BBC’s voice of golf Peter Alliss dies aged 89

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Legendary BBC golf commentator Peter Alliss has passed away at the age of 89.

The ‘voice of golf’ has been synonymous with the BBC’s coverage of the sport for more than half a century, having made his first appearance behind the microphone nearly 60 years ago.

He was made the BBC’s lead golf commentator in 1978, after retiring as a distinguished player himself, and over the decades provided the soundtrack to many memorable moments at numerous Open Championships, Masters and Ryder Cups.

Alliss covered what turned out to be his final tournament for the BBC in November, when he commentated on the rescheduled 2020 Masters at Augusta, remotely from his home in Surrey.

A statement on behalf of the Alliss family said:

“It’s with great sadness that we announce the passing of golfing and broadcast legend, Peter Alliss. Peter’s death was unexpected but peaceful

“Peter was a devoted husband, father and grandfather and his family ask for privacy at this difficult time.

“Having enjoyed great success as a player, Peter began his legendary broadcasting career with the BBC in 1961, going on to become our lead golf commentator in 1978.

“His knowledge and love of the game, along with his exceptional ability to tell stories, cemented him as one of the best in the business, and he became known as simply The Voice of Golf’.

“His inimitable tone, humour and command of the microphone will be sorely missed, his often legendary commentaries will be long remembered.

To many golf fans both in the UK and around the world, Alliss’ soothing voice and distinctive style accompanied icons, such as Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods, winning the sport’s greatest prizes.

As a professional player himself, Alliss won 31 tournaments and was a regular in the Great Britain team that competed in the Ryder Cup between 1953 and 1969. Peter unsurprisingly followed in his father Percy’s footsteps, who himself was regarded as one of the best British golfers of the 1920s and 1930s. They even played together on same Ryder Cup team, becoming the first father and son combination to do so.

Alliss’ first experience behind the microphone came at the 1961 Open Championship, in the same tournament he was challenging the great Arnold Palmer on the course. His public profile in the 1960s rose to such an extent that he was chosen to give Sean Connery golf lessons before the actor played James Bond in the 1964 film Goldfinger.

He finished eighth in the Open Championship four times, but missed the cut in his only two Masters appearances while never playing in either the US Open or the PGA Championship.

Alliss retired as a full-time professional in 1969, becoming a regular commentator for the BBC and by 1978 he was the corporation’s chief golf commentator, following the death of Henry Longhurst.

While his would become synonymous with the broadcasting of prestigious golf events, he also hosted several primetime golfing shows for the BBC during the 1980s, including Pro-Celebrity Golf, Around with Alliss and A Golfer’s Travels.

He shared a long and popular partnership in the BBC golf commentary box with Alex Hay, who passed away in 2011. The pair even added their commentaries to the Actua Golf PC and Playstation games in the late 1990s.

Inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2012, Alliss also worked for a number of other broadcasters in the United States and Australia, and his final commentary stint was covering highlights of the Masters for the BBC in November 2020.

Commenting on his passing, Barbara Slater, Director of BBC Sport, who worked with Alliss on the BBC’s golf production team in the 1980s and 1990s, said:

“Peter was the voice of golf. He was an absolute master of his craft with a unique ability to capture a moment with a magical turn of phrase that no one else could match. Following a highly distinguished playing career, where he won 20 titles and played in eight Ryder Cups, his broadcasting career spanned an extraordinary 60 years.

“Just last month, at the incredible age of 89, he was doing what he loved – commentating for the BBC on the Masters Golf. He transcended his sport as one of the greatest broadcasters of his generation. He will be terribly missed and our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues at this very sad time.”

BBC Director General Tim Davie added:

“No one told the story of golf quite like Peter Alliss. He captured golf’s drama with insight, wisdom, and humanity. He was a legendary commentator who brought the game to life for millions of us.”

Many tributes to Alliss from across golf and sports broadcasting were posted on social media. Scroll down to see a selection.

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