THE WAY THEY WERE: SPRING 1954

BRITISH RYDER CUP

PLAYERS EN ROUTE TO

SOUTH AMERICA - CAN

YOU NAME THEM ALL?

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Another black and white photograph (there were no coloured ones in those days) from the "Golf Monthly" of April 1954.

Boarding a BOAC plane for Montevideo, Uruguay and an international 90-hole tournament are seven leading British professional golfers of that era.

They had one thing in common. They all played in the Ryder Cup in the days when it was Great Britain & Ireland against the United States.

Two of them were Open championship winners.

Given up trying to identify each one (click on the image to increase the size)?

In the left-hand column, from the top to the bottom of the steps are:

TOM HALIBURTON. Born Rhu, Dunbartonshire 1915. Bernard Gallacher's predecessor as professional at Wentworth. Played in the Ryder Cup matches of 1961 and 1963. For a long time, the quietly-spoken Scot held the British professional tournament low record score of 61 (at Worthing) and the world record of 126 for two consecutive rounds in the same tournament.

HARRY WEETMAN (1920-72). Born Oswestry, Shropshire. Professional at Hartsbourne before moving to Selsdon Park, Surrey. One of the longest and hardest hitters of his day, Harry had a "velvet touch" around the greens and was one of the leading post-war British tour professionals.

One reference book of the time described Weetman as "Broad of shoulder and of thigh, he hits the ball violently with an air of truculence. He almost swaggers up to the ball and appears to take no trouble in addressing it."

Harry could be a fiery character with no respect for officialdom - he was suspended for a spell by the PGA for stepping out of line, so long ago I cannot remember the dates. During that ban Harry was able to come up to play in the Northern Open, which was not played under the auspices of the PGA.

Weetman did win the Northern Open at Murcar in 1961 but whether that was the year of his PGA suspension or whether it was a return trip because he liked the then very early season tournament (played in April, often in blizzards), I cannot remember.

Harry played in the Ryder Cup matches of 1951-53-55-57-59-61-63. He was non-playing captain of the GB&I team in 1965.

Weetman was tragically killed in a car accident at the age of 52.

ALF PADGHAM. Surrey-born in 1906. Professional at Sundridge Park, Kent. He won the 1936 Open at Hoylake after finishing third in 1934 and second in 1935. Played in the Ryder Cup matches of 1933-35-37. Selected for the 1939 match which was not played because of the impending World War II hostilities.

In the right-hand column, from the top to the bottom of the steps, we have:

MAX FAULKNER (1916-2005). Born Bexhill, Sussex. The R&A Golfer's Handbook describes him as "One of the game's most extrovert and colourful personalities who won the 1951 Open championship at Royal Portrush, the only time the event has been played in Northern Ireland."Played in five Ryder Cup matches: 1947-49-51-53-57. Awarded OBE (rather belatedly) in 2001. Father in law of another Ryder Cup player, Brian Barnes, Max died in 2005.

JIMMY ADAMS. Born in Troon in 1910, Jimmy was runner-up in the Open championships of 1936 (one stroke behind Alf Padgham) and 1938 (Reg Whitcombe was the winner). Won the 1946 Dunlop Masters and several Continental events. He played in four post-war Ryder Cup matches: 1947-49-51-53 after being robbed of his Ryder Cup debut in the 1939 match when it was cancelled because World War II was on the horizon.

Long before the days of John Daly, Adams was one of the first front-rank players whose club went far beyond the horizontal on his backswing but it was described as a "lovely, easy swing."

PETER ALLISS. Born in Berlin 1931 when his father Percy was a professional at Wannsee Golf Club. Was based at Parkstone Golf Club, Dorset before becoming pro at Moor Allerton, Leeds in late 1970. Golf course design work in partnership with Dave Thomas and later television work extended the long connection Peter has had with golf. The son of a Ryder Cup player, Peter himself played in eight matches: 1953-57-59-61-63-65-67-69.

BERNARD HUNT. Born Atherstone, Warwickshire 1930. Son of a professional and brother of Geoffrey who also played in the Ryder Cup match of 1963. Most of Bernard's tournament wins were over parkland courses but he could play quality links golf as well - third equal in the Open of 1960, fourth in 1964 and fifth equal in 1965. Played in the Ryder Cup matches of 1953-57-59-61-63-65-67-69 and was non-playing skipper in 1973 and 1975.

+The great Belgian player, Flory Van Donck, beat all the above players to win the 1954 Montevideo tournament with a five-round aggregate of 345.

ANY COMMENTS? Do you remember any of the above players? Perhaps have a story to tell about one of them? E-mail it to colin@scottishgolfview.com

First response from DAVID WOOLMER.

One of my Scots friends on the Golfobserver board posted a comment on the photo and write up.
I am now 70, playing off four but I was a +1 handicap for 17 years and a Walker Cup reserve.

I still have very fond memories of Tom Haliburton. At age 14 I started golf at Wentworth with Tom Haliburton as my golf teacher, a relationship which lasted at least four years until I moved away.
Also, although it may not really be of interest to Scottish readers I know Peter Alliss well, also Bernard Hunt and I used to know and play golf with Harry Weetman - also with such as Christy O'Connor, Joe Carr and Ronnie Shade!

Regards
David Woolmer

Colin Farquharson: If anyone wants to get in touch with David about times past, E-mail me at colin@scottishgolfview.com and I will pass on his telephone number and/or E-mail address.