Dale Hayes (born 1 July 1952)
Hayes won the 15-17 Boys category at the Junior World Golf Championships
in 1969. He turned professional the following year and quickly became
a successful pro. He won more than a dozen events in South Africa,
and was runner up on the South African Tour Order of Merit in 1974,
1975, 1976 and 1979. In 1976 he won the World Cup of Golf for South
Africa in partnership with Bobby Cole.
In 1971 Hayes won the Spanish Open at the age of 18 years and 290
days, becoming the youngest winner on the European Tour, a record
which still stands of as 2005. By 1973 he was fourth on the European
Tour Order of Merit, improving to second in 1974 and first in 1975.
He also finished in the top four in 1978 and 1979, but played little
professional golf after his late twenties.
Since he stopped playing tour golf Hayes has remained involved
in the sport in a variety of ways. He has worked as a broadcaster
in South Africa and for the Golf Channel, edited a golf magazine
and helped to found an internet golf shopping business. He is involved
in golf course design through a company called Matkovich & Hayes.
Tournament Wins
European Tour wins
1971 Spanish Open
1975 Swiss Open
1978 Italian Open, French Open
1979 Spanish Open
Other professional wins
1974 South African PGA Championship
1975 South African PGA Championship
1976 South African Open, South African PGA Championship
1978 South African Masters
1980 Columbian Open
Amateur wins
1969 World Junior Championship (Boys 15-17), South
African Amateur Stroke Play Championship, German Amateur Championship,
Brazilian Amateur Championship
1970 South African Amateur Stroke Play Championship, Scottish Amateur
Stroke Play Championship