Dale Reid OBE, one of the Ladies European Tour’s most gifted and charismatic players, has passed away peacefully this morning in Townsville, Australia, after a battle with cancer, aged 64.
The larger-than-life character, who was held in great affection by her fellow Tour players, caddies and staff, will be missed dearly by all who knew her.
A Life Member of the LET, Reid turned professional in 1979 and won 21 titles in her career, the last of which came in 1991. She won the Order of Merit in 1984, repeating the feat in 1987.
Having started to play golf aged four, in Scotland, Reid earned her first title at the 1980 Carlsberg Coventry tournament. She was elected an Honorary Member of the Tour after her 20th victory in the 1991 Ford Classic. She shared with Laura Davies, Nancy Lopez and Beth Daniel the then world record 20-under-par winning score achieved in the 1987 La Manga Club European Open at Ferndown until 1995.
Her lowest round on the LET was 58, which she recorded in the final round on route to victory at the Bloor Homes Eastleigh Classic, however the par for the course was 65.
Reid holds the record for the most top 10 finishes on Tour, with 135, recorded between 1979-2005.
In 1992, she represented Scotland in the World Team Championship in Taiwan and in 1996, she returned to the LPGA Final Qualifying to earn exempt status for the 1997 season and posted her career best finish with a tie for fourth in the SAFECO Classic. In 1999, she came close to her first victory in eight years, finishing tied for second in the Austrian Open.
She also enjoyed a successful Solheim Cup career as both player and captain – playing in four Solheim Cups in 1990, 1992, 1994 and 1996, winning 4 ½ points from 11 matches before guiding Europe to victory over the United States at Loch Lomond in 2000.
It was Europe’s second success over the US team in the first 11 years of the biannual transatlantic competition and she was rewarded with an OBE.
Her firm but supportive style of captaincy was lauded by the players, including future captains, Alison Nicholas and Helen Alfredsson. The Ladybank, Fife, professional was re-appointed captain for the title defence in Minnesota in 2002, the year that the present captain, Suzann Pettersen (below, left), made her debut as a rookie.
Reid’s open and honest personality made her popular as a player and as a captain. She was one of the most successful players in the LET’s history and a tremendous ambassador for the game.
