Henry Cotton and Laura Davies – UK Golf Legends

The UK is among the nations that have birthed some of the most legendary golfers of all time. Throughout the years, we've been able to witness many great players such as Nick Faldo, Ian Woosnam, Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy, Colin Montgomerie and so on.

All of them left a mark on the sport and managed to become role models for future generations. Speaking of role models and legendary UK golfers, we wanted to provide you with extra insight into two of arguably the most legendary male and female UK golfers of all time – Henry Cotton and Laura Davies.

Born in Holmes Chapel, which was previously known as Church Hulme, in January 1907, Henry Cotton was the one person that managed to lift the standards of the sport and put the UK on the map. Cotton turned professional in 1924 after leaving school in 1923 to pursue his dream.

He rose to fame during the 1930s after he won The Open Championship on three occasions – 1934, 1937 and 1948. During the 1934 Open Championship, his record round of 65 led to the invention of the "Dunlop 65' ball".

His total career tally is 37 professional wins, and after he was inducted in the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1980, he was knighted in 1988 and was named a Knight Bachelor. One interesting fact about Henry Cotton is after he retired in the 1950s, he became a successful golf architect.

Thanks to his influence, the European Tour decided to name the Rookie of the Year award after him. Other notable achievements of Henry Cotton include:

• Harry Vardon Trophy (1938)
• Member of the Order of the British Empire (1946)

Cotton died on December 22, 1980, in London, at the age of 80.

Laura Davies is the UK's most accomplished female golfer of the modern era. Born in Coventry, Davies started competing in amateur golf at an early age and managed to reach extensive heights, which made her professional career promising.

In just two years (1983 and 1984), Davies managed to become the English Intermediate Champion (1983), South Eastern Champion (1983 and 1984) and Welsh Open Stroke Play Champion (1984). Following her amateur success, she turned professional in 1985.

That is when she started writing history. She started her professional career in the Ladies European Tour, which was then known as the WPGET and won both Order of Merit and Rookie of the Year titles. In 1987, she won the US Women's Open, and to this day, Davies remains the only player to participate in the first 12 matches in the Solheim Cup on the US or European side.

Her total career tally is 87 professional wins, 20 of which are in the LPGA Tour, 45 in the Ladies European Tour, 7 in the LPGA of Japan Tour, 2 in the Ladies Asian Golf Tour, 8 in the ALPG Tour and another 9 in other competitions.

Davies is also the only player to win the LET Order of Merit seven times (1985, 1986, 1992, 1996, 1999, 2004, 2006). In 2015, she was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.