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.[3] It was the only defeat which the United States suffered in the competition between 1933 and 1985.
Personal life
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.[3] His family moved to Aberdare, where his father had taken up the position of head professional at Aberdare Golf Club.[1][4]
Rees began his professional career aged 16 as an assistant to his father at Aberdare Golf Club.[4] He moved to Whitchurch Golf Club near Cardiff and then to Surbiton Golf Club in early 1935. His first post as a full professional was at Hindhead Golf Club in 1938 where he remained until he took over as the professional at South Herts Golf Club in 1946. Like Harry Vardon before him, he remained in the position until he died in 1983.[1][6]
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.[7]
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.[7]
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.[8] 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.[4]
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.[4][10]
