Dick Burton (golfer)
Dick Burton | |
---|---|
Personal information | |
Full name | Richard Burton |
Born | Darwen, Lancashire, England | 11 October 1907
Died | 30 January 1974[1] Kingston upon Thames, England | (aged 66)
Sporting nationality | England |
Career | |
Turned professional | 1929 |
Professional wins | 14 |
Best results in major championships (wins: 1) | |
Masters Tournament | DNP |
PGA Championship | DNP |
U.S. Open | CUT: 1946 |
The Open Championship | Won: 1939 |
Richard Burton (11 October 1907 – 30 January 1974) was an English professional golfer.[2][3]
Burton, a former four-loom weaver at Cobden Mill, is mainly remembered for winning The Open Championship (British Open) in 1939, when it was played on the Old Course at St Andrews in Scotland and holding the Open title for the longest time – from 1939 till after World War II.[4] He played for Great Britain in the Ryder Cup in 1935, 1937, and 1949, and won two of his five matches.
Early life
Burton was born on a farm at Winter Hill in Darwen, Lancashire. The Burton family lived next to the Darwen Golf Club before moving to Lynwood Avenue. Richard was the youngest, but tallest, of three boys and with his brothers, Tom and John, used to watch members playing past their farm which was just above the clubhouse. As they had no golf equipment themselves, they had to make do with hitting bobbins from their mother's workbasket around the farm with an old walking stick. Eventually the brothers were given a few old hickory shafted clubs. Burton had started out as a caddie at Darwen Golf Club before applying for the position of greensman. After a number of years, in 1929, he then replaced his brother John as the club professional when John moved to the Hillside Club in Southport. Three years later, in 1932, Burton was appointed the professional at Hooton Golf Club, which is now known as Ellesmere Port Golf Club, which gave him more opportunity to play competitive golf. Also around this time Burton's remaining brother, Tom, was appointed the club professional at Darwen to complete a unique trio for the Burton family.
Career
In 1934, Burton won the
At the 1939 Open Championship at the Old Course at St Andrews, his first three rounds of 70, 72 and 77 put in him contention. Burton started his fourth round already knowing that he needed to score 72 or better to win the title as his rivals had completed their rounds. He did not start well as he 3-putted at the first hole but he recovered and carded two birdies in the last three holes on the front nine to go out in 35 and leave him in a great position. On the second part of the course, Burton played cautiously at the treacherous 14th for a five and avoided the sandtraps on the 17th. He came to the last needing a four to win and hit a huge drive, then pitched to 15 feet. His putt looked like it might race past the hole but as Burton walked after it, it dropped in the hole for a closing birdie. A 71 left him on 290 to win by two shots from Johnny Bulla. Burton was the sixth British winner in a row since Denny Shute had won the last Open at St Andrews in 1933.
In 1939, apart from his Open triumph, Burton also won the True Temper Foursomes Tournament, partnering Fred Robson and lost in a playoff to Alf Padgham for the Silver King Tournament.
He won the News Chronicle Tournament, at Hollingbury Park Golf Club, in 1949 with a record aggregate for 72 holes, at the time, with 266 strokes.
Personal life
Burton's only book, named Length with Discretion, was published in 1939, shortly after his Open triumph, through Hutchinson & Co Publishers. It was a golf instruction in 13 chapters with illustrations.
In the spring of 1946, he wrote to the
Burton is still celebrated at Sale Golf Club. Every year the club holds the Richard Burton Trophy on the weekend of the Open Championship, and have a display including the
When Burton played fourball with other members, rather than pair up with a member, he would play against all three, and give full handicaps. He still won more often than not.
Also, Burton reputedly hit the 120-yard 17th hole with every club in his bag, including the putter.
Burton died in hospital on 30 January 1974 after a long illness.[6]
Tournament wins (14)
- 1934 Northern Professional Championship
- 1935 Dunlop-Northern Tournament
- 1936 Yorkshire Evening News Tournament
- 1937 Dunlop-Southport Tournament
- 1938 Manchester and District Professional Championship
- 1939 Open Championship, True Temper Foursomes Tournament (with Fred Robson), Manchester and District Professional Championship
- 1940 Daily Mail Tournament, Manchester and District Professional Championship
- 1946 Surrey Open Championship
- 1949 Silver King Tournament, News Chronicle Tournament
- 1953 Surrey Open Championship
Major championships
Wins (1)
Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1939 | The Open Championship | 4 shot deficit | 70-72-77-71=290 | 2 strokes | Johnny Bulla |
Results timeline
Tournament | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
U.S. Open | ||||||||
The Open Championship | T48 | CUT | T39 | CUT | T12 | CUT | T4 | 1 |
Tournament | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
U.S. Open | NT | NT | NT | NT | CUT | |||||
The Open Championship | NT | NT | NT | NT | NT | NT | 12 | 5 | T18 | T14 |
Tournament | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
U.S. Open | ||||||||||
The Open Championship | CUT | T12 | T47 | CUT | CUT | CUT |
Tournament | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
U.S. Open | |||||||||
The Open Championship | CUT | CUT | CUT |
Note: Burton never played in the Masters Tournament or the PGA Championship.
NT = no tournament
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Team appearances
- Ryder Cup (representing Great Britain): 1935, 1937, 1949
- England–Scotland Professional Match (representing England): 1935 (winners), 1936 (winners), 1937 (winners), 1938 (winners)
- Coronation Match (representing the Ladies and Professionals): 1937
- Llandudno International Golf Trophy (representing England): 1938 (winners)
References
- ^ "Deaths - Richard Burton". The Times. 2 February 1974. p. 24.
- ISBN 0-85613-520-8.
- ^ "Dick Burton". Darwen Golf Club. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
- ^ "1939 Dick Burton". The Open. Archived from the original on 26 November 2011. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
- ^ Burton, Richard. "Length with Discretion". Ilkley, West Yorkshire, UK: Fine Golf Books.
- ^ "Richard "Dick" Burton". cottontown.org. Retrieved 9 June 2016.