# Noel Ratcliffe

Noel Anthony Ratcliffe (17 January 1945 – April 2024) was an Australian professional golfer.

## Early life and amateur career

Ratcliffe turned to golf late for a future professional, and didn't own a set of clubs until he was twenty-one. At university he studied pharmacy and worked for an insurance company and in public service.

## Professional career

In 1974, Ratcliffe turned professional. Like many Australian golfers of his era, he divided his time between the PGA Tour of Australia and the European Tour. In his regular career he won three titles in Australasia and two in Europe, where his best year was 1978 when he finished 11th on the Order of Merit.
After turning fifty he was successful on the European Seniors Tour, where he topped the Order of Merit in 2000, made the top five on four other occasions, and won eight tournaments.

## Death

Ratcliffe died in April 2024, at the age of 79.

## Amateur wins

* 1969 New South Wales Medal
* 1971 New South Wales Medal

## Professional wins (16)
### European Tour wins (2)

| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
| 1 | 11 Jun 1978 | Belgian Open | −12 (72-70-72-66=280) | 1 stroke | Chris Tickner |
| 2 | 16 Aug 1987 | Benson & Hedges International Open | −13 (69-70-70-66=275) | 2 strokes | Ove Sellberg |
European Tour playoff record (0–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponents | Result |
| 1 | 1978 | Benson & Hedges International Open | Neil Coles, Lee Trevino | Trevino won with par on fourth extra hole Ratcliffe eliminated by par on first hole |

### PGA Tour of Australasia wins (1)

| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
| 1 | 6 Feb 1977 | South Australian Open | −5 (69-68-77-73=287) | Playoff | David Galloway |
PGA Tour of Australasia playoff record (1–0)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
| 1 | 1977 | South Australian Open | David Galloway | Won with birdie on first extra hole |

### Other Australasian wins (2)

* 1974 Australian PGA Assistants Championship
* 1976 Huon Open (Papua New Guinea)

### European Seniors Tour wins (8)

| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
| 1 | 28 Jun 1997 | Manadens Affarer Seniors Open | −9 (69-67-68=204) | 7 strokes | Steve Wild |
| 2 | 13 Jul 1997 | Senior German Open | −12 (66-69-69=204) | 2 strokes | David Creamer |
| 3 | 3 Sep 2000 | The Scotsman Scottish Seniors Open | −11 (68-72-65=205) | 1 stroke | Trevor Downing |
| 4 | 24 Sep 2000 | TEMES Seniors Open | −5 (71-69-71=211) | 2 strokes | Maurice Bembridge, Denis O'Sullivan |
| 5 | 5 May 2001 | Beko Classic | −7 (69-73-67=209) | 1 stroke | Terry Gale |
| 6 | 5 Aug 2001 | De Vere Hotels Seniors Classic | −11 (67-71-67=205) | 1 stroke | Jerry Bruner, Simon Owen |
| 7 | 18 May 2003 | AIB Irish Seniors Open | −5 (69-69-73=211) | 1 stroke | Delroy Cambridge, Martin Gray, Bob Lendzion |
| 8 | 5 Jun 2005 | AIB Irish Seniors Open (2) | −6 (71-68-71=210) | 2 strokes | Luis Carbonetti |
European Seniors Tour playoff record (0–2)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponents | Result |
| 1 | 1996 | Ryder Collingtree Seniors Classic | Malcolm Gregson, David Huish | Huish won with par on first extra hole |
| 2 | 1998 | AIB Irish Seniors Open | Terry Gale, Joe McDermott | McDermott won with birdie on fifth extra hole Ratcliffe eliminated by par on first hole |

### Other senior wins (3)

* 1995 Australian Senior Open
* 2001 Australian PGA Seniors Championship
* 2008 Polygiene Australian PGA Seniors Championship

## Results in major championships

| Tournament | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 |
| The Open Championship | CUT | T41 | | CUT | | | | CUT | | | T38 |
Note: Ratcliffe only played in The Open Championship.
CUT = missed the half-way cut (3rd round cut in 1978 and 1981 Open Championships) "T" = tied

## Team appearances

Amateur
* Commonwealth Tournament (representing Australia): 1971
* Eisenhower Trophy (representing Australia): 1972
* Australian Men's Interstate Teams Matches (representing New South Wales): 1970 (winners), 1971, 1973 (winners)
Professional
* Praia d'El Rey European Cup: 1997 (winners)