Woosie My Autobiography Ian Woosnam, Edward Griffiths

One of the most powerful and popular players of his generation, Ian Woosnam is a golfing legend. His is a fascinating life story – from the struggle to earn a living in a hard-working mining community, through the highs and lows of the amateur and professional game, to becoming a household name.

The Welsh Wizard had to wait until 1987 to establish himself as one of the best golfers in the game. That year, he won eight tournaments worldwide, amassing £1.8 million in prize money, and he teamed up with Nick Faldo to play a crucial role in Europe’s retention of the Ryder Cup.

Four years later, and Woosnam had achieved his lifelong ambition, with his victory in the US Masters at Augusta. Life was good for the No. 1 ranked golfer in the world.

But it wasn’t always like this. Woosnam describes the harsh realities of the lean years when he struggled to make an impression, how he battled the demons inside him, and re-emerged a stronger character in 2001 with his crowd-pleasing triumph in the World Matchplay Championship.

That same year, he had come within a whisker of winning The Open but for a mistake by his caddy. He writes candidly about that unforgettable day and how he struggled to come to terms with his misfortune.

Woosnam has strong opinions on how to keep the game ‘honest’ and the threat posed by modern technology and the regulation of the professional game. And on a lighter note, he revisits the wealth of characters he has come across both inside and outside the game: from Seve Ballesteros and Nick Faldo to Ian Botham and Dennis Taylor.