COLIN FARQUHARSON LOOKS BACK ON THE CAREER OF THE AMERICAN AMATEUR WHO WAS RUNNER-UP TO BEN HOGAN AT CARNOUSTIE IN THE OPEN OF 1953
Our Scottishgolfview.com flashback feature yesterday concerned the 1954 Open championship at Royal Birkdale (scroll down until you come to a picture of the cover of the "Golf Monthly" magazine).
The article referred to wealthy American amateur Frank Stranahan letting the leading amateur's silver medal slip out of his grasp over the final round.
Stranahan was a well-known golfing name to me as I grew up - as an amateur he was runner-up to Ben Hogan in the 1953 Open at Carnoustie - but obviously all our readers are not of the same vintage as me. One E-mailed me to tell him more about Frank, which I do with pleasure.
Here's his biography, courtesy of "Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia," with a few inserts from your Editor.
Pictured above: Frank Stranahan and his wife during the 1954 Open at Royal Birkdale.

THEY DON'T MAKE THEM LIKE

FRANK STRANAHAN ANY MORE

Frank Stranahan (born August 5, 1922), was arguably the world's most prolific amateur golf champion.
Stranahan was born in Toledo, Ohio and he is still alive, now residing in his 85th year at West Palm, Beach, Florida.
During Frank's amateur career, spanning from 1936 to 1954, he won over 70 amateur championships. Frank's was a finalist in over a dozen national championships on both sides of the Atlantic, winning seven.
Frank won two major championships (as they were counted at the time) - the 1948 and 1950 British Amateurs titles. He was runner-up in five other major championships including the British Amateur, the US Masters, the (British) Open championship and the US Amateur championship.
UNFATHOMABLE WEALTH
His globe-trotting allowed him to compete in over 200 tournaments across three continents during his amateur career.
Stranahan was born into unfathomable wealth. His father, R.A. Stranahan, was the founder of Champion Spark Plug. His father's millions allowed Frank to concentrate on becoming one of the greatest golfers of his time without distraction.
Frank remained an amateur golfer most of his career, finally turning pro in 1954 after losing to Arnold Palmer in the 1954 US Amateur championship. As a pro Stranahan’s greatest victory came in the 1958 Los Angeles Open.
He retired from competitive golf in the mid-1960s.
Although Arnold Palmer is generally given credit for reviving American interest in the Open championship with his victories at Royal Birkdale and Royal Troon in the early 1960s, Frank Stranahan was years ahead of him.
FRANK CARRIED TORCH FOR OPEN
Many believed that it was the American amateur who helped to save a British golfing tradition by travelling over from the States to play in 10 consecutive Open championships.
Stranahan carried a torch for the Open when the top Americans made only the odd appearance in the event.
He loved coming over to play competitive golf in post-war Britain, unlike 1946 Open winner Sam Snead who put a visit to this country on a par “with going camping.” No allowances made for Britain having just come through a war that almost brought it to its knees.
Here’s another article, by Mike Garbett of “The Augusta Chronicle” which throws some fresh light on the Frank Stranahan Story:
No one remembers that Frank Stranahan was the first amateur to make a serious challenge at the Masters tournament.
His place in Masters lore instead is marked by a confrontation with Augusta National Golf Club officials, one that resulted in Stranahan's invitation to play being revoked.
Playing as an amateur, he finished tied second in 1947 with Byron Nelson - two strokes behind Jimmy Demaret, a three-time winner.
A year later Frank arrived back in town and soon found himself surrounded by controversy.
On Monday of tournament week, as he approached the eighth green during his practice round, Stranahan was informed by an Augusta National spokesman that his invitation had been withdrawn by the tournament committee, and he was asked to leave the golf course.
Curt Sampson, author of "The Masters: Golf, Money and Power in Augusta, Georgia," wrote that Stranahan was dismissed after he ignored instructions to hit no more than one ball to the greens the previous year. Stranahan did hit more than one ball in 1947, breaking the tournament rule.
Stranahan insists to this day that he hit only one ball but did drop additional balls on the greens to work on his putting, a practice permitted then as it is now.
STRONG AND ATHLETIC
What's often lost in the controversy is that Stranahan was invited back by Masters officials the next year and continued to play in the Masters every year through 1959. In his 13 appearances, he had eight finishes in the top 24.
The son of the founder-owner-president of Champion Spark Plugs, Stranahan was born with a silver spoon in his month but unlike many "rich kids," Frank kept himself in good, physical shape. He was strong and athletic. He also was mischievous. A body builder, Stranahan liked to carry free weights with him on his travels.
``A favourite trick of his was to ask unsuspecting bellboys to bring his luggage, then laugh as they struggled to carry his bags laden with weights,'' wrote David Owen.
A year before his run-in with tournament officials, Stranahan's final-round four-under-par 68 - the day's best round - vaulted him into contention, but he never seriously challenged for the Masters title.
Stranahan played in the winning United States Walker Cup teams of 1947 (St Andrews), 1949 (Winged Foot) and 1951 (Royal Birkdale).
TWICE BRITISH AMATEUR CHAMPION
He won the British Amateur twice (1948 at Royal St George's and 1950 at St Andrews) and was the runner-up to Ben Hogan in the 1953 Open at Carnoustie before turning pro a year later.
He won twice during his seven-year pro career, retiring in 1960 to begin a career in business. It could only have been the need for a new challenge because Stranahan was and still is a very wealthy man.

ANY COMMENTS? E-mail them to colin@scottishgolfview.com