Dai Rees

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Welsh professional golfer (1913–1983)

title: "Dai Rees" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["welsh-male-golfers", "european-tour-golfers", "ryder-cup-competitors-for-europe", "bbc-sports-personality-of-the-year-winners", "commanders-of-the-order-of-the-british-empire", "sportspeople-from-the-vale-of-glamorgan", "road-incident-deaths-in-london", "1913-births", "1983-deaths"] description: "Welsh professional golfer (1913–1983)" topic_path: "sports" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dai_Rees" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Welsh professional golfer (1913–1983) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox golfer"]

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nameDai Rees

| | image | Dai Rees in 1936.jpg | | imagesize | | | caption | Rees in 1936 | | fullname | David James Rees | | birth_date | | | birth_place | Font-y-Gary, Glamorgan, Wales | | death_date | | | death_place | Barnet, London, England | | height | | | weight | | | sporting_nationality | | | yearpro | 1929 | | extour | European Tour | | prowins | 43 | | otherwins | | | majorwins | | | masters | DNP | | usopen | DNP | | open | 2nd/T2: 1953, 1954, 1961 | | pga | DNP | | wghofid | | | wghofyear | | | award1 | Commander of the Order of the British Empire | | year1 | 1958 | | award2 | Harry Vardon Trophy | | year2 | 1955, 1959 | | awardssection | | | module | {{Infobox person|embed=yes | | signature | Dai_Rees_signature.jpg | ::

| name = Dai Rees

| image = Dai Rees in 1936.jpg | imagesize = | caption = Rees in 1936 | fullname = David James Rees | nickname = | birth_date = | birth_place = Font-y-Gary, Glamorgan, Wales | death_date = | death_place = Barnet, London, England | height = | weight = | sporting_nationality = | residence = | spouse = | partner = | children = | college = | yearpro = 1929 | extour = European Tour | prowins = 43 | otherwins = | majorwins = | masters = DNP | usopen = DNP | open = 2nd/T2: 1953, 1954, 1961 | pga = DNP | wghofid = | wghofyear = | award1 = Commander of the Order of the British Empire | year1 = 1958 | award2 = Harry Vardon Trophy | year2 = 1955, 1959 | awardssection = | module = {{Infobox person|embed=yes | signature = Dai_Rees_signature.jpg David James Rees, (31 March 1913 – 15 November 1983) was one of Britain's leading golfers either side of the Second World War.

The winner of many prestigious tournaments in Britain, Europe and farther afield, Rees is best remembered as the captain of the Great Britain Ryder Cup team which defeated the United States at Lindrick Golf Club in Yorkshire, England, in 1957. It was the only defeat which the United States suffered in the competition between 1933 and 1985.

Early life

In 1913, Rees was born in Fontegary, near Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. He was brought up around golf, with his father being the head professional and his mother a steward at The Leys Golf Club.

During World War II, Rees served as a driver for Air vice-marshal Harry Broadhurst.

Professional career

In 1929, Rees began his professional career aged 16 as an assistant to his father at Aberdare Golf Club.

Rees won many important tournaments around the world including four News of the World Match Plays, two British Masters, the Irish, Belgian and Swiss Opens, and the South African PGA Championship.

Rees never won The Open Championship but finished as runner-up three times, in 1953, 1954 and 1961. He had a good chance of victory in 1946, when he shot a final round 80 to slip into a tie for fourth place.

Rees continued to play at a competitive level in his "senior" years, and remained successful, especially in match play tournaments. He reached the final of the News of the World Match Play twice while in his fifties, in 1967 and again in 1969, on each occasion beating several players almost half his age over 18 holes. He also had some success in stroke play tournaments, including a runner-up finish in the Martini International in 1973 when aged 60.

Rees played in nine Ryder Cups in total, and was selected for the aborted 1939 Cup. He had a 7–10–1 win–loss–draw record.

Rees captained the Great Britain Ryder Cup team on five occasions, in 1955, 1957, 1959, 1961 and 1967. It was at the 1957 event at Lindrick where Britain scored a 7½–4½ victory to break the United States' stranglehold on the trophy they had held since 1933. Having regained the Ryder Cup in 1959, the United States would not relinquish it again until 1985, by which time the British team had been expanded to include the rest of Europe.

Awards

Death

In 1983, Rees was involved in a car crash on his way back from watching an Arsenal football match. He died several months later, aged 70, having failed to recover from his injuries.

Tournament wins

this list may be incomplete

Results in major championships

::data[format=table]

Tournament19351936193719381939
The Open ChampionshipT3111T21T1312
::

::data[format=table]

Tournament1940194119421943194419451946194719481949
The Open ChampionshipNTNTNTNTNTNTT4T21T15CUT
::

::data[format=table]

Tournament1950195119521953195419551956195719581959
The Open ChampionshipT3T12T27T2T2T27T13T30T14T9
::

::data[format=table]

Tournament1960196119621963196419651966196719681969
The Open ChampionshipT92CUTT42T38CUT36CUTCUT
::

::data[format=table]

Tournament19701971197219731974
The Open ChampionshipCUTCUT
::

Note: Rees only played in The Open Championship.

NT = No tournament

CUT = missed the half-way cut (3rd round cut in 1969 and 1971 Open Championships)

"T" indicates a tie for a place

Team appearances

References

References

  1. "Mr Dai Rees – Major Welsh Golfer", ''The Times'', 17 November 1983; pg. 14; Issue 61692.
  2. "Dai Rees (1913–1983)".
  3. "Dai Rees CBE". South Herts Golf Club.
  4. (20 December 2007). "Joe's success mirrors Dai's big day". Cynon Valley Leader.
  5. (1986). "Monty: The Final Years of the Field Marshall 1944–1976". McGraw-Hill Book Company.
  6. (17 November 1983). "Dai Rees, 70, Welsh Golfer; Who Led British Ryder Team". [[The New York Times]].
  7. Alliss, Peter. (1983). "The Who's Who of Golf". [[Orbis Publishing]].
  8. Corrigan, James. (17 September 2006). "Team-room tantrum a forerunner to the Thomas Bjorn Affair". [[The Independent]].
  9. United Kingdom list: {{London Gazette. (31 December 1957)
  10. (26 March 1951). "Nagle, 65, makes record to win open; Rees' purse". [[The Sun (Sydney).
  11. (18 March 1951). "Rees Holds Off Challenge By Nagle For Golf Title". [[The Sunday Herald (Sydney)]].

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welsh-male-golferseuropean-tour-golfersryder-cup-competitors-for-europebbc-sports-personality-of-the-year-winnerscommanders-of-the-order-of-the-british-empiresportspeople-from-the-vale-of-glamorganroad-incident-deaths-in-london1913-births1983-deaths