| Noel Ratcliffe | |
| Fullname: | Noel Anthony Ratcliffe |
| Nickname: | The Rat[1] |
| Birth Date: | 17 January 1945 |
| Birth Place: | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Residence: | Sydney, Australia |
| Yearpro: | 1974 |
| Extour: | European Tour PGA Tour of Australasia European Seniors Tour |
| Prowins: | 16 |
| Eurowins: | 2 |
| Auswins: | 1 |
| Seneurowins: | 8 (Tied-7th all-time) |
| Otherwins: | 2 (regular) 3 (senior) |
| Masters: | DNP |
| Usopen: | DNP |
| Open: | T38: 1988 |
| Pga: | DNP |
| Award1: | European Seniors Tour Order of Merit winner |
| Year1: | 2000 |
Noel Anthony Ratcliffe (17 January 1945 – April 2024) was an Australian professional golfer.
Ratcliffe turned to golf late for a future professional, and didn't own a set of clubs until he was twenty-one. At university he studied pharmacy and worked for an insurance company and in public service.
In 1974, Ratcliffe turned professional. Like many Australian golfers of his era, he divided his time between the PGA Tour of Australia and the European Tour. In his regular career he won three titles in Australasia and two in Europe, where his best year was 1978 when he finished 11th on the Order of Merit.[2]
After turning fifty he was successful on the European Seniors Tour, where he topped the Order of Merit in 2000,[3] made the top five on four other occasions, and won eight tournaments.
Ratcliffe died in April 2024, at the age of 79.[4]
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 Jun 1978 | Belgian Open | −12 (72-70-72-66=280) | 1 stroke |  Chris Tickner | |
| 2 | 16 Aug 1987 | Benson & Hedges International Open | −13 (69-70-70-66=275) | 2 strokes |  Ove Sellberg |
European Tour playoff record (0–1)
PGA Tour of Australasia playoff record (1–0)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 Jun 1997 | Manadens Affarer Seniors Open | −9 (69-67-68=204) | 7 strokes | Steve Wild | |
| 2 | 13 Jul 1997 | Senior German Open | −12 (66-69-69=204) | 2 strokes | David Creamer | |
| 3 | 3 Sep 2000 | The Scotsman Scottish Seniors Open | −11 (68-72-65=205) | 1 stroke | Trevor Downing | |
| 4 | 24 Sep 2000 | TEMES Seniors Open | −5 (71-69-71=211) | 2 strokes | Maurice Bembridge,  Denis O'Sullivan | |
| 5 | 5 May 2001 | Beko Classic | −7 (69-73-67=209) | 1 stroke | Terry Gale | |
| 6 | 5 Aug 2001 | De Vere Hotels Seniors Classic | −11 (67-71-67=205) | 1 stroke |  Jerry Bruner,  Simon Owen | |
| 7 | 18 May 2003 | AIB Irish Seniors Open | −5 (69-69-73=211) | 1 stroke |  Delroy Cambridge, Martin Gray, Bob Lendzion | |
| 8 | 5 Jun 2005 | AIB Irish Seniors Open (2) | −6 (71-68-71=210) | 2 strokes |  Luis Carbonetti |
European Seniors Tour playoff record (0–2)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponents | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1996 | Ryder Collingtree Seniors Classic | Malcolm Gregson, David Huish | Huish won with par on first extra hole | |
| 2 | 1998 | AIB Irish Seniors Open | Terry Gale, Joe McDermott | McDermott won with birdie on fifth extra hole Ratcliffe eliminated by par on first hole |
Amateur
Professional
1997 (winners)