett halved the penultimate singles against Billy Casper.

Eight years later, Huggett was a non-playing captain of the Great Britain and Ireland team at Royal Lytham, the last contest before it was expanded to include players from continental Europe. Huggett turned professional in 1951 and won a total of 16 times in Europe, including two after the European Tour was formed in 1972. He missed the cut in his sole appearance in the Masters in 1969 but was third in the 1962 Open at Troon and second to Australia’s Peter Thomson at Royal Birkdale in 1965.

An inaugural member of the European Seniors Tour, Huggett won 10 times on the circuit and was later an ambassador to the 2010 Ryder Cup, which saw the contest played in Wales for the first time. Huggett was made an MBE in 1978 and was inducted into the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame in 2006.