Manuel Piñero

Manuel Piñero Sánchez is a Spanish professional golfer.

Early life

Piñero was born in Badajoz in the Extremadura region of Spain.
His interest in golf started by co-incidence. Living in Madrid in his youth, on his way to a tennis club, looking for work as a ballboy, his grandfather instead left him at the Club de Campo golf course where they were looking for new caddies.
He turned professional in 1968, 16 years old.

Professional career

Piñero established himself on the European Tour in the early 1970s. He won nine titles on tour, the most prestigious of them the 1977 British PGA Championship, beating a field that included some of the superstars of the game, Tom Watson in the hight of his career as well as Gary Player and Arnold Palmer. Piñero featured in the top ten on the European Tour Order of Merit five times, including back to back fourth places in 1976 and 1977.
Piñero played for Europe in two Ryder Cups. In 1981 he defeated Jerry Pate 2 & 1 in his singles match. In 1985 he claimed four points out of five for the team which captured the trophy from the United States for the first time since 1957, defeating Lanny Wadkins 3 & 1 in singles. He was also a member of Spain's two man team at the World Cup of Golf nine times, collecting the team title in 1976 and 1982. On the latter occasion he also won the individual title.
After turning fifty in 2002 Piñero played on the European Seniors Tour, but he had had little success at that level.

Personal life

Piñero was with Bing Crosby when Crosby died. On 14 October 1977, Piñero teamed up with Crosby, at the La Moraleja Golf course near Madrid, in a recreational match against fellow Spanish pro Valentín Barrios and his amateur partner Cesar de Zulueta, owner of the course. Shortly after the match ended Crosby had a heart attack at the edge of the clubhouse and died instantaneously.