Christy O’Connor Jnr: Irish Golfer who became a Ryder Cup hero after a spectacular final hole in 1989

He won only one match in the cauldron of golf's transatlantic contests, but that did not stop Christy O'Connor Jnr becoming a genuine Ryder Cup hero. His singular contribution is seared into the memory and came immediately to mind – without the need for prompting on social media – when the news of O'Connor's death at the age of 67, in his sleep while on holiday in Tenerife, was announced on Wednesday.

The Irishman's two-iron approach to the final green at the Belfry in the 1989 Ryder Cup remains one of the greatest shots ever hit in the matches between Europe and America. Its recall brings the warmest of smiles and is accompanied by that image of O'Connor in the moment of his triumph, having won a vital point from Fred Couples, with arms outstretched, putter and cap in his left hand, head tilted back towards the heavens. Next he was in floods of tears as he was embraced by his wife, Ann, and his captain, Tony Jacklin.

The roars from the gallery were deafening. O'Connor had his place among Ireland's Ryder Cup legends, who include his friend Eamonn Darcy from the 1987 match, Philip Walton from 1995 as well as modern heroes such as Harrington, Clarke, McDowell and McIlroy.

O'Connor, much loved at home and abroad, was one of the pioneers on the fledgling European Tour, travelling with Darcy. He was popular with fellow players and pro-am partners alike, always ready to coax others into the party spirit, or take a young player under his wing – as the future Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley has attested.

He was the nephew of his namesake, Christy O'Connor Snr, who was one of the finest ball-strikers the game has ever known. O'Connor Jnr could never match the grace of his uncle's natural swing, but he was a big-hearted man who played fine, steady and, on occasions, inspired golf. He turned professional in 1967 and when the European Tour started officially in 1972, he spent the next 21 years ranked in the top 100. He won the Irish Match Play three times and the Sumrie Better-Ball with Darcy twice, but the first two of four European Tour titles came in 1975, including his victory in the Irish Open.

That year he played in the Ryder Cup for the first time, two years after his uncle had made the last of his then-record 10 appearances. It was an era of American dominance, with his uncle having won the cup on only one occasion, and it was no different at Laurel Valley in Pennsylvania. O'Connor lost in both his foursome and fourball appearances and was not selected for either singles session (at the time not everyone played the singles).

It took 14 years for O'Connor to return to the team. He almost made it in 1985, the year he finished third in the Open at Sandwich, but was overlooked for a wild card by Jacklin. Four years later, despite winning the Jersey Open, the 41-year-old O'Connor was considered a controversial inclusion.

After losing his only game on the first two days, the Irishman was fully aware of the press criticism that came his way in the Sunday papers. "I felt terrible at breakfast," he said. "I felt the pressure it put on me was too much." But he had Jacklin's backing – and even though the captain always led with his stars, he had a genius for inspiring his lesser lights when their moment came.

In the singles, O'Connor faced Couples, the laid-back darling of the American team. It was always a tight match and O'Connor hit a wedge shot to three feet at the 16th to level it. Couples missed a short putt to retake the lead at the 17th and Jacklin could see the American was struggling. "Put him under pressure and I promise you will win the hole," Jacklin told O'Connor at the last.

The 18th hole at the Belfry is a big dog-leg to the left, with water to be crossed on both the drive and the approach. Two Americans, Payne Stewart and Mark Calcavecchia, had already succumbed, handing back the initiative after two of Europe's top guns, Seve Ballesteros and Bernhard Langer, had lost in the first two matches. Europe led 12-10, but the scoreboard showed America with the advantage in the remaining games.

O'Connor's drive found the fairway, but Couples, the big-hitter able to cut the dogleg, unleashed a 300-yard monster that left him 70 yards nearer the green. With modern equipment, few players today even carry a two-iron, let alone rely on it under the most severe pressure. It was the club O'Connor required for a shot of 229 yards. Jacklin told him: "Just knock this sucker on the green. Something good is going to happen. Just one more good swing for Ireland."

It was exactly what O'Connor produced, a majestic, if low-flying shot that ran up on to the middle tier of the green and stopped four feet away from the hole. Now it was Couples who was under pressure and he crumbled. He only had a nine-iron for his second shot – but it squirted right of the green. His chip finished outside O'Connor's ball and when the American missed the putt he conceded.

It was a vital point and Jose Maria Canizares ensured the tie moments later. The remaining four matches were lost, but Europe retained the Cup. "It was the greatest and most emotional moment of my professional life," O'Connor recalled. "It was the greatest shot of my life." At the time he said: "I wanted this more than anything else in the world. I wanted it the most for my family."

Three years later, Couples won the Masters and was briefly the world's best player. The same year, O'Connor claimed his biggest victory at the British Masters at Woburn, ahead of a field that included Faldo, Langer, Ballesteros et al, in a play off against Tony Johnstone. He single-putted the last eight greens, seemingly inspired by surviving a helicopter crash – the vehicle lost power after climbing to 200ft – less than a fortnight earlier. "Since the helicopter scare my putting has got better," he said. "I probably don't care any more. I'm not worried about anything after that."

Tragedy touched his life, however, when his younger son, Darren, died in a car crash aged 17 in 1998. The following year, now 50, O'Connor won twice on the seniors circuit in America and the British Senior Open at Royal Portrush, a title he retained the following year at Royal County Down.

At Portrush he said of Darren: "I believe he is helping me. He has given us great strength. My son and daughter have both got their degrees under a very tough situation and I believe they have been helped, too. I don't believe I would have had the strength to win these tournaments without him. Part of this championship is his."

O'Connor became a successful golf course architect, working on over 30 projects, and did much for charity. Months after the 1989 Ryder Cup, he auctioned his two-iron for £50,000 and donated the money to a hospice in his hometown of Galway. Only last September he was involved in a one-day charity event at Galway Bay Golf Club which raised over €200,000 for the same hospice.

"His infectious charm will be sorely missed," said George O'Grady, former chief executive of the European Tour. Jacklin added: "Obviously Christy played in the shadow of his uncle, but he became a legend in his own right, especially in Ireland. His name will live on for a long time to come."

Christy O'Connor Jnr, golfer: born Galway 19 August 1948; married Ann (one son, one daughter, one son deceased); died Tenerife, Canary Islands 6 January 2016.