Rodger Davis was born on this day in 1951, in Sydney, Australia. He turned professional in 1974 and spent his regular career playing mainly on the PGA Tour of Australasia and the European Tour. He won the PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit in 1990 and 1991.
He made the top ten of the European Tour Order of Merit four times in the late 1980s and early 1990s. His seven European Tour wins included two of Europe’s most prestigious tournaments; the British PGA Championship, which he won in 1986 at Wentworth Club, and the season ending Volvo Masters, which he claimed in 1991. His best finish on the US PGA Tour was a tie for fifth at the 1986 NEC World Series of Golf.
Davis was ranked in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings for 29 weeks between 1987 and 1992. In the 1987 Open Championship, Davis shot a first round of 64 at Muirfield to lead the tournament by three strokes after the opening round. He finished the championship in a tie for 2nd place with American Paul Azinger, a stroke behind the champion Nick Faldo. The 1987 British Open is Davis’s best finish in a major championship.
Davis represented Australia in team competitions several times, and was a member of his country’s winning three man team at the 1986 Alfred Dunhill Cup.
As a senior, he played mainly on the US-based Champions Tour (2001-05), where he won once, the 2003 Toshiba Senior Classic. He played on the European Seniors Tour in 2011 and 2012.
