Ronnie White – One Of The Best Ever?

Whilst researching for this article for our series ‘History and Legends of Golf’ I uncovered several quotes, extracts and statements including…

“The most professional-looking amateur I have ever seen”…an extract from the book ‘Peter Alliss’ Golf Heroes’

The Americans nicknamed him ‘One Height’ such was the consistency of his ball-striking, resulting in all of his shots having the same trajectory…as extracted from his ‘Lives in Brief’ obituary published in The Times Newspaper

“The best unpaid striker of a golf ball since Bobby Jones”

To many American golfers and commentators, he was ‘Enigmatic’…they could not understand why he missed so many National and International Championships because he had to ‘Work for a Living’

…and yet if you were to conduct a worldwide poll asking people to name the golfer in question from the above ‘clues’ (and many more additional clues if required), very few would correctly guess Ronnie White.

In an attempt to redress the balance, ‘Ronnie White – One Of The Best Ever?’ chronicles the life and achievements of a true champion amateur golfer who was highly respected on both sides of the Atlantic and who should always be thought of as one of Great Britain’s best ever amateur golfers…and at times one of the best amateur golfers in the world.

I hope you enjoy the read.

Early Signs

Ronald James White was born on 9th April 1921 in Wallasey, Merseyside, England. His parents were James and Edith White (née Johnstone). He attended Merchant Taylors’ Schools, Crosby and then the University School, Southport.

A couple of years ago the Merchant Taylor’s alumni magazine published a fascinating article from one of their ‘Old Boys’ titled ‘How Merchant’s Encouraged My Love Of Golf’…in this, he recalled how in the early 1930s the Chemistry Master, Dr Duncan, used to play golf every Wednesday afternoon with a pupil called Ronnie White, followed by the almost throwaway phrase of “who later became British Amateur Champion”. Not quite accurate but a lovely illustration of Ronnie White’s involvement with golf from a very early age.

Boys Amateur Championship

Ronnie White, representing Birkdale Golf Club (it was not until 1951 that the club received the Royal prefix as commanded by King George VI), first entered the R&A Boys Amateur Championship in 1935 as a 14-year-old schoolboy…but it was the following year when this prestigious championship was hosted by his home club that Ronnie made a lasting impression on the wider golfing community.

By now an England Boy International, he reached the last 16 where he was defeated by the more experienced and eventual losing finalist William Innes…in summarising the 1936 championship, several respected commentators thought that in a few years Ronnie White would be a pre-eminent golfer and they were all impressed by his leisurely and attractive swing, excellent judgement and enthusiasm.

Carris Trophy

Established in 1935, the Carris Trophy is a boys’ stroke-play golf tournament that was played at Moor Park Golf Club every year until 1988 when it became the (England Golf) English Boys Under 18 Open Amateur stroke-play championship…this trophy has an impressive roll of honour including (future) major champions Sandy Lyle and Justin Rose.

In 1937 Ronnie White became the 3rd winner of this tournament with an aggregate score of 147 (72+75)…quite a remarkable effort considering he played in the worst of the (weather) conditions and that the single newspaper report where I found some column inches on that years Carris Trophy claimed that Ronnie did not actually possess a handicap!! (unfortunately, I have been unable to validate this statement).

Template Established

The following year (1938), Ronnie White was captain of the England Boys Team in the annual international match between England Boys and Scotland Boys.

Ronnie played in the top match in both the morning foursomes and the afternoon singles…in the foursomes, Ronnie and his partner Tom Hiley won 3&1 whilst in the singles Ronnie won 5&4.

No other England partnership won in the foursomes and only one other England player secured a point in the singles and Scotland comfortably won for the third consecutive year…the first (and an almost perfect) illustration of how well Ronnie White played and rose to the various challenges presented by a team event despite the overall defeat. Very much establishing a template for what would unfold during his illustrious amateur golfing career.

Prize Scalp

In April 1939 the English Amateur Championship was staged at Birkdale Golf Club against the backdrop of gathering dark clouds over Western Europe.

Ronnie White had just turned 18 and this was his first major championship, which attracted an entry of 210 players meaning the eventual winner would have to remain undefeated through at least 7 matches.

Ronnie White progressed effortlessly to the fourth round, only playing a total of 41 holes for his three match-play victories. His reward was an encounter with none other than J.J.F. Pennink…Frank Pennink, a member of the victorious GB Walker Cup Team in 1938, was looking to win the English title for the third successive year having won in 1937 at Saunton and in 1938 at Moortown.

The biggest crowd of the week watched in amazement as Ronnie White played beautifully to be 3up with 6 to play…but a mistake at the 14th reduced his lead to 2 holes and the match was back to A/S after Pennink holed 10-yard putts on the 16th and on the 17th. The 18th was halved in par…both players had played Birkdale in one under standard scratch. But White was not to be denied and he knocked out the holder at the first sudden-death hole.

The following day, Ronnie defeated C.H. Elliott in the 5th round but then in the quarter-finals, the occasion appeared to get the better of him and he succumbed to Hallamshire’s Sydney Banks (losing finalist in 1938) by 3&2.

A fantastic performance from such a young and inexperienced player.

Flight Lieutenant

A few months later at the outbreak of the Second World War, Ronnie White was an Articled Solicitors Clerk (trainee solicitor) and had just started his law degree studies at Liverpool Univerisity.

At some time during the war, he joined the RAF as a pilot. He was so proficient that he was posted to the British Flying Training School in Texas where he trained fighter pilots and glider pilots…by the end of the war he had attained the rank of Flight Lieutenant.

Family, Career, Golf

Demobbed from the RAF in 1946, Ronnie White resumed his law degree studies and three years later qualified as a solicitor.

He prioritised family life and then his studies/career before his golf. A recurring theme over the years was that he entered individual championships if they were played on a course close to home or work (such as Formby, Royal Birkdale and Royal Liverpool) and/or able to utilise days from his annual holiday allowance…though as you will read there were exceptions, such as the times he successfully fused career and championship golf on the same day!!

Championship Golf Returns

There were no major golf championships in the UK from 1940 to 1945. In 1946 the Amateur Championship returned and was hosted by Birkdale for the first time…as his home course, Ronnie White entered in what would turn out to be first of only two Amateur Championships in which he participated.

He progressed to the 4th Round where he came up against the legendary American Golfer Frank Stranahan (in some ways he was the Bryson DeChambeau of his day as not only did he win many prestigious amateur and professional tournaments during his distinguished career but for many years he was the world number one powerlifter for his weight category!!)…unlike his opponent, Ronnie had played no competitive golf for almost 7 years, so it was no surprise he lost, albeit by 1 hole. The New York Times reported how ‘well and courageously’ he played…this was the first (but certainly not the last) time that the name of Ronnie White would appear in the sporting sections of newspapers and periodicals in the United States.

The first Open Championship of the post-Word War II era was staged at St Andrews where Sam Snead won his one and only Open. Ronnie White posted the best score by an Amateur in the first round and made the cut after 36 holes (only 38 players made the cut against the strict rules set as the final 2 rounds were played on the same day back in 1946!!). For most players, including Ronnie, scores spiralled due to the weather conditions and he finished T31 on 316 (76-79-84-77), missing out on the Silver Medal awarded to the best amateur by 4 shots.

Walker Cup Debut

The 1947 Walker Cup was played on the Old Course at St Andrews. Hard to believe, but the Great Britain & Ireland team was not finalised until a few days before the match as the selectors decided to conduct a series of trial matches the week before!!

One of these trials saw 27 players split into 9 three-ball matches. Each player recorded their score over 18 holes stroke-play plus the triangular match-play score!! For the record, Ronnie White won his three-ball matches 7&6 and 6&5 and based on this and his early season form was selected for his Walker Cup debut.

Despite the United States having players of the calibre of Frank Stranahan and Willie Turnesa in their team and captained by the incomparable Francis Ouimet, the consensus of the British press was that the main challenge for the selectors was who should they leave out of the team and that a win for the home side was expected…the United States ran out convincing winners by 8 points to 4!!

A report about the match in the weekly ‘Sport and Country’ magazine called for an apology from the home players to all of the spectators for such a poor show in the singles!! Only 2 players were excused…(the legendary Irish golfer) Joe Carr and England’s Ronnie White. Both players won their respective singles matches and Ronnie White, in partnership with Charlie Stowe, won his earlier foursomes match.

(Walker Cup Record to date – Foursomes P1, W1…Singles P1, W1)

Faultless Display

The unique Daily Telegraph Foursomes Tournament was held annually between 1947 and 1951. By invitation, 32 professionals and 32 Amateurs were drawn into Amateur-Professional pairs for a knockout match-play event contested over 3 successive days.

For the professionals, the total prize money was 2000 Guineas (£2100) with the winner receiving 600 Guineas, the losing finalist 300 Guineas and so on…down to 20 Guineas for each of the first-round losers. The winning amateur received a silver cup which they held for one year and a replica…and all 32 amateurs received a silver ashtray!! Oh, how times have changed.

The inaugural tournament was held at Birkdale and Ronnie White was partnered with Charlie Ward, one of the best English Professional golfers of the late 1940s and early 1950s. Not surprisingly, Charlie Ward ‘nominated’ Ronnie to captain the team due to his local knowledge of the course.

Reaching the semi-finals, White and Ward then put on a faultless display to reach the final with a stunning 9&7 victory…they were 4 under fours and not a single 5 on the card for the 11 holes played on the championship links of Birkdale!!

In the final, they defeated Scottish amateur international Donald Cameron and his professional partner Max Faulkner (who in 1951 went on to win The Open) by the margin of 2&1. Leonard Crawley, the renowned amateur golfer, first-class cricketer and journalist reported that (and I paraphrase):

“White and Ward were an unshakeable, merciless, formidable combination who gave the finest exhibition of foursomes golf I have ever witnessed and on this display, they would beat any opponents from anywhere in the world”

English Amateur Championship

The 1949 English Amateur Championship was hosted by Formby Golf Club. Established in 1884, Formby is a magnificent championship links course located about 30 minutes drive north of the city of Liverpool, England.

Ronnie White entered the championship as one of the favourites. After a bye in the first round, he defeated former champion Eric Fiddian by 5&4 in the second round. Subsequent victories against ex-Lincolnshire Champion Claude Caswell (5&3), E.G.Tweedle (5&3) and Geoffrey Roberts (3&2) secured his berth in the quarter-finals.

His quarter-final opponent was Harry Bennett from Buxton and High Peak Golf Club…as the newspapers reported, Ronnie White was in majestic form and despite the very windy and cold conditions, he was one under fours when the match finished at the 13th.

Ian Calder from the home club stood between Ronnie White and his first appearance in the final. Astutely using his local knowledge, Calder was 1up with 6 to play…but then…White birdied 13, 14 and 15 to totally turn the match around and with halves at 16 and 17 closed the match out 2&1. On the same day as reaching the final Ronnie White learnt he had passed his final law examination.

In the 36-hole final, Ronnie was up against the very experienced Charlie Stowe, who was the losing finalist in 1947 and also Ronnie’s partner in their 1947 Walker Cup Foursomes win. After the morning 18 holes, the match was finely balanced at A/S but after lunch, Ronnie White forged ahead by finding his touch on the undulating greens to be 5up with 9 holes to play, eventually winning 5&4 to secure his first major title.

Golf Illustrated Gold Vase

In 1909 a new annual amateur tournament was announced, namely the ‘Golf Illustrated Gold Vase’. The competition was to be open to all amateur golfers with a handicap of scratch or better and was to be played over 36 holes under medal conditions. The winners home club would hold the Vase for twelve months and the winner would receive a silver replica. The original idea behind this competition was to…

‘Counteract the weakness in competitive amateur golf and to improve the standard of play!!’

The original idea was certainly realised when one looks at some of the winners of this coveted trophy…Abe Mitchell, Harold Hilton and in 1930 none other than Bobby Jones.

In 1949 the event was staged at The Royal Dublin Golf Club, one of the best links courses in the world. Ronnie White added his name to the honours board with a winning aggregate score of 142 following two rounds of 71.

Over the years this prestigious tournament lost some cachet and sadly was last contested in 2002.

Winged Foot

The 1949 Walker Cup was played on the West Course at Winged Foot Golf Club, Mamaroneck, New York. Over the years, Winged Foot has staged several major championships and in September 2020 will host the U.S. Open for the sixth time.

Ronnie White was selected for his second Walker Cup, but his first time playing competitively in the United States.

Just before sailing to New York, the team played a trial 36-hole foursomes match against a team of professionals in an attempt to simulate some of the conditions they would encounter at Winged Foot… such as using the larger American Ball and not using their regular caddies to get used to ‘strangers’ caddying. In the top match, Ronnie White partnered Joe Carr to defeat Henry Cotton and Max Faulkner 3&1!!

The Great Britain & Ireland team arrived early to acclimatise to the West Course and to concentrate on the foursomes…captain Percy ‘Laddie’ Lucas was of the opinion that if his team gained an advantage on the first day it would then enable him to ‘shuffle his pack’ for the following days singles.

Ronnie White and Joe Carr were selected in the top foursomes match and were up against the U.S. Amateur Champion Willie Turnesa and partner Ray Billows…never behind, White and Carr were always in control and eventually won by 3&2…as reported by the New York Times, White in particular captured the attention of the large galleries with his fine style. However, the United States won all of the other foursomes matches to lead by 3 points to 1 and Percy Lucas’ match strategy had not been executed as he had hoped!!

As a consequence, Ronnie White was promoted to play in the top match in the singles and was once again up against Willie Turnesa. White’s excellent all-round game proved too much for the American Champion and having been 2up after the first 18 holes gradually increased his lead to win 4&3…this was the only point won by Great Britain & Ireland in the singles as the United States won the other 7 matches and thus retain the Walker Cup by 10 points to 2…

After the Walker Cup match, Ronnie White was being hailed as one of the best British golfers for many years.

(Walker Cup Record to date – Foursomes P2, W2…Singles P2, W2)

Luck of the Draw

The 1949 Ryder Cup was held at Ganton Golf Club, Yorkshire, England and the United States were once again victorious…seven members of the United States team, including Jimmy Demaret (the first 3 times winner of the Masters) and Lloyd Mangrum (1946 U.S. Open champion) stayed in Yorkshire for a couple more weeks as they had been ‘invited’ to play in the 1949 renewal of the Daily Telegraph Foursomes Tournament played at Moortown Golf Club (itself a previous venue for the Ryder Cup back in 1929).

Ronnie White had once again been invited to play. His credentials and reputation after the Walker Cup at Winged Foot were such that all of the participating professionals, in particular, the American Ryder Cup players, hoped that the luck of the draw, made at the luxurious Savoy Hotel in London, would favour them and be paired with Ronnie White…alas, they were all left disappointed apart from English professional golfer Reg Horne, whose best performance was as runner up at the 1947 Open.

Therefore, it was no surprise at all, that Ronnie White and Reg Horne reached the final where they defeated Leonard Crawley (remember his earlier quote from the 1947 event) and his Scottish professional partner James Adams (who won both of his matches at the above mentioned Ryder Cup) at the nineteenth hole.

Without a doubt, 1949 was Ronnie White’s annus mirabilis.

Masters Invitation

The (Masters) organising committee sent an invitation to the 1949 Great Britain & Ireland team to participate in the 1950 Masters…Ronnie White turned down the invitation for business reasons…as covered earlier, he invariably prioritised his work as a practising solicitor over individual golf tournaments, even the Masters.

Seasonal Reappearance

Ronnie White was unable to play much golf in 1950 due to his increasing workload as a partner in a firm of Liverpool Solicitors…in fact, his first appearance on the national golfing stage that year was not until the middle of September when he entered the Brabazon played at Birkdale Golf Club.

Established in 1947, the Brabazon Trophy is awarded to the winner of the English Men’s Open Amateur stroke-play Championship, though this prestigious 72 hole stroke-play event is open to golfers from overseas.

Despite this being Ronnie’s first appearance of the season, he was viewed as the favourite to win and based on the (not so good) British weather forecast ‘the locals’ estimated that four 75’s would win.

The competitors faced high winds for the opening round. Ronnie White played masterly golf…level fours after 14 holes he then ran up a 7 at the 15th but still returned a 75 to only be one shot off the lead. Conditions improved slightly for the second round…Ronnie White went round Birkdale in 72, just one shot outside the amateur course record to lead the championship by 2 shots at the halfway point.

Despite the third round being played in wind and rain, Ronnie White extended his lead to 4 shots after returning a 75. In the final round, he shot another stunning 72 for an aggregate total of 294 and a winning margin of 8 shots…only Ronnie White could beat ‘the locals’ estimate!!

Top Rated

In January 1951 the English Golf Union published their first list of revised handicaps aligned to the newly introduced standard scratch score scheme. Ronnie White was allotted the top rating of a +2 handicap whilst 17 other players were allotted handicaps of +1.

White and Carr…Again

The 1951 Walker Cup match was staged at Birkdale…but unlike his predecessor, Raymond Oppenheimer the non-playing captain of this Great Britain & Ireland team was slightly more downbeat and was quoted as saying:

“We shall do our best and hope it will be good enough”

Once again, Ronnie White and Joe Carr were selected to lead the home team in the foursomes, this time against Frank Stranahan and William Campbell.  White and Carr took an early lead at the 3rd and by lunch were 3up…fortunes changed quickly in the afternoon when Stranahan and Campbell fought back to be A/S at the 24th. The Americans then took the lead for the first time at the 27th…but the home team rallied and this entertaining, high-quality foursomes match ended A/S. In the other foursomes matches, 1 was halved, and the United States won 2, leaving the visitors in a very strong position to retain the Walker Cup.

Rather surprisingly, Ronnie White played in the 3rd singles match against Charles Coe, a 2 time U.S. Amateur Champion…but what a match!! Coe was 1up after the first 18 holes and for most of the afternoon, it looked as if Ronnie White would relinquish his unbeaten record in the Walker Cup…but White relentlessly pegged away and finally took the lead at the 30th and in the end preserved his 100% singles record by 2&1… Ronnie White was three-under fours when the match ended at the 35th.

Joe Carr and Alex Kyle were the only other home players to win in the singles and thus the United States successfully retained the Walker Cup.

(Walker Cup Record to date – Foursomes P3, W2 D1…Singles P3, W3)

Defending Champion

In September 1951, the Brabazon was played at Formby Golf Club, the course where Ronnie White had won the 1949 English Amateur Championship…but unlike his Brabazon victory the previous year at Birkdale, Ronnie White had to find a way to defend the trophy by fusing work with golf for the first two rounds!!

Late afternoon and Ronnie White arrived at Formby for his opening round dressed in a black coat and striped trousers after a days work as a solicitor!! Faced with the worst of the conditions, he shot a 77 in a howling wind to find himself 3 strokes behind the leader in the clubhouse.

Conditions were perfect the following day…out early, Ronnie White equalled the 21-year-old amateur course record with a 69 to open up a 4 stroke lead after the first two rounds. He was then interviewed by the golf reporter from the ‘Yorkshire Post and Leeds Mercury’, saying he had always wanted to do a championship round without a 5 on the card…this he nearly achieved until he found sand at the penultimate hole and recorded a 5. No sooner had the ink dried on the reporters’ notebook and Ronnie White was changing into his black coat and pinstripe trousers to head off to work on a case at the local Magistrates Court!!

Free to concentrate on his golf for the final 36 holes, Ronnie White shot a 73 and 74 for a winning score of 293 and thus retained the Trophy and in the process, he became the first player to win the Brabazon twice.

The Kittansett Club

Despite losing in the final of the 1953 English Amateur Championship, Ronnie White was a certainty to be selected for the 1953 Walker Cup which was played at The Kittansett Club, Marion, Massachusetts.

For the third successive Walker Cup, Ronnie White and Joe Carr played in the top foursomes match, this time up against the United States pairing of Sam Urzetta (1950 U.S. Amateur Champion) and Ken Venturi (not only one of the best golfers of his generation but after retiring from the PGA Tour he became an exceptional golf analyst and broadcaster).

White and Carr just had one of those ‘bad days at the office’…White struggled with his long irons, and Carr missed several holeable putts and they lost the 36-hole contest by 6&4…after 4 Walker Cups, Ronnie White had finally been defeated. At the conclusion of the foursomes, the United States led by 3 points to 1.

In the singles, Ronnie White played in the second match against Dick Chapman who had won the U.S. Amateur in 1940 and the British Amateur in 1950. After 30 holes, the American was 3up and White was staring at his first-ever defeat in Walker Cup singles…but then he won a couple of holes to be only 1 down with 2 holes to play…he then miraculously won the 35th and the 36th to win an epic contest by 1 hole. He then received a terrific ovation from the American crowd.

The United States ran out easy winners by 9 points to 3 and so Ronnie White had now been on 4 consecutive losing teams despite his incredible personal contribution.

(Walker Cup Record to date – Foursomes P4, W2 H1 L1…Singles P4, W4)

International Retirement

Following the Walker Cup at The Kittansett Club, Ronnie White effectively stopped playing competitive golf but he was selected for the 1954 Home Internationals where he performed quite well. He declined an invitation to play in the final trials for the 1955 Walker Cup but was still (albeit contentiously) selected to make his fifth Walker Cup appearance at the Old Course, St Andrews.

Sadly, and with the high standards of his game slightly on the wane, this turned out to be one Walker Cup contest too many for Ronnie White. Again partnered by Joe Carr in the top foursomes match, lost by 1 hole as the United States won all 4 foursomes matches. In the singles, Ronnie White lost the top match by 6&5 to Harvie Ward, one of the greatest amateur golfers of all time.

(A phenomenal Walker Cup Record – Foursomes P5, W2 H1 L2…Singles P5, W4 L1)

Later that year, Ronnie White announced his retirement from international golf…bowing out from the international arena as one of the best ever.

Anticipation and Excitement

Then in 1961, aged 40 and after an absence of over five years, Ronnie White returned to competitive golf by entering the Brabazon at Royal Liverpool and The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale (both local courses to home and work)…that year the Brabazon was being utilised as the final trial for the (1961) Walker Cup and hence there was much anticipation and excitement about his return.

In the Brabazon, Ronnie White finished a respectable 15 strokes behind the winner Ronnie Shade with rounds of 73-74-72-80 but despite this and his overall Walker Cup record he was overlooked by the selectors.

A couple of weeks later Ronnie White was the leading amateur in The Open Qualifying with a score of 143 (72-71), easily securing a place in The Open at his home course.

In The Open he shot an opening round of 71 to only be 3 strokes adrift of the leaders…subsequent rounds of 79-80-76 saw him finish T38 and secure the Silver Medal as the leading amateur…for the record Arnold Palmer was the champion golfer with a winning score of 284.

Senior Amateur Championship

In 1978 the R&A Senior Amateur Championship was hosted by Formby Golf Club, the course where Ronnie White had won the English Amateur and the Brabazon…thus it was no surprise to see one R.J. White amongst the entries for this prestigious 54-hole stroke-play tournament.

After opening with rounds of 76 and 74, Ronnie found himself 5 strokes behind the leader Bill Gaskell after 4 holes of the final and deciding round…but then after a couple of birdies, White played magnificent golf until he reached the final hole where he was twice bunkered and finished with a 6, recording a score of 75 and an aggregate total of 225…but Gaskell failed to take advantage and so Ronnie White was crowned Senior Amateur Champion.

One can only conclude that he had an affinity for the championship links of Formby.

Golfing Swansong

The following year, the Senior Amateur Championship was staged at Royal St. David’s…a championship golf course located in North Wales set against the backdrop of the historic Harlech Castle.

Ronnie White was viewed as the favourite to defend his title but after 54 holes of high-quality golf, he finished in a 3-way tie on 226 with Joe Moseley and Les Shelley, both of whom were very experienced senior amateur golfers.

At the first playoff hole (at the time a Par 4 measuring 423 yards), Shelley three-putted for a bogey five whilst Moseley secured his par four…Ronnie White played his second to 15 feet and made his putt for a championship-winning birdie three.

Not only did he successfully defend his title but he also became the first two times winner of the Senior Amateur.

Nineteenth

I was unable to uncover any more information about Ronnie White’s golfing exploits after his success in 1979 at Royal St. David’s…maybe one of the Golfing Herald readers will uncover something of interest which I could then add as an addendum to this article.

Sadly, Ronnie White died on 17th December 2005, aged 84.

Comparing golfers, amateur or professional, from different eras and generations is a very subjective exercise…whatever criteria is applied by golf historians and commentators I believe that Ronnie White will always be recognised as one of the best ever, a giant of amateur golf during his halcyon days and that his incredible performances in the Walker Cup, especially in 1949 on the West Course at Winged Foot Golf Club, will never be forgotten.

I commenced this article with several quotes so I would like to conclude with a final quote about Ronnie White, this time from Robert Halsall who was the PGA Professional at Royal Birkdale Golf Club from 1945 until his retirement in 1979…

“The best amateur I have seen and the finest in the world in his day”

Acknowledgements

Finally, a massive thanks to the following people and their respective championship golf clubs who so kindly provided assistance and support for this article.

• Stuart Leech ~ Secretary Manager, Formby Golf Club.
• Neil Regan ~ Historian, Winged Foot Golf Club.
• Peter Rishworth ~ Secretary, Moortown Golf Club.
• Sophi Androulidakis ~ Assistant Secretary, Royal Birkdale Golf Club.
• Jeff Fallon ~ General Manager, The Royal Dublin Golf Club.
• Gareth Lewis ~ Club Manager & Head PGA Professional, Royal St. David’s Golf Club.
• Catherine Kelly ~ Digital Marketing Assistant, St Andrews Links Trust.

I would also like to thank Lisa Connor, Development Manager at Merchant Taylors’ Schools for kindly sharing an article from their alumni magazine.