Northern Irish · Newry, County Down, Northern Ireland · Born 13 January 1964Ronan Rafferty is a Northern Irish former professional golfer who won the European Tour Order of Merit in 1989 and represented Europe in the Ryder Cup.
Ronan Rafferty's 1989 European Tour season — three wins, a Volvo Masters title by one shot from Nick Faldo, and the Order of Merit — remains the finest year any golfer from Northern Ireland had achieved on the European Tour, culminating in a Ryder Cup debut at The Belfry that capped an unforgettable twelve months. A gifted amateur, he won the Boys Amateur Championship at 15, qualified for The Open Championship at 16, and played in the 1981 Walker Cup at just 17, before turning professional later that year. Rafferty's early professional career was defined by remarkable consistency without a breakthrough win — he recorded 62 top-10 finishes on the European Tour before claiming his first title. He found more immediate success in Australasia, winning the 1987 New Zealand Open in a playoff over Larry Nelson and the 1988 Australian Match Play Championship, before finally winning on the European Tour at the 1989 Italian Open. 1989 proved to be Rafferty's finest season: he added two more European Tour victories, including the prestigious Volvo Masters — where he beat Nick Faldo by a shot — and topped the European Tour Order of Merit as its leading money-winner, also earning his only Ryder Cup appearance that year at The Belfry. He remained a fixture in the world's top 25 through the early 1990s, adding further wins in 1990 and 1993 for a career total of seven European Tour titles, before injuries curtailed his form later in the decade. Rafferty has since built a respected career as a golf broadcaster and course designer.
Topping the European Tour Order of Merit in 1989 as the tour's leading money-winner
How They Played
Consistent, methodical ball-striker known for a remarkable run of top-10 finishes before his breakthrough win
Lasting Impact
One of Northern Ireland's top golfers of the late 1980s and early 1990s, now a respected golf broadcaster
Career Honours
- European Tour Order of Merit winner (1989)
- 7x European Tour winner
- Ryder Cup player (1989)
- 1988 Australian Match Play Champion