The 2023 of golf begins under a bad star. In fact, Barry Lane has passed away: the English professional passed away at the age of 62 after a short illness. Barry Lane played something like 693 races on the European Tour (today DP World Tour) with five victories.
Barry Lane, story
Only three professionals have a longer militancy on the European tour. Lane had also defended the colors of Europe (captained by Bernard Gallacher in the 1993 Ryder Cup at Belfry. The Englishman was one of the four rookies in that edition: among them also Costantino Rocca.
Alongside them were the likes of Ballesteros, Langer and Faldo. The Englishman started playing golf at the age of 14. The debut on the Tour dates back to 1982: his first victory six years later, at the Scottish Open played at Gleneagles.
So the 1992 German Masters, the 1993 European Masters, the 1994 Turespana Open de Baleares and the 2004 British Masters ended up on the bulletin board. From golf and racing Barry Lane has never been able to do without it. So he toured the world for years with the Legends Tour where he collected the beauty of eight successes with his wife Camilla as a caddie.
In 2019 the last trebles, with success at the Senior Italian Open and in Madagascar. In December, the 62-year-old was in Mauritius for the grand finale of the Legends where he presented the trophy for the freshman of the year to the Brazilian Adilson Da Silva.
The trophy, since 2022, had been renamed Barry Lane Rookie of the Year. DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley spoke on behalf of professional golf. “We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Barry Lane. Competitions and successes on both the European Tour and the Legends Tour demonstrate his dedication to the game of golf.
He was a much loved figure on both circuits. The renaming of the Legends Tour Rookie of the Year trophy in his honor is a fitting tribute. I am delighted that he had the opportunity to present it in December”.
