{{Short description|Australian professional golfer (1945–2024)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}} {{Use Australian English|date=April 2018}} {{Infobox golfer | name = Noel Ratcliffe | image = Noel Ratcliffe.JPG | imagesize = 200px | caption = Ratcliffe at the 2010 Dutch Senior Open | fullname = Noel Anthony Ratcliffe | nickname = The Rat<ref>{{cite instagram |user=whittle_golf |author=Whittle Golf |title=Listen to the Rat (Noel Ratcliffe) about how he helped Seve a lot with his game when they played together on the European Tour for many years. |postid=CNXR6G5M6xg |date=7 April 2021 |access-date=15 April 2024}}</ref> | birth_date = {{Birth date|1945|1|17|df=y}} | birth_place = Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | death_date = {{Death date and age|2024|4||1945|1|17|df=y}} | death_place = | height = {{height|m=1.85|precision=0}} | weight = <!-- {{convert| |lb|kg st|abbr=on}} OR {{convert| |kg|lb st|abbr=on}} --> | nationality = {{AUS}} | residence = Sydney, Australia | spouse = | partner = | children = | college = | yearpro = 1974 | extour = European Tour<br>PGA Tour of Australasia<br>European Seniors Tour | prowins = 18 | eurowins = 2 | auswins = 1 | seneurowins = 8 (Tied-8th all-time) | otherwins = 2 (regular)<br>5 (senior) | majorwins = <!-- Number of Major Championship wins --> | masters = DNP | usopen = DNP | open = T38: 1988 | pga = DNP | wghofid = <!-- World Golf Hall of Fame member ID --> | wghofyear = <!-- World Golf Hall of Fame year inducted --> | award1 = European Seniors Tour<br>Order of Merit winner | year1 = 2000 | award2 = | year2 = | awardssection = <!-- location of awards page or section --> }} '''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.{{citation needed|date=April 2024}}
== 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.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.e-magin.se/paper/jpp3fq7z/paper/32#/paper/97f2k484/35 |title=Europa-touren-78 |trans-title=European Tour-78 |language=sv |magazine=Svensk Golf |access-date=21 October 2023 |date=January 1979 |issue=1 |page=35}}</ref>
After turning fifty he was successful on the European Seniors Tour, where he topped the Order of Merit in 2000,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://europeantour.com/rankings/rank.sps?type=SEN |title=2000 Order of Merit |publisher=European Tour |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001205022500/http://europeantour.com/rankings/rank.sps?type=SEN |archive-date=5 December 2000 |access-date=20 November 2023}}</ref> made the top five on four other occasions, and won eight tournaments.
==Death== Ratcliffe died in April 2024, at the age of 79.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://pga.org.au/news/noel-ratcliffe-passes-away-aged-79/ |title=Noel Ratcliffe passes away, aged 79 |publisher=PGA of Australia |first=Tony |last=Webeck |date=15 April 2024 |access-date=15 April 2024}}</ref>
==Amateur wins== *1969 New South Wales Medal *1971 New South Wales Medal
==Professional wins (18)== ===European Tour wins (2)=== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;" !No.!!Date!!Tournament!!Winning score!!Margin of<br>victory!!Runner-up |- |align=center|1 |align=right|11 Jun 1978 |Belgian Open |−12 (72-70-72-66=280) |1 stroke |{{flagicon|AUS}} Chris Tickner |- |align=center|2 |align=right|16 Aug 1987 |Benson & Hedges International Open |−13 (69-70-70-66=275) |2 strokes |{{flagicon|SWE}} Ove Sellberg |}
'''European Tour playoff record (0–1)''' {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;" !No.!!Year!!Tournament!!Opponents!!Result |-style="background:#F2C1D1;" |align=center|1 |1978 |Benson & Hedges International Open |{{flagicon|ENG}} Neil Coles, {{flagicon|USA}} Lee Trevino |Trevino won with par on fourth extra hole<br>Ratcliffe eliminated by par on first hole |}
===PGA Tour of Australasia wins (1)=== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;" !No.!!Date!!Tournament!!Winning score!!Margin of<br>victory!!Runner-up |- |align=center|1 |align=right|6 Feb 1977 |South Australian Open |−5 (69-68-77-73=287) |Playoff |{{flagicon|AUS}} David Galloway |}
'''PGA Tour of Australasia playoff record (1–0)''' {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;" !No.!!Year!!Tournament!!Opponent!!Result |-style="background:#D0F0C0;" |align=center|1 |1977 |South Australian Open |{{flagicon|AUS}} David Galloway |Won with birdie on first extra hole |}
===Other wins (2)=== *1974 Australian PGA Assistants Championship *1976 Huon Open (Papua New Guinea)
===European Seniors Tour wins (8)=== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;" !No. !Date !Tournament !Winning score !Margin of<br>victory !Runner(s)-up |- |align=center|1 |align=right|28 Jun 1997 |Manadens Affarer Seniors Open |−9 (69-67-68=204) |7 strokes |{{flagicon|ENG}} Steve Wild |- |align=center|2 |align=right|13 Jul 1997 |Senior German Open |−12 (66-69-69=204) |2 strokes |{{flagicon|ENG}} David Creamer |- |align=center|3 |align=right|3 Sep 2000 |The Scotsman Scottish Seniors Open |−11 (68-72-65=205) |1 stroke |{{flagicon|AUS}} Trevor Downing |- |align=center|4 |align=right|24 Sep 2000 |TEMES Seniors Open |−5 (71-69-71=211) |2 strokes |{{flagicon|ENG}} Maurice Bembridge, {{flagicon|IRL}} Denis O'Sullivan |- |align=center|5 |align=right|5 May 2001 |Beko Classic |−7 (69-73-67=209) |1 stroke |{{flagicon|AUS}} Terry Gale |- |align=center|6 |align=right|5 Aug 2001 |De Vere Hotels Seniors Classic |−11 (67-71-67=205) |1 stroke |{{flagicon|USA}} Jerry Bruner, {{flagicon|NZL}} Simon Owen |- |align=center|7 |align=right|18 May 2003 |AIB Irish Seniors Open |−5 (69-69-73=211) |1 stroke |{{flagicon|JAM}} Delroy Cambridge, {{flagicon|SCO}} Martin Gray,<br>{{flagicon|USA}} Bob Lendzion |- |align=center|8 |align=right|5 Jun 2005 |AIB Irish Seniors Open (2) |−6 (71-68-71=210) |2 strokes |{{flagicon|ARG}} Luis Carbonetti |}
'''European Seniors Tour playoff record (0–2)''' {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;" !No.!!Year!!Tournament!!Opponents!!Result |-style="background:#F2C1D1;" |align=center|1 |1996 |Ryder Collingtree Seniors Classic |{{flagicon|ENG}} Malcolm Gregson, {{flagicon|SCO}} David Huish |Huish won with par on first extra hole |-style="background:#F2C1D1;" |align=center|2 |1998 |AIB Irish Seniors Open |{{flagicon|AUS}} Terry Gale, {{flagicon|IRL}} Joe McDermott |McDermott won with birdie on fifth extra hole<br>Ratcliffe eliminated by par on first hole |}
=== PGA of Australia Legends Tour wins (4) === ''note: this list is probably incomplete'' *2001 Australian PGA Seniors Championship<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Australian PGA Seniors Championship Winners List|url=https://pga-tic.com/factsheets/2013/2093/File_1.pdf|website=PGA Australia}}</ref> *2008 Polygiene Australian PGA Seniors Championship<ref name=":0" /> *2013 Kiama Legends Pro-Am (with Mike Harwood)<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |title=Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia|url=https://legends-tour.ocs-software.com/#|access-date=2026-04-27|website=legends-tour.ocs-software.com}}</ref> *2014 Manly Legends/Kids Xpress Charity Pro-Am (with two others)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia |url=https://legends-tour.ocs-software.com/# |access-date=2026-05-01 |website=legends-tour.ocs-software.com}}</ref>
===Other senior wins (1)===
* 1995 Australian Senior Open
==Results in major championships== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;" !Tournament !1978 !1979 !1980 !1981 !1982 !1983 !1984 !1985 !1986 !1987 !1988 |- |align=left|The Open Championship |CUT |T41 |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |CUT |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |CUT |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |T38 |} ''Note: Ratcliffe only played in The Open Championship.''<br> {{legend|#eeeeee|Did not play}} CUT = missed the half-way cut (3rd round cut in 1978 and 1981 Open Championships)<br> "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)
==See also== *List of golfers with most European Senior Tour wins
== References == {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{EuroTour player|161}} *{{OWGR|515}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ratcliffe, Noel}} Category:Australian male golfers Category:PGA Tour of Australasia golfers Category:European Tour golfers Category:European Senior Tour golfers Category:Golfers from Sydney Category:Sportsmen from New South Wales Category:1945 births Category:2024 deaths Category:20th-century Australian sportsmen