Tipperary's greatest-ever golfer has excelled at the very highest levels of the sport

Widely acknowledged as Tipperary’s greatest-ever golfer, Arthur Pierse’s journey in the sport has taken him all over the world and has seen him excel at the very highest levels, both nationally and internationally, in amateur golf since the 1970s.

His career in the sport has now been acknowledged in the annual Annerville sports awards, sponsored by Bulmers. Arthur has been honoured with the Knocknagow Award, which each year is presented to an outstanding sportsperson of the past.  

He tussled with the legendary Joe Carr in the West of Ireland championship in 1972, when he first burst onto the amateur golf circuit. 

He met icons such as Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus when competing in the famous “Duel In The Sun” British Open at Turnberry in 1977. 

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Arthur was selected for the Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup team and the Eisenhower Trophy team in the early 1980s. He became only the second Munster man to play on the Eisenhower Trophy team in 1982. 

He led the Carroll’s Irish Open at Woodbrook in 1975 when shooting seven birdies, one par and one bogey on the front nine on Day One.

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His success continued into the 2000s, as Arthur performed remarkably well in the USA in both senior professional and amateur championships. He crowned a remarkable career by capturing the British Senior Amateur Championship in 2007 at the age of 56, with his daughter Jill caddying for him, when he became the first Irishman to win the championship, following a sudden death play-off that lasted the best part of 45 minutes.

Praised by Darren Clarke as one of the best ball strikers he had ever played with, his honours also included four amateur majors in Ireland (two Wests, the North and East), as well as seven runner-up places. He won 99 Irish caps between 1976 and 1984, as well as representing Munster on 75 occasions between 1974 and 1991.

The Tipperary amateur sports stars of the year will be presented with the Annerville awards by the Tipperary United Sports Panel at its annual function at the Talbot Hotel, Clonmel on Saturday night, January 10.

Tickets for the event are available from Sports Panel treasurer Ken Conway, email conwayken@eircom.net