Max Faulkner
Max Faulkner OBE | |||
---|---|---|---|
Personal information | |||
Full name | Herbert Gustavus Max Faulkner | ||
Born | Bexhill-on-Sea, England | 29 July 1916||
Died | 26 February 2005 | (aged 88)||
Sporting nationality | England | ||
Career | |||
Status | Professional | ||
Professional wins | 19 | ||
Best results in major championships (wins: 1) | |||
Masters Tournament | DNP | ||
PGA Championship | DNP | ||
U.S. Open | DNP | ||
The Open Championship | Won: 1951 | ||
Achievements and awards | |||
|
Herbert Gustavus Max Faulkner,
Early life
Faulkner was born on 29 July 1916 in Bexhill-on-Sea, the son of Gus (1893–1976), a professional golfer who had been assistant to James Braid before World War I.[1][2] After the war his father took a position at Pennard Golf Club on the Gower Peninsula in south Wales where he stayed until 1925. His father was briefly at a golf facility in Regent's Park but in 1927 became the professional at Bramley Golf Club, just south of Guildford, where he remained until 1945.[1] Faulkner was outstanding at a number of sports but golf was his main interest.[2] After leaving school he became an assistant to his father at Bramley.[1]
Faulkner was the eldest of three boys. His younger brother, Frank (1919–1941), who was also an assistant to his father, was killed in a road traffic accident near Cambridge, while serving as a corporal in the Army, aged 21.[3]
Pre-war golf career
Faulkner showed considerable talent when very young. He entered the first
Faulkner played with his father in the 1934
1935 was a less successful season for Faulkner. The
Faulkner entered the
Faulkner was joint leader at the halfway stage of the 1937
In early 1938 Faulkner became the professional at Leamington Spa Golf Club. He had a less successful season but did finish tied for 4th in the Irish Open.[20] Faulkner left his position at Leamington in early 1939 and played the rest of the season as an unattached professional. He qualified for the 1939 Open Championship and was joint-leader after the first round with 70, eventually finishing tied for 23rd place. He again performed well in the Irish Open finishing tied for 7th place.[21]
War service
Faulkner had qualified for the final stage of the 1939
During
Post-war golf career
Faulkner's tournament career restarted immediately after the war. In September 1945 he was runner-up in the Daily Mail Tournament, a stroke behind Charlie Ward.[23]
During his career he won 16 regular tournaments in Europe, including three
Faulkner played in five Ryder Cup matches, including the historic 1957 contest at Lindrick where the Great Britain team won for the first time since 1933.[26]
Faulkner was believed to have over 300
Honours
In 2001, on the 50th anniversary of the Open triumph, Faulkner was honoured with an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to golf.[24]
Death
Faulkner lived in his later years at Pulborough, Sussex and died on 26 February 2005, aged 88, of pneumonia at St Richard's Hospital, Chichester.[1][2]
Professional wins (19)
British PGA circuit wins (9)
No. | Date | Tournament | Venue | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 10 May 1946 | Dunlop-Southport Tournament | Southport and Ainsdale Golf Club | 79-74-72-71=296 | 1 stroke | Norman Von Nida |
2 | 6 May 1949 | Dunlop Tournament | Wentworth Club | 74-67-72-74=287 | 2 strokes | Sam King |
3 | 24 Jun 1949 | Penfold Tournament (with John Burton) |
South Herts Golf Club | 1 up (foursomes) | Dick Burton & Flory Van Donck | |
4 | 2 Sep 1949 | Lotus Tournament | Little Aston Golf Club | 69-68-70-70=277 | 1 stroke | Charlie Ward |
5 | 6 Jul 1951 | The Open Championship | Royal Portrush Golf Club | 71-70-70-74=285 | 2 strokes | Antonio Cerdá |
6 | 11 Oct 1951 | Dunlop Masters
|
Wentworth Club | 71-70-72-68=281 | 4 strokes | Reg Horne |
7 | 2 May 1952 | Dunlop Tournament | Sunningdale Golf Club | 68-73-67-65-72=345 | 7 strokes | Tom Haliburton |
8 | 19 Sep 1953 | News of the World Match Play
|
Ganton Golf Club | 1 up | Dai Rees | |
9 | 12 Jul 1959 | Irish Hospitals Tournament | Woodbrook Golf Club | 67-65-74-68=274 | 4 strokes | Peter Alliss, Dave Thomas |
Continental Europe wins (5)
No. | Date | Tournament | Venue | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 19 Oct 1952 | Spanish Open
|
Real Club de la Puerta de Hierro | 275 | 2 strokes | Tom Haliburton |
2 | 18 Oct 1953 | Spanish Open
|
Real Club de la Puerta de Hierro | 271 | 6 strokes | Carlos Sellés |
3 | 27 Oct 1957 | Spanish Open
|
Club de Campo Villa de Madrid | 73-70-?-?=283 | 6 strokes | Henry Cotton |
4 | 26 Aug 1962 | Woodlawn Tournament
|
Woodlawn Golf Course | 68-68-68-69=273 | Playoff | Bob Charles |
5 | 24 Nov 1968 | Portuguese Open
|
Estoril Golf Club | 66-69-69-69=273 | 2 strokes | Ángel Gallardo |
Other wins (3)
- 1937 Addington Foursomes (with Stanley Anderson)
- 1947 West of England Professional Championship
- 1964 Southern Professional Championship
Senior wins (2)
Major championships
Wins (1)
Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1951 | The Open Championship | 6 shot lead | −3 (71-70-70-74=285) | 2 strokes | Antonio Cerdá |
Results timeline
Tournament | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Open Championship | CUT | T21 | CUT | T23 |
Tournament | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Open Championship | NT | NT | NT | NT | NT | NT | CUT | T32 | T15 | T6 |
Tournament | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Open Championship | T5 | 1 | T17 | 12 | T20 | T35 | T9 | T16 | CUT |
Tournament | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Open Championship | CUT | T20 | T38 | T10 | CUT | CUT | CUT | T30 |
Tournament | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Open Championship | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT |
Note: Faulkner only played in The Open Championship.
CUT = missed the half-way cut (3rd round cut in 1974 Open Championship)
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Team appearances
- Ryder Cup (representing Great Britain): 1947, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1957 (winners)
- Slazenger Trophy (representing Great Britain and Ireland): 1956 (winners)
- Amateurs–Professionals Match (representing the Professionals): 1956 (winners), 1957 (winners)
- PGA Cup (representing Great Britain and Ireland): 1975
References
- ^ doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/96610. (Subscription or UK public library membershiprequired.)
- ^ a b c d "Max Faulkner". The Daily Telegraph. 2 March 2005. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
- ^ "Corpl. F. Faulkner". Surrey Advertiser. 27 September 1941. Retrieved 4 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Assistants' Tournament at Moor Park". The Times. 26 September 1933. p. 6.
- The Glasgow Herald. 27 September 1933. p. 19.
- ^ "The Sunningdale Foursomes". The Times. 2 April 1934. p. 3.
- ^ "Assistants at Wentworth". The Times. 31 May 1934. p. 7.
- The Glasgow Herald. 27 June 1934. p. 15.
- ^ "Cotton's lead at Sandwich". The Times. 29 June 1934. p. 6.
- ^ ""News of the World" Tournament". The Times. 20 September 1934. p. 5.
- ^ "Fine Performance by S.L. King". The Times. 12 July 1935. p. 5.
- ^ "M. Faulkner's Appointment". The Times. 24 April 1936. p. 6.
- ^ "Padgham Open Champion". The Times. 29 June 1936. p. 6.
- The Glasgow Herald. 31 July 1936. p. 20.
- ^ ""News of the World" Tournament". The Times. 17 September 1936. p. 5.
- The Glasgow Herald. 10 April 1937. p. 3.
- ^ "The Addington Foursomes". The Times. 15 April 1937. p. 6.
- The Glasgow Herald. 24 July 1937. p. 2.
- The Glasgow Herald. 30 July 1937. p. 6.
- The Glasgow Herald. 22 July 1938. p. 4.
- The Glasgow Herald. 21 July 1939. p. 19.
- ^ Rees, Michael (February 2009). "Legends of the game ... Max Faulkner" (PDF). Tee Times. p. 50. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
- The Glasgow Herald. 22 September 1945. p. 4.
- ^ a b "Faulkner's reward for Open triumph". BBC Sport. 31 December 2001. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
- ^ ISBN 0-85613-520-8.
- ^ a b Farrell, Andy (2 March 2005). "Max Faulkner; Flamboyant golfer who won the Open in 1951". The Independent. Archived from the original on 12 May 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
- ^ "Max Faulkner, former Open winner, dies aged 88". Golf Today. 2005. Retrieved 24 January 2010.