Scotland’s Paul Lawrie has paid tribute to Australian-born former Open Champion Kel Nagle, golf’s oldest living Major winner who passed away early Thursday morning local time Sydney.
Nagle turned 94 a month ago and is best remembered in denying Arnold Palmer to capture the 1960 Centenary Open on the Old Course at St. Andrews and where the 144th Open will be staged later this year.
“It is always very sad when one of greats of the game pass away and equally when it is a former Open Champion,” said Lawrie after his three under par 69 on the first day of the Dubai Desert Classic.
Paul Lawrie winner of the 1999 Open Championship pays tribute to the late Kel Nagle winner of the 1960 Open Championship.
“We had a number of Graeme Baxter prints that I was getting all the old Open Champions to sign, and Kel was one who kindly signed the prints.
“His great friend Peter Thomson organised to get them signed, and while I never had the pleasure of meeting Kel, but he was a great player and what I’ve learned from Peter he was one of the greatest guys you could ever meet.
“But while he’s passed on what Kel managed to achieve in that 1960 Open is something that will live on forever in the history of the Open Championship.”
Also paying tribute was the current Open Champion and World No. 1 Rory McIlroy.
“I heard the news this morning before heading out here to the golf course and it’s always very sad when one of the legends of the game passes away,” said McIlroy after shooting a first round six under par 66 in Dubai.
“When I won the Australian Open in Sydney two years ago I was made aware he wasn’t in the best of health as I was hoping to visit him where he was staying.
“I do know of his Open win at St. Andrews in 1960 when he beat Arnold Palmer so it will be sad occasion this year but then I’m sure there will be a few glasses raised in Mr. Nagle’s memory at the Former Champions Dinner.”
