Player Profiles: DJ Russell

DJ Russell

David J Russell, or DJ Russell as he is better known, was born in Burmingham, England but lives in North Berwick in Scotland. Russell joined the European Tour in 1973.

He won the Car Care Plan International in 1985 and in 1992, claimed his second European Tour title at the Open de Lyon Trophée V33, where he romped to victory with a 21 under par effort that included 19 birdies, an eagle and no dropped shots in the entire 72 holes. During his tenure on the European Tour, Russell was part of European Team captain Ian Woosnam’s backroom staff at the 2006 Ryder Cup and helped oversee a record-equalling 18½-9½ victory against the United States.

Russell quit playing the European Tour full time in 1996 and took up a position as club professional at Kedleston Park Golf Club in Derby. During this period he also turned his focus to golf course design and completed two links courses at Archerfield in Scotland.

He returned to competitive golf when he joined the European Senior Tour in 2006 and came close to his first senior victory in 2007 when he was beaten by Spain’s José Rivero at the fourth hole of a sudden-death play-off at the season-opening DGM Barbados Open.

Russell had nine runner-up finishes, but in 2010, finally broke through for his maiden win at the De Vere Collection PGA Seniors Championship. Russell described the victory as made even sweeter by the fact that his son, Chris, had been caddying for him. Four other top 10 finishes that season saw him finish the season ranked sixth.

The lanky Englishman has posted five top 20 finishes this season, including a victory at the Fuji Film Senior Championship in Japan coming away over €120,000 and a Mercedes Benz, ties for sixth at the Senior Open de Portugal and Australian Senior Open and ranks 31st on the current European Senior Tour money list.

He is a great friend of Woosnam’s and the pair have a joint golf course design company called Raw Golf Course Design.