Stephen Dodd
FameRank: 5

"Stephen Dodd" is a Wales/Welsh professional golfer who after a relatively moderate career, unexpectedly won two events on the PGA European Tour/European Tour in the 2005 season at the age of 38.

Dodd was born in Cardiff. He had a successful amateur career highlighted by victory in The Amateur Championship at Royal Birkdale Golf Club/Royal Birkdale in 1989, which qualified him to play in The Open Championship that year and the Masters Tournament/U.S. Masters the following year. He was named Welsh sports personality of the year in 1989. He turned professional golfer/professional in 1990.

Dodd 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.

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Although going into the event as a defending champion will be something new to me, naturally coming back to the place where I won my maiden Tour victory will remain close to my heart until the day I die.

It's changed things around hasn't it?

Ireland however came down to a test of nerve and without a doubt, the experience of winning in China gave me the inner belief to go on and lift the title.

As a country I found it to be superb and I feel that by playing the co-sanctioned events it is good for everybody concerned.

It would have been nice to have won over four days but we'll take winning over three days.

I think the fact that I was comfortable with how I was playing and the fact I was able to compose myself all the way through the final two rounds was the biggest thing that helped me win.

It would have been nice to play 72, but at the end of day a win is a win whether it's 54 or not, ... We obviously played the best golf up until now.

It was the best rain I've ever watched.

I'm in a very confident mood after a good result last week.