Stephen Dodd
Stephen Christopher Dodd (born 15 July 1966) is a Welsh professional golfer who after a moderate career, unexpectedly won two events on the European Tour in the 2005 season at the age of 38 and won a third time in 2006. He also won the 2005 WGC-World Cup in partnership with Bradley Dredge. Since turning 50 he has won three times on the European Senior Tour.
Stephen Dodd | |
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Personal information | |
Full name | Stephen Christopher Dodd |
Born | Cardiff, Wales | 15 July 1966
Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
Weight | 187 lb (85 kg; 13.4 st) |
Nationality | |
Residence | Barry, Wales |
Career | |
Turned professional | 1990 |
Current tour(s) | European Senior Tour |
Former tour(s) | European Tour Challenge Tour |
Professional wins | 17 |
Highest ranking | 56 (22 May 2005)[1] |
Number of wins by tour | |
European Tour | 3 |
Asian Tour | 1 |
Challenge Tour | 1 |
European Senior Tour | 3 |
Other | 10 |
Best results in major championships | |
Masters Tournament | CUT: 1990 |
PGA Championship | CUT: 2005, 2006 |
U.S. Open | DNP |
The Open Championship | CUT: 1989, 2005, 2006 |
Personal life
Dodd was born in Cardiff. He resides in Barry, Wales with his wife Allison and their son Liam.
Amateur career
Dodd had a successful amateur career highlighted by victory in The Amateur Championship at Royal Birkdale in 1989, which qualified him to play in The Open Championship that year and the Masters Tournament the following year. He played in the 1989 Walker Cup, being part of the first Great Britain and Ireland team to win in the United States. He was named BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year in 1989.
Professional career
Dodd turned professional in 1990. He spent the early years of his professional career on Europe's second tier Challenge Tour. In 1992 he won the Bank Austria Open on that tour, but his results were generally patchy. He first gained his place on the main European Tour in 1995, but found himself returning to qualifying school every year until 2001, when he finally broke into the top 100 on the Order of Merit to automatically retain his playing status. He then steadily improved, having new personal best seasons in 2003 and 2004, finishing 80th and 58th respectively on the money list.
The 2005 season marked a sudden improvement in Dodd's fortunes. He won the first tournament he entered that season, the Volvo China Open (actually played in late 2004), which was one of several events co-sanctioned by the European Tour and the Asian Tour.[2] A few weeks later he picked up a new biggest paycheck of his career by coming tied second in the higher profile Dubai Desert Classic. He went on to win the Nissan Irish Open in May,[3] and in November he won the WGC-World Cup for Wales in partnership with Bradley Dredge. He finished the season ranked a career high 17th on the Order of Merit.
In 2006 Dodd won the Smurfit European Open, granting him a five-year exemption on the European Tour.[4] He finished the season ranked 29th on the Order of Merit. Since then his form has dropped, and in 2008 he made just 4 cuts as he slipped to 245th on the end of season money list. His career started to decline and by 2012, he was playing on the third-tier Dubai-based MENA Golf Tour, where he had three wins. In 2016 he won the GRENKE Championship on the PGA EuroPro Tour, a few weeks before his 50th birthday.
Dodd joined the European Senior Tour after turning 50. In his first season, 2016, he won the Senior Italian Open and followed up with wins in the 2017 Farmfoods European Senior Masters and the 2018 WINSTONgolf Senior Open.
Amateur wins
- 1989 The Amateur Championship, Welsh Amateur Championship, Welsh Amateur Open Stroke Play Championship
Professional wins (17)
European Tour wins (3)
No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 28 Nov 2004 (2005 season) |
Volvo China Open1 | −12 (68-70-70-68=276) | 3 strokes | |
2 | 22 May 2005 | Nissan Irish Open | −9 (69-70-72-68=279) | Playoff | |
3 | 9 Jul 2006 | Smurfit Kappa European Open | −9 (67-69-73-70=279) | 2 strokes |
1Co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour
European Tour playoff record (1–0)
No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2005 | Nissan Irish Open | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
Challenge Tour wins (1)
No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 5 Jul 1992 | Bank Austria Open | −11 (69-67-71-70=277) | 3 strokes |
PGA EuroPro Tour wins (1)
No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 24 Jun 2016 | GRENKE Championship | −13 (66-66-68=200) | Playoff |
MENA Tour wins (3)
- 2012 Shaikh Maktoum Dubai Open
- 2013 Royal D’Anfa Open, Abu Dhabi Golf Citizen Open
Other wins (6)
- 1995 Welsh PGA Championship
- 2001 Welsh PGA Championship
- 2005 WGC-World Cup (with Bradley Dredge)
- 2007 Ryder Cup Wales Welsh PGA Championship
- 2011 Welsh National PGA Championship
- 2014 Welsh National PGA Championship
European Senior Tour wins (3)
No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 23 Oct 2016 | Senior Italian Open | −9 (69-64-71=204) | 1 stroke | |
2 | 22 Oct 2017 | Farmfoods European Senior Masters | −2 (71-73-70=214) | 1 stroke | |
3 | 15 Jul 2018 | WINSTONgolf Senior Open | −15 (64-66-71=201) | 6 strokes |
Results in major championships
Tournament | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | CUT | ||||||||||
The Open Championship | CUT | ||||||||||
PGA Championship |
Tournament | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | |||||||
The Open Championship | CUT | CUT | |||||
PGA Championship | CUT | CUT |
Note: Dodd never played in the U.S. Open.
CUT = missed the half-way cut
Results in World Golf Championships
Tournament | 2005 | 2006 |
---|---|---|
Match Play | ||
Championship | T18 | |
Invitational | 69 | T50 |
"T" = Tied
Team appearances
Amateur
- Walker Cup (representing Great Britain & Ireland): 1989 (winners)
Professional
- Seve Trophy (representing Great Britain & Ireland): 2005 (winners)
- World Cup (representing Wales): 2005 (winners), 2006, 2007, 2009
References
- "Week 21 2005 Ending 22 May 2005" (pdf). OWGR. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
- "Dodd claims first tour victory". BBC Sport. 28 November 2004. Retrieved 13 April 2009.
- "Dodd wins Irish Open in play-off". BBC Sport. 22 May 2005. Retrieved 13 April 2009.
- "Dodd claims European Open victory". BBC Sport. 9 July 2006. Retrieved 13 April 2009.
External links
- Stephen Dodd at the European Tour official site
- Stephen Dodd at the Official World Golf Ranking official site