Richard David Stuart Livingston
4 July 1943 - 6 April 2014
Richard Livingston passed away on the morning of April 6th 2014 following a
fall at his apartment in late June 2013 and then falling into a coma from
which he sadly did not recover.
Richard was a very well known PGA member and known throughout the Pattaya
area as a person who was able to teach and help all levels of players from
scratch markers to total beginners, with many of the current and past
players in the area having taken advantage of his careful tuition. He had
recently not been so active since the Fairways Driving Range closed
following his periods of teaching at The Diana Driving Range and The Third
Road Range.
Richard’s early life had included learning golf from the age of five playing
with his parents who were both keen golfers. He was educated at King Charles
Grammar School but showed more interest in sports, particularly golf, than
the mundane bookwork section of the curriculum.
Many of Richard’s old friends and students
gathered to pay their last respects at the 22nd April cremation held at Wat
Chaimongkol.
Prior to arriving in Pattaya in the mid nineties, Richard had been the Club
Professional at South Herts Golf Club in North London, from 1983 where he
had succeeded the illustrious duo of Dai Reese, who in turn had followed the
six times Open Champion Harry Vardon in the position, a clear indication of
the esteem in which he was held at the time.
Richard had previously been the Club Professional at Ladbrook Park,
Warwickshire and prior to that at Penn Golf Club in Wolverhampton. He was
very well known through his exploits on many courses throughout the Midlands
of England where he held the Midlands Professional Championship for many
years and still holds several course records in the area. His best round in
competition was a nine under 61 which include nine birdies and nine pars.
During the late sixties and the seventies Richard also played on several of
the old Sunshine Tour Events in South Africa where he learnt to appreciate
their fine weather and fine wine. He also qualified for The Open on four
consecutive occasions. In his first attempt in 1968 at Carnoustie, when he
was 25 years old, he finished 96th as Gary Player won, and in 1969 he
improved to 56th having made the cut to the third day as Tony Jacklin took
the honours. In 1970, at Lytham St Annes, Richard was again in 56th position
having made it through to the last day, in those days a cut was made both
after the second and third days. That year Jack Nicklaus was the winner but
Richard had managed to finish ahead of Gary Player, the defending Champion,
Gene Sarazan and Max Faulkner to name a few. Richard’s final appearance at
the Open was to be at Royal Birkdale when Lee Trevino was the Champion and
where he placed 74th having made the cut to the third day. Not a bad list of
winners to be able to say you lost to in the past.
Richard’s career also included eight holes-in-one, two of which were
achieved in Pattaya.
Richard’s cremation was held at Wat Chaimongkol on the 22nd April where many
of his old friends and students gathered to pay their last respects. He
leaves three children Philippa, Scott and Charlotte who all still reside in
the UK. Richard will be sadly missed by many.
