Longtime CBS analyst Peter Oosterhuis, 75, dies
Peter Oosterhuis, a six-time Ryder Cup participant who later brought his distinguished British voice to CBS golf telecasts as an analyst, died Thursday, one day shy of his 76th birthday.
“Peter was an integral part of our golf coverage and an incredible teammate for nearly two decades,” CBS Sports said in a statement. “… Peter brought a unique style and distinct perspective to our broadcasts which made him one of the most respected analysts in the sport. Our deepest condolences go out to his wife Ruth Ann and his entire family.”
As a player, Oosterhuis was a force in Ryder Cup play, going 6-2-1 in singles — twice beating Arnold Palmer and once Johnny Miller. His six wins remain tied for the all-time lead in singles.
He also was a two-time runner-up at the Open Championship and a two-time winner of the European Tour money title. He was ranked No. 1 in Europe for four years during a prolific rise to prominence that eventually brought him to the PGA Tour.
He won 20 tournaments around the globe and never declined an invitation to represent Great Britain in the Ryder Cup, where he had an overall record of 14-11-3 in all matches during an era of U.S. dominance.
Among his near-misses at majors were a 1-shot defeat to Tom Watson at the Open Championship in Royal Troon in 1982. He also tied for third at the 1973 Masters after leading for the first three rounds. The final round was played Monday because of weather issues, and Tommy Arnold claimed his only major title, beating J.C. Snead by 1 shot.
His breakthrough PGA Tour win was the 1981 Canadian Open, when he finished 1 stroke ahead of Bruce Lietzke, Andy North and Jack Nicklaus.
After his playing career, Oosterhuis became a broadcasting mainstay with CBS, including Masters telecasts from 1997 to 2014 when he frequently provided commentary from the 17th hole. He also served as an analyst for Sky Sports and Golf Channel.
Oosterhuis also served as golf director at Riviera Country Club near Los Angeles and Forsgate Country Club in New Jersey.
He announced his retirement from broadcasting in the summer of 2014 due to the diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s.
The London-born Oosterhuis was DP World Tour Rookie of the Year in 1969 and won the top player award on tour for four consecutive seasons (1971-74). In addition to three Southern Africa Tour titles, he won seven DP World Tour titles and became a full-time PGA Tour participant in 1975 as one of the first international players to assume a spot on the U.S.-based tour.
His best year on the PGA Tour came in 1981, when he finished 28th on the money list with $115,862.
Field Level Media and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
