Ossie Moore has introduced his retirement from {the golfing} trade.
WHEN golf skilled Ossie Moore blacked out on the wheel of his Mercedes sedan not removed from his Gold Coast house, it was fortunate the automotive was travelling at solely 40kph.
Even so, when the Mercedes left the street and hit a tree it was a write-off, and Moore spent every week in hospital.
However it might have been a lot worse for the favored golfer, who travelled the world as a touring professional earlier than changing into a commentator, and later a extremely revered membership skilled and mentor.
Moore’s brush with loss of life got here two years in the past, simply after he’d accepted a suggestion to change into common supervisor of The Grand Golf Membership, the Gold Coast’s premier members-only membership, with one of many nation’s most interesting golf programs.
When he was in hospital, medical doctors found Moore had cardiac arrhythmia, a situation that happens when the center beats too quick or too sluggish – or, as was the case with Moore, when it stops beating in any respect.
After a number of operations – together with one unlucky episode when a wire pierced the wall of his coronary heart whereas a surgeon was putting in a pacemaker – and a change of remedy, Moore’s coronary heart points now appear to be behind him.
However little question they’d a job to play in his determination final month to retire from the golf trade after a profession that started on the Gold Coast the place, aside from seven years enjoying on the European Tour, he’s lived all his life.
“We dwell on acreage and there’s a variety of work for me to do,” Moore, 66, mentioned. “However I’ll nonetheless play golf and I really like garden bowls. We don’t intend doing a lot travelling, although – I did sufficient of that once I was enjoying.”
Moore was nonetheless learning at Miami Excessive when he gained the Australian schoolboys championship, and nonetheless an adolescent when he gained two membership championships at Southport Golf Membership.
He took up a scholarship to check at college in the US, earlier than returning to seize the Australia Beginner Championship at Royal Adelaide in 1981.
Moore was additionally a member of Royal Queensland Golf Membership, and gained each the junior and senior membership championships there earlier than turning skilled in 1982.
He gained his first skilled match, the Nedlands Masters in Perth, in 1984, and a 12 months later topped the Australasian PGA Tour’s Order of Advantage – certainly one of his proudest achievements.
“I didn’t win a single match that 12 months, however I nonetheless gained the Order of Advantage,” he mentioned. “I believe I had eight top-fives and didn’t miss a top-10. I performed very constantly.
“The next 12 months I gained two tournaments and completed solely third within the Order of Advantage.”
His OOM success took him abroad the place he campaigned on the European Tour till 1991, when he misplaced his card, did not win it again at Q Faculty, and returned house. It additionally gained him begins within the British Open, the US Open and US PGA Championships.
Whereas within the US he was listed to play within the Kemper Open at Congressional Golf Membership in Maryland, the place he bumped into his outdated Royal Queensland mate Greg Norman.
“Hey, Ossie, what are you doing right here?” Norman requested. And when Moore informed him he was there for simply the one occasion, Norman requested if he wish to play in different tournaments. Moore mentioned he would, and Norman replied: “I’ll give somebody a telephone name.”
Earlier than he knew it, Moore had gained begins within the Canadian Open at Glen Abbey and two different PGA Tour occasions. “Being the No 1 golfer on the planet certain carries some weight,” Moore mentioned.
The pair have remained good buddies and Moore is a staunch supporter of the two-time British Open champion.
A profitable match skilled, Ossie Moore was greater than aggressive with one of the best gamers of his period.
“Norman will do 60 nice issues, then maybe one which’s a bit controversial, and the media will give attention to that one factor. It’s so unfair,” Moore mentioned.
In 1986 Moore gained the Victorian Open and the primary of his two Queensland PGA titles. His second got here in 1992. He additionally gained the Australian Matchplay Championship in 1989 and represented Australia within the 1987 World Cup.
Moore was nonetheless competing on the Australasian Tour in 1995 when tour officers supplied him a spot of their tv commentary staff, on the situation that he surrender enjoying.
He agreed, and spent the subsequent 20 years offering commentary on Australian occasions. “I beloved each minute of it,” he mentioned. “I knew all of the gamers and beloved being round them.”
Away from the commentary, Moore was concerned in worldwide golf academies and instructing at Sanctuary Cove earlier than being supplied a place as golf coordinator at The Grand Golf Membership within the Gold Coast hinterland. It was a job that gave him time to proceed commentating.
He remained at The Grand for 19 years – as a trainer, golf skilled and golf coordinator. In 2023 he was appointed common supervisor, positioned on a six-month trial, and given the choice to make the function everlasting, a chance reduce quick by his coronary heart points.
Wanting again on a rare profession in golf, Moore says he has no regrets, cherishes the reminiscence of enjoying two rounds of golf with Arnold Palmer, and values the lifelong buddies he has made.
He’s touched that The Grand made him an honorary member on his retirement, offering him with the chance to proceed enjoying there – one thing he says he’ll do a few instances every week.
He’ll even be an everyday on the Helensvale Bowls Membership, enjoying a sport he found greater than a dozen years in the past.
And that’s the place he does have a remorse. “I ought to have began enjoying bowls a lot earlier,” he mentioned. “They are saying it’s a sport for old-timers, however should you’re over 35 you’ll by no means make a nationwide staff. I’m simply too outdated.”
