Alex Hay

Alex Hay, who has died aged 78, was a well-loved golf commentator who was a fixture on BBC TV for 25 years.

A respected golfer in his own right, Edinburgh-born Mr Hay was educated at Musselburgh Grammar School. Often considered the voice of golf in Scotland, his biggest role, and the one for which he is best known, was working for the BBC as a commentator, which he did from 1978 to 2004.

Along with Peter Alliss, he covered all the major tournaments and the pair were known for their humour and knowledge and love of the game. In Mr Hay’s case this was the product of more than 50 years as a PGA professional and a former Ryder Cup referee.

PGA chief executive Sandy Jones paid tribute to Mr Hay as “a great character”.

He went on to say: “He was passionate about golf and Scotland and loved talking about the early days at Musselburgh. He attended our lunch last December and I am so pleased that we were able to present him with his Lifetime Achievement Award, as it was the last time he spoke in public. He often said that he was indebted to golf, but I think golf was indebted to Alex Hay.”

It was a fitting tribute for a man who was a professional golfer for over half a century.

Speaking at the awards ceremony last December, Mr Hay told The Herald that he still played golf four times a week.

Former Ryder Cup captain Bernard Gallacher said: “Alex was a Scot who moved down south but never lost his Musselburgh roots. He did a great job at Wentworth, where the success today is down to him. On the BBC, he and Peter Alliss were a great double act.”

Mr Hay’s career in golf began when he joined the golf equipment manufacturer Ben Sayers as an apprentice clubmaker.

He soon wrote to the secretary of the British PGA, who then had a desk in a workshop at Kilmarnock Barassie, saying he would like to become an assistant professional.

“I got a reply saying: ‘We do not consider clubmakers worthy of becoming professionals’,” Mr Hay recalled in The Herald interview.

With Sayers help, he was accepted by the PGA and became an assistant professional with Bill Shankland at Potters Bar golf club in Hertfordshire.

In 1952, he qualified as a PGA professional and had stints at East Herts, Durham Forest and 13 years at Ashridge golf clubs before moving to Woburn in 1977, where initially he was the head PGA professional. He soon became managing director and played an influential role in the club’s development, even designing the Marquess course.

In 1978 he joined the BBC, later passing up an offer from Sky, and began his career as a broadcaster, his first commentary on The Open. He wouldn’t leave the BBC until 26 years later, when it was rumoured that he was dropped because some thought he was out of touch with modern golf.

In his biography, My Life, Mr Alliss said he fought “tooth and nail” to keep him in, praising his “analytical brain”. Despite this, Mr Hay remained heavily involved in the game of golf. During his career, he also wrote several books, including the The Handbook Of Golf. He was chairman of the southern region of the PGA and joint head of teaching and training, creating the first teaching manual for young professionals.

Mr Hay died with his family by his side and leaves his wife, Ann, and two sons, Graham and David.