Norman Wood, Scot who beat Lee Trevino in Ryder Cup, passes away

Norman Wood, who beat Lee Trevino in the 1975 Ryder Cup on the same day that Brian Barnes defeated Jack Nicklaus twice, has died at the age of 76.

Wood, who was born in Prestonpans in East Lothian but started his golf career at Alva in Clackmannanshire, won the 1972 Italian Open by two shots from Welshman Brian Huggett.

He also finished runner-up to Gary Player Player in the 1974 Australian Open at Lake Karrinyup at a time when that event attracted most of the game’s top players.

On the back of a solid run of results, Wood qualified automatically for the 1975 Ryder Cup, which was played at Laurel Valley in Pennsylvania, where his team-mates in a Great Britain & Ireland side included fellow Scots Barnes and Bernard Gallahcer, as well as Tony Jacklin.

Norman Wood in action during the PGA Seniors Championship at The Belfry in 199. Picture: Paul Severn/Allsport.

He beat Trevino, a five-time major winner at that stage in his career, 2&1 in the final singles session, but, despite that effort and a memorable day for Barnes, the visitors lost 21-11.

In an interview with Scotland on Sunday in 2021 Wood recalled how Trevino hadn’t uttered a word to him early on before becoming a bit on the chirpy side when the Scot got his nose in front.

“He’d been known for that, of course,” said Wood, who lived in the Channel Islands, having settled in Guernsey after becoming head pro at Royal Guernsey. “Jacklin hated playing with him. Everybody hated playing with him, in fact.

“When I won the eighth to go one up, he just started to yak, yak, yak all the time on the way to the ninth tee. The crowds were laughing at him, but I am sure it was deliberate, but that was him, he was an entertainer and, you know, good luck.”

Norman Wood was born in Prestonpans and started playing golf at Alva before spending most of his life living in Guernsey. Picture: Andrew Redington/Allsport.

In 2014, Wood returned to his homeland to be a guest of honour at the Scottish Golf Awards and was warmly welcomed at a sell-out occasion.

Former Scotland international John Huggan said he was “sorry” to hear that Wood had passed away while former Walker Cup player Ricky Willison described the news as “sad” and called Wood a “lovely man”.