Peter Alliss

Born Berlin

Home Surrey, England

Age 81

Family Wife, Jackie; sons Gary, Simon and Henry; daughters Carol and Sara

Mentor Father, Percy, a leading European tour professional in 1920s and '30s and then longtime golf instructor

Turned pro 1945

Victories 21, including three British PGAs

Other accomplishments Played in eight Ryder Cups; retired as player at age 38; debuted as analyst with BBC in 1961 and ABC Sports in '75; partnering with Dave Thomas and also Clive Clark, has done design work on more than 70 courses; author of 20 golf books

Peter Alliss is an institution. For 50 years the former Ryder Cup golfer has been the hugely respected and much-admired mellifluous voice of BBC golf. In fact, he is BBC golf. Commentary came easily to this son of a successful golfing father, but there is a poignant reminder of why Peter gave up playing. His Bentley carries the license plate putt 3.

Author of many books on golf (and the racy novel The Duke), Peter is a larger-than-life raconteur and bon vivant who, at 81, has been playing to packed village halls on a sold-out whistle-stop lecture tour around Britain.