Gale’s place among the greatest sporting names in WA history was confirmed on Monday night, the winner of 42 professional golf tournaments now alongside Graham Marsh and Maxine Bishop as golf’s sole representatives in WA’s highest sporting esteem.

A prolific winner of professional events in his home state whilst still an amateur, Gale didn’t join the ranks of professionals until after the requirement to serve a traineeship was waived at the age of 29.

Ten of Gale’s 15 PGA Tour of Australasia tournaments came between 1981 and 1983 and he won the national opens of Malaysia (three times), Singapore and Indonesia along with two Japan Golf Tour titles.

Yet as a young boy growing up on a wheat farm in the tiny town of Yelbeni three hours north-east of Perth, golf wasn’t Gale’s only sporting interest.

He hit tennis balls out the back of the house pretending to be Lew Hoad. He wanted to bat like Norm O’Neill, going to be selected in the WA state squad and captaining a Perth Cricket Club first grade team that featured a fast bowler by the name of Dennis Lillee.

“That was interesting, controlling Dennis,” Gale quipped.

He also represented the WA Schoolboys cricket team alongside Rod Marsh in 1960 in Sydney, travelling three days by train across the country for the privilege.

By the age of 14 he was also playing first grade Australian Rules football with the local team, although not with the blessing of all members of the family.

“My mother wasn’t very happy with that at the time. Now with grandkids of my own I can understand why. Kids aren’t that big when they’re 14,” he added.

But as his golf tournament wins began to accrue and with the associated financial reward being enjoyed by others, Gale made the decision to make golf his sport of choice.

A motion put forward by WA representatives Jock Borthwick and John Hadley at the PGA of Australia’s 1975 Annual General Meeting opened the door for leading amateurs to join the professional ranks without undertaking a three-year apprenticeship.

As the 1974 Australian Amateur champion (where wife Julie was his caddie), three-time Eisenhower Trophy representative, three-time winner of the Nedlands Masters as an amateur and two-time WA Open winner as an amateur, Gale fit the bill beautifully.

“I never actually thought I was going to be a professional golfer. Like most kids I just wanted to play cricket and football,” Gale reveals.

“In 1966 I got selected in the State Junior golf team and later that year in the State Senior side.

“These things gradually happened and each was a step towards getting away from cricket.

“Back then if you even dreamt of being a pro and told someone you were likely to be kicked out of the club or be banned from playing pennants.

“Jock Borthwick and John Hadley came to me and said that because I was winning a lot of events they’d prefer to have me as a professional than an amateur.

“I thought I may as well do it because I got sick of winning silver trays or another set of glasses.”

Gale made his professional debut in a tournament in Perth on Australia Day 1976 before making his Tour debut at the Tasmanian Open followed by the Victorian Open. The first of his 34 wins as a professional came at the 1977 Forbes Classic where he defeated prolific Australian winner Billy Dunk in a playoff.

“That was the kiss of death for that tournament; they’ve never had it since,” Gale said.

Encouraged by Graham Marsh to take his talents to the burgeoning Asian circuit, Gale won just the second event he played in, the 1978 Singapore Open title opening the door to play regularly on the more lucrative Japan Golf Tour.

In 1979 he was encouraged by a local Perth car dealer to travel to the UK to contest the Open Championship at Royal Lytham and St Anne’s, opening with a 71 and going on to finish tied for 13th, his best result in eight Open appearances.

Once he qualified for the seniors circuit Gale returned to Europe and enjoyed great success on the European Seniors Tour, winning seven times including The Belfry PGA Seniors Championship just two months after his 50th birthday.

“My best win I would consider to be the Dunlop Open in Japan,” offered Gale, a Life Member of Royal Perth Golf Club where he has been a member for the past 58 years.

“I had my second son Bradley on the bag and I was on the bottom of this electronic leaderboard they were using.

“I was hovering around there and made a bogey five holes from home and my name disappeared from the leaderboard.

“I holed four big putts on the last four holes and made four birdies. Suddenly my name went up and up and up, hit the top of the board and as luck would have it no one got in front of me.

“It was the biggest tournament win I ever had money-wise and having Bradley on the bag made it that extra special.

“I never really thought of doing what I have done but if you’re a competitor I suppose you just try to make the most of whatever ability you may have.

“It’s indeed an honour to be inducted into the Hall of Champions and I feel very fortunate to be included alongside a lot of people that I’ve followed all my life.

“There are a lot of AFL footballers and cricketers, the more popular sports, but there have only been two for golf prior to me being Graham Marsh and Maxine Bishop.

“I feel very honoured to be able to join them as the third.”

Image: Golf WA