Fred Daly (golfer)
Fred Daly MBE | |
---|---|
Personal information | |
Full name | Frederick J. Daly |
Born | Portrush, County Antrim, Ireland | 11 October 1911
Died | 18 November 1990 Belfast, Northern Ireland | (aged 79)
Sporting nationality | Northern Ireland |
Career | |
Status | Professional |
Professional wins | 28 |
Best results in major championships (wins: 1) | |
Masters Tournament | DNP |
PGA Championship | DNP |
U.S. Open | DNP |
The Open Championship | Won: 1947 |
Frederick J. Daly,
Early life
Daly was born in Causeway Street, Portrush on 11 October 1911, the son of Daniel and Anne Daly. His father was a blacksmith. He was the youngest of their six children. He attended a Public Elementary School in Portrush.[1]
Golf career
Daly was first at Mahee Island Golf Club from 1931 before moving to Lurgan Golf Club in 1934, staying there until 1939.[1] He started competing in domestic Irish events in 1936. He competed in the Irish Open, where he missed the cut, and two weeks later, winning the Ulster Professional Championship, beating Ernie Patterson in the final. At the end of the season he was selected to play for Ireland in their annual match against Scotland. He halved his foursomes match and lost in the singles but Ireland won the match convincingly.[2]
Daly represented Ireland in the Triangular Professional Tournament in 1937 and Llandudno International Golf Trophy in 1938. In early 1939 he moved to the City of Derry Golf Club. Later in 1939 Daly was runner-up in the Irish Professional Championship and fifth in the Irish Open, the leading Irish player.[3]
Domestic Irish events continued during World War II and Daly won both the Ulster Professional Championship and the Irish Professional Championship in 1940.[4] In 1943 Daly was runner-up in the Irish Professional Championship behind Harry Bradshaw and he won the Ulster Championship again in 1941, 1943 and 1944.[5] Daly moved from the City of Derry club to Balmoral Golf Club at the start of 1944.[1]
Immediately the war was over, Daly embarked on his tournament professional career. In September 1945 he travelled to Scotland, for the
1947 was an exceptionally successful year for Daly. He became the first Irish winner of the
The 1947 Ryder Cup was held in early November in Portland, Oregon. Daly was one of the first seven members of the British team announced by the selection committee in early September.[16] The contest itself was very one-sided with the Americans winning 11–1. Daly was chosen for both the foursomes and singles but lost both matches heavily.
1948 was another successful season for Daly. He won three events, the
1949 was a less successful season, although Daly won the Manchester Evening Chronicle Tournament in June and was a runner-up in the North British-Harrogate Tournament in late-July. He was again selected for the Ryder Cup, played at Ganton Golf Club in September. Britain won the foursomes matches 3–1, with Daly winning his match, but lost the singles 6–2 to lose a close match. Daly was in the last match in the singles, playing Lloyd Mangrum. Daly was 1-up after 10 holes of the afternoon round but then lost the next five holes to lose 4&3, with Mangrum scoring 3-2-4-3-4. Daly was 8 under-4s for the 33 holes in a low scoring match.[17][18]
Daly won three more British tournaments, the
In September 1953, Daly reached the semi-final of the
In 1955 Daly led by 6 strokes after three rounds of the five-round Dunlop Tournament at Wentworth. 36 holes were played on the final day. Daly scored 74 in the morning to retain a one shot lead from Eric Brown but took 77 in the afternoon to drop to third place behind Peter Alliss and Brown.[25]
Daly represented Ireland in the first two Canada Cup matches that they contested, in 1954 and 1955, playing with Harry Bradshaw. Christy O'Connor Snr replaced him from 1956. He also represented the British Isles in the first two Joy Cup matches in 1954 and 1955.
After reaching 50, Daly played in the
Death
Daly died at his Belfast home of a heart attack at age 79. He left a wife and two children.[27][28]
Honours
Daly was awarded the MBE in the 1984 New Year Honours for services to golf.[29]
Tournament wins (28)
Important wins (10)
Date | Tournament | Venue | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
18 Jul 1946 | Irish Open | Portmarnock Golf Club | 72-73-69-74=288 | 4 strokes | Bobby Locke |
4 Jul 1947 | The Open Championship | Royal Liverpool Golf Club | 73-70-78-72=293 | 1 stroke | Reg Horne, Frank Stranahan (a) |
27 Sep 1947 | News of the World Match Play
|
Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club | 3 & 2 in final | Flory Van Donck | |
8 May 1948 | Dunlop-Southport Tournament | Southport and Ainsdale Golf Club | 74-74-69-73=290 | Playoff | Ted McNeill |
24 Jun 1948 | Penfold Tournament | Gleneagles Hotel | 67-66-70-70=273 | 3 strokes | Ken Bousfield, Dai Rees |
25 Sep 1948 | News of the World Match Play
|
Royal Birkdale Golf Club | 4 & 3 in final | Laurie Ayton, Jnr
| |
16 Jun 1949 | Manchester Evening Chronicle Tournament | Mere Golf Club | 74-63-71-69=277 | 3 strokes | Flory Van Donck |
1 Sep 1950 | Lotus Tournament | Moortown Golf Club | 70-67-72-69=278 | 1 stroke | Bobby Locke |
27 Jun 1952 | Daks Tournament | Wentworth Club | 67-72-69-72=280 | 2 strokes | Jack Hargreaves |
20 Sep 1952 | News of the World Match Play
|
Walton Heath Golf Club | 4 & 3 in final | Flory Van Donck |
Other wins (18)
- 1936 Ulster Professional Championship
- 1940 Irish Professional Championship, Ulster Professional Championship
- 1941 Ulster Professional Championship
- 1943 Ulster Professional Championship
- 1944 Ulster Professional Championship
- 1946 Irish Professional Championship, Ulster Professional Championship, Irish Dunlop Tournament
- 1951 Ulster Professional Championship
- 1952 Irish Professional Championship, Irish Dunlop Tournament
- 1954 Irish Dunlop Tournament
- 1955 Ulster Professional Championship
- 1956 Ulster Professional Championship, Irish Dunlop Tournament
- 1957 Ulster Professional Championship
- 1958 Ulster Professional Championship
Major championships
Wins (1)
Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runners-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1947 | The Open Championship | Tied for lead | +21 (73-70-78-72=293) | 1 stroke | Reg Horne, Frank Stranahan |
Results timeline
Tournament | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 |
---|---|---|---|---|
The Open Championship | T8 | 1 | 2 | CUT |
Tournament | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Open Championship | T3 | T4 | 3 | 11 | T35 | T12 | CUT | CUT | T20 |
Tournament | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Open Championship |
Tournament | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Open Championship | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT |
Note: Daly only played in The Open Championship.
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Team appearances
- Ryder Cup (representing Great Britain): 1947, 1949, 1951, 1953
- Canada Cup (representing Ireland): 1954, 1955
- Ireland–Scotland Professional Match (representing Ireland): 1936 (winners)
- Triangular Professional Tournament (representing Ireland): 1937
- Llandudno International Golf Trophy (representing Ireland): 1938
- Joy Cup (representing the British Isles): 1954 (winners), 1955 (winners)
References
- ^ a b c Hanna, John (September 2011). "Irish Musings – Fred Daly" (PDF). golfcollectors.co.uk (98): 18–20. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
- ^ "Scots professionals beaten". The Herald. Glasgow. 12 October 1936. p. 19.
- ^ "Mahon wins again". The Herald. Glasgow. 16 June 1939. p. 21.
- ^ "F. Daly". The Herald. Glasgow. 23 August 1940. p. 3.
- ^ "Irish Professional title retained". The Herald. Glasgow. 20 August 1943. p. 5.
- ^ "Ward's one stroke victory at St Andrews". The Herald. Glasgow. 22 September 1945. p. 4.
- ^ "Cotton's missed putt gives victory to Rees". The Herald. Glasgow. 8 June 1946. p. 4.
- ^ "Another title for Daly". The Herald. Glasgow. 2 August 1946. p. 6.
- ^ "Adams ties with Locke". The Herald. Glasgow. 11 October 1946. p. 2. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
- ^ "F Daly (Balmoral, Belfast)". The Times. 25 October 1946. p. 8.
- ^ "Rees nine strokes under level fours – Welshman wins professional tournament". The Herald. Glasgow. 24 May 1947. p. 2.
- ^ "Cotton wins first prize". The Herald. Glasgow. 7 June 1947. p. 6.
- ^ "Belgian takes golf prize". The Herald. Glasgow. 27 June 1947. p. 6.
- ^ "Daly first Irishman to win Open". The Herald. Glasgow. 5 July 1947. p. 5.
- ^ "Professional golf "double" – Daly wins match-play title". The Herald. Glasgow. 29 September 1947. p. 5.
- ^ "Players for the Ryder Cup". The Times. 5 September 1947. p. 2.
- ^ "U.S. retain the Ryder Cup". The Times. 19 September 1949. p. 6.
- ^ "Britain fail to match U.S. singles excellence". The Herald. Glasgow. 19 September 1949. p. 3.
- ^ "A record match at Walton Heath". The Times. 19 September 1952. p. 9.
- ^ "Locke beaten in day of golf surprises". The Herald. Glasgow. 19 September 1952. p. 7.
- ^ "Rees and Faulkner meet in Match-play Golf Final – Daly out after quarter-final 68". The Herald. Glasgow. 19 September 1953. p. 9.
- ^ "The Ryder Cup team - Young golfers get their chance". The Times. 28 September 1953. p. 9.
- ^ "First blood to US – A lead of two in Ryder Cup – Brave golf by Daly and Bradshaw". The Times. 3 October 1953. p. 4.
- ^ "Great Britain just fail in Ryder Cup match – Last two singles tip scale in favour of U.S.". The Times. 5 October 1953. p. 3.
- ^ "Alliss wins at Wentworth". The Herald. Glasgow. 7 May 1955. p. 7.
- ^ "King again wins senior title". The Herald. Glasgow. 1 June 1962. p. 5.
- ^ "Fred Daly, former Open winner, dies". The Times. 19 November 1990. p. 37.
- ^ "Fred Daly". The Times. 20 November 1990. p. 14.
- ^ "No. 49583". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1983. p. 13.