Stephen Christopher Dodd (born 15 July 1966) is a Welsh professional golfer who won the 2021 Senior Open Championship. On the regular tours, he won three events on the European Tour 2005−2006. He also won the 2005 WGC-World Cup for Wales in partnership with Bradley Dredge.
Early life and amateur career Dodd was born in Cardiff. He had a successful amateur career highlighted by victory in The Amateur Championship at Royal Birkdale in 1989, which qualified him to play in The Open Championship that year and the Masters Tournament the following year. He played in the 1989 Walker Cup, being part of the first Great Britain and Ireland team to win in the United States. He was named BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year in 1989.
Professional career Dodd turned professional in 1990. He spent the early years of his professional career on Europe's second tier Challenge Tour. In 1992 he won the Bank Austria Open on that tour, but his results were generally patchy. He first gained his place on the main European Tour in 1995, but found himself returning to qualifying school every year until 2001, when he finally broke into the top 100 on the Order of Merit to automatically retain his playing status. He then steadily improved, having new personal best seasons in 2003 and 2004, finishing 80th and 58th respectively on the money list.
The 2005 season marked a sudden improvement in Dodd's fortunes. He won the first tournament he entered that season, the Volvo China Open (actually played in late 2004), which was one of several events co-sanctioned by the European Tour and the Asian Tour. A few weeks later he picked up a new biggest paycheck of his career by coming tied second in the higher profile Dubai Desert Classic. He went on to win the Nissan Irish Open in May, and in November he won the WGC-World Cup for Wales in partnership with Bradley Dredge. He finished the season ranked a career high 17th on the Order of Merit.
In 2006 Dodd won the Smurfit European Open, granting him a five-year exemption on the European Tour. He finished the season ranked 29th on the Order of Merit. Since then his form has dropped, and in 2008 he made just 4 cuts as he slipped to 245th on the end of season money list. His career started to decline and by 2012, he was playing on the third-tier Dubai-based MENA Golf Tour, where he had three wins. In 2016 he won the GRENKE Championship on the PGA EuroPro Tour, a few weeks before his 50th birthday.
Dodd joined the European Senior Tour after turning 50. In his first season, 2016, he won the Senior Italian Open and followed up with wins in the 2017 Farmfoods European Senior Masters and the 2018 WINSTONgolf Senior Open.
Dodd's biggest success of his career came at the 2021 Senior Open Championship. He shot an 8-under-par 62 in the third round to take a two shot lead going into the final round. A 68 on the final day was good enough to see off Miguel Ángel Jiménez by one shot. The win also gave him an exemption into the 2022 Open Championship.
Personal life Dodd lives in Barry, Wales with his wife Allison and their son Liam.
Awards and honors In 1989, Dodd was named BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year In 2012, he earned the Order of Merit title for the MENA Golf Tour In 2021, Dodd earned the Order of Merit title for the European Senior Tour
Amateur wins 1989 The Amateur Championship, Welsh Amateur Championship, Welsh Amateur Open Stroke Play Championship
Professional wins (19) European Tour wins (3) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up128 Nov 2004(2005 season)Volvo China Open1−12 (68-70-70-68=276)3 strokes Thomas Bjørn222 May 2005Nissan Irish Open−9 (69-70-72-68=279)Playoff David Howell39 Jul 2006Smurfit Kappa European Open−9 (67-69-73-70=279)2 strokes José Manuel Lara, Anthony Wall 1Co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour
European Tour playoff record (1–0) No.YearTournamentOpponentResult12005Nissan Irish Open David HowellWon with birdie on first extra hole
Challenge Tour wins (1) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner-up15 Jul 1992Bank Austria Open−11 (69-67-71-70=277)3 strokes Gordon Manson
Challenge Tour playoff record (0–1) No.YearTournamentOpponentResult11992Memorial Olivier Barras Jeff HallLost to birdie on second extra hole
PGA EuroPro Tour wins (1) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner-up124 Jun 2016Grenke Championship−13 (66-66-68=200)Playoff Adam Hodkinson
MENA Golf Tour wins (3) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunners-up124 Oct 2012Shaikh Maktoum Dubai Open−11 (68-68-69=205)2 strokes Martin LeMesurier, Zane Scotland221 Mar 2013Royal D'Anfa Open−6 (70-69-71=210)Playoff Ian Keenan, Zane Scotland323 Oct 2013Abu Dhabi Golf Citizen Open−6 (72-68-70=210)1 stroke Stuart Archibald, Craig Hinton
Other wins (7) 1991 Memorial Olivier Barras 1995 Welsh PGA Championship 2001 Welsh PGA Championship 2005 WGC-World Cup (with Bradley Dredge) 2007 Ryder Cup Wales Welsh PGA Championship 2011 Welsh National PGA Championship 2014 Welsh National PGA Championship
PGA Tour Champions wins (1) LegendSenior major championships (1)Other PGA Tour Champions (0) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner-up125 Jul 2021The Senior Open Championship−13 (66-71-62-68=267)1 stroke Miguel Ángel Jiménez
European Senior Tour wins (4) LegendSenior major championships (1)Other European Senior Tour (3) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up123 Oct 2016Senior Italian Open−9 (69-64-71=204)1 stroke Phillip Price222 Oct 2017Farmfoods European Senior Masters−2 (71-73-70=214)1 stroke Clark Dennis, Paul McGinley315 Jul 2018WINSTONgolf Senior Open−15 (64-66-71=201)6 strokes Jean-François Remésy425 Jul 2021The Senior Open Championship−13 (66-71-62-68=267)1 stroke Miguel Ángel Jiménez
Results in major championships Results not in chronological order in 2020. Tournament19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999Masters TournamentCUTThe Open ChampionshipCUTPGA Championship Tournament2000200120022003200420052006200720082009Masters TournamentThe Open ChampionshipCUTCUTPGA ChampionshipCUTCUT Tournament201020112012201320142015201620172018Masters TournamentThe Open ChampionshipPGA Championship Tournament2019202020212022Masters TournamentPGA ChampionshipThe Open ChampionshipNTCUT
CUT = missed the half-way cut NT = No tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic Note: Dodd never played in the U.S. Open.
Results in World Golf Championships Tournament20052006Match PlayChampionshipT18Invitational69T50
"T" = Tied
Senior major championships Wins (1) YearChampionship54 holesWinning scoreMarginRunner-up2021 The Senior Open Championship 2 shot lead −13 (66-71-62-68=267) 1 stroke Miguel Ángel Jiménez
Results timeline Results not in chronological order. Tournament 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023202420252026Senior PGA ChampionshipCUTT56CUTNTT70CUTWDThe TraditionNTT68T7573T63U.S. Senior OpenCUTCUTNTCUTCUTCUTSenior Players ChampionshipT256677T53The Senior Open ChampionshipT14T61T18T18NT1T47CUTT64CUTCUT
CUT = missed the halfway cut WD = withdrw "T" indicates a tie for a place NT = no tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic
Team appearances Amateur Walker Cup (representing Great Britain & Ireland): 1989 (winners) European Amateur Team Championship (representing Wales): 1987, 1989
Professional Seve Trophy (representing Great Britain & Ireland): 2005 (winners) World Cup (representing Wales): 2005 (winners), 2006, 2007, 2009
References
External links