Jimmy Bruen
Jimmy Bruen | |
---|---|
Personal information | |
Full name | James Francis O’Grady Bruen |
Born | Finaghy, Belfast, Northern Ireland | 8 May 1920
Died | 3 May 1972 Cork, Ireland | (aged 51)
Sporting nationality | Ireland |
Career | |
Status | Amateur |
Best results in major championships (wins: 1) | |
Masters Tournament | DNP |
PGA Championship | DNP |
U.S. Open | DNP |
The Open Championship | T13: 1939 |
U.S. Amateur | R256: 1949 |
British Amateur | Won: 1946 |
James Francis O’Grady Bruen (8 May 1920 – 3 May 1972) was an Irish amateur golfer. He won the 1946
Early life
Bruen was born in Finaghy, Belfast, Northern Ireland on 8 May 1920. He moved to Cork at an early age. He was educated at the Presentation Brothers College, Cork.[1]
Golf career
As a 15-year-old Bruen entered the 1935
In May 1937 Bruen travelled to
The early part of 1938 was dominated by the
In July Bruen entered the Open Championship for the first time. He qualified comfortably with rounds of 73 and 76. In the first round at Royal St George's Golf Club he scored 70 to be joint leader but took 80 on the second day. At the time 36 holes were played on the final day and the field was restricted to a maximum of 40. Bruen was tied for 43rd and missed the cut.[13] Later in the month he played in the Irish Open and again finished as leading amateur, tied for 10th place.[14] In the Irish Amateur Open Championship in September he won most of his matches comfortably and beat James Mahon 9&8 in the 36-hole final, becoming the first golfer to win both Irish Amateur titles in the same year since 1911.[15]
Bruen played in the 1939
With the start of World War II important amateur events in the United Kingdom came to a stop. The Irish Amateur Close Championship was held in 1940 with Bruen losing at the last-16 stage.[21] Thereafter both the Open and Close events were cancelled, resuming in 1946, although some domestic Irish events continued.
Bruen won the first
In early 1947 Bruen damaged his wrist. He withdrew from consideration for the 1947 Walker Cup team and played no golf for the remainder of 1947 and for the whole of 1948.[1] He resumed golf in early 1949, playing in the amateur international which were held in May. He also played in the Golf Illustrated Gold Vase where he tied for 6th after a disappointing second round. Despite withdrawing from the Amateur Championship, he was chosen for the 1949 Walker Cup team, to be held at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York in mid-August. The United States won the match 10–2 with Bruen losing both his matches.[23] Most of the team played in the United States Amateur Championship later in August, Bruen losing in the first round, and they then travelled to Toronto to play an international match before their return home.[24][25]
After the 1949 Walker Cup, Bruen took more time off from golf, only returning for the 1950 amateur internationals, held that year at Royal St David's Golf Club, Harlech, in late September. The following week he played in the Daily Telegraph Foursomes Tournament at Formby Golf Club. 32 professionals and 32 leading amateurs were invited and drawn into pairs, Bruen being paired with Wally Smithers. They reached the final where they beat Bill Branch and the Welsh amateur Mervyn Jones 4&2.[26]
In April 1951 Bruen took part in the trials for the Walker Cup. He did well enough to be selected for the 10-man team. Bruen was paired with John Llewellyn Morgan of Wales in the foursomes. Bruen had a recurrence of his wrist injury during the match. The match was close until the 8th hole on the afternoon round but, with Bruen's wrist getting worse, the American pair then won 6 holes in a row to win 5&4. Bruen withdrew from the singles.[27]
The 1951 Walker Cup effectively marked the end of Bruen's competitive career. He made attempts to return, entering the Amateur Championship in 1953 and 1954 but withdrawing on both occasions.
Personal life
Bruen married Eleanor Cremin in 1945 and had six children.[1] He ran a successful insurance broking business of James Bruen and Sons Ltd in Cork.[1]
Bruen died from a heart attack in Bon Secours Hospital, Cork on 3 May 1972, five days short of his 52nd birthday.[1]
Amateur wins
- 1936 Boys Amateur Championship
- 1937 Irish Amateur Close Championship
- 1938 Irish Amateur Open Championship, Irish Amateur Close Championship
- 1946 The Amateur Championship
- 1950 Daily Telegraph Foursomes Tournament (with Wally Smithers)
Major championships
Wins (1)
Year | Championship | Winning score | Runner-up |
---|---|---|---|
1946 | Amateur Championship |
4 & 3 | Robert Sweeny Jr. |
Results timeline
Tournament | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Amateur Championship
|
R128 | QF | NT | NT | NT | NT | NT | NT | 1 | ||||
The Open Championship | CUT | T13 LA | NT | NT | NT | NT | NT | NT | |||||
U.S. Amateur
|
NT | NT | NT | NT | R256 |
Note: Bruen only played in the Amateur Championship, the Open Championship and the U.S. Amateur.
LA = Low amateur
CUT = missed the half-way cut
R256, R128, R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Team appearances
- Walker Cup (representing Great Britain): 1938 (winners), 1949, 1951
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Froggatt, Peter. "Dictionary of Ulster Biography – Jimmy Bruen (1920–1972)". Ulster History Circle. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
- ^ Koegh, Brian (31 December 2014). "All time Top-100 Irish Amateur men". Retrieved 17 November 2017.
- ^ "Boy Golfers in Heated Disputes". Glasgow Herald. 29 August 1935. p. 3.
- ^ "First Round of Boys' Championship". Glasgow Herald. 26 August 1936. p. 6.
- ^ "Scot and Irish Boys Finalists". Glasgow Herald. 29 August 1936. p. 6.
- ^ "Boys' Golf Title for Irish". Glasgow Herald. 31 August 1936. p. 7.
- ^ "An American Challenge at Sandwich". Glasgow Herald. 26 May 1937. p. 23.
- ^ "Irish Amateur Championship". The Times. 18 June 1937. p. 6.
- ^ "Gadd's Winning Round". Glasgow Herald. 30 July 1937. p. 6.
- ^ "The Irish Amateur Championship – Bruen Beaten". The Times. 7 September 1937. p. 5.
- ^ "The Walker Cup – Great Britain Win at Last". The Times. 6 June 1938. p. 11.
- ^ "J. Bruen Retains Irish Title". Glasgow Herald. 24 June 1938. p. 4.
- ^ "Golfers' Changing Fortunes". Glasgow Herald. 8 July 1938. p. 12.
- ^ "Locke Comes from behind to win Irish "Open"". Glasgow Herald. 22 July 1938. p. 4.
- ^ "Britain's Best Amateur – Bruen Wins Irish Golf Title". Glasgow Herald. 10 September 1938. p. 3.
- ^ "Amateur Championship". The Times. 26 May 1939. p. 4.
- ^ "Bruen Loses a Title". Glasgow Herald. 22 June 1939. p. 19.
- ^ "All Eyes on Bruen for "Open"". Glasgow Herald. 5 July 1939. p. 7.
- ^ "Memorable Last Green Spectacle". Glasgow Herald. 8 July 1939. p. 11.
- ^ "Arthur Lees Wins his First Big Tournament". Glasgow Herald. 21 July 1939. p. 19.
- ^ "Irish Amateur Golf Surprise – Bruen Beaten in Third Round". Glasgow Herald. 19 June 1940. p. 3.
- ^ "Bruen First Irishman to Win Amateur Golf Title". Glasgow Herald. 3 June 1946. p. 5.
- ^ "The Walker Cup – Britain's Heavy Defeat". The Times. 22 August 1949. p. 6.
- ^ "Bruen and Micklem Lose in First Round". Glasgow Herald. 30 August 1949. p. 3.
- ^ "Walker Cup Side Held to Draw". Glasgow Herald. 8 September 1949. p. 3.
- The Glasgow Herald. 9 October 1950. p. 6.
- The Glasgow Herald. 12 May 1951. p. 5.