Max Faulkner
Max Faulkner OBE | |||
---|---|---|---|
The Max Faulkner plaque, Bexhill-on-Sea | |||
Personal information | |||
Full name | Herbert Gustavus Max Faulkner | ||
Born | (1916-07-29)29 July 1916 Bexhill-on-Sea, England | ||
Died | 26 February 2005(2005-02-26) (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, OBE (29 July 1916 – 26 February 2005) was an English professional golfer who won the Open Championship in 1951.[1]
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 Daily Mirror Assistants' Tournament in September 1933, just two months after his 17th birthday. The event had prize money of £750, more than the Open Championship, and attracted 206 entries. There was a 36-hole qualifying contest on the first day, after which the leading 64 played match-play. Faulkner finished the stroke-play in a tie for 16th place.[4] The following day, despite suffering from a muscle problem in his back, he won his two matches, before losing the following day at the last-16 stage.[5]
Faulkner played with his father in the 1934 Sunningdale Foursomes, where they reached the semi-final before losing.[6] The second Daily Mirror Assistants' Tournament was played in late May 1934. Faulkner again qualified for the match-play stage but lost his first match.[7] Still aged 17, he entered the 1934 Open Championship at Royal St George's. He had two rounds of 76 to qualify for the main event.[8] In the championship he had two rounds of 78 and missed the cut.[9] In September he qualified for the final stage of the News of the World Match Play, winning his first match and losing at the last-32 stage.[10]
1935 was a less successful season for Faulkner. The Daily Mirror Assistants' Tournament became a stroke play event with sectional qualifying. Faulkner qualified well, finishing 4th in the strong Southern Section but missed the cut in the main tournament.[11] 1936 started poorly with Faulkner failing to qualify for the final stages of the Daily Mail Tournament. In April he moved from Bramley and took a position at Sonning Golf Club, east of Reading, Berkshire where Arthur Young was the professional. Faulkner was to be playing assistant and able to compete in all the leading tournaments.[12]
Faulkner entered the 1936 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Club. He just qualified with a score of 155 for the two qualifying rounds. Four steady rounds left him tied for 21st place in the championship.[13] At the end of July he had his best finish in an important tournament, the Daily Mirror Assistants' Tournament, despite starting with a 77. A final round course-record 66 lifted him into a tie for 3rd place.[14] In September he qualified for the final stage of the News of the World Match Play where he won two matches before losing to Percy Alliss at the last-16 stage.[15]
Faulkner was joint leader at the halfway stage of the 1937 Daily Mail Tournament but fell back with two rounds 78 on the final day.[16] The following week, in partnership with Stanley Anderson, he won the Addington Foursomes.[17] Faulkner was one of the leading qualifiers for the 1937 Open Championship at Carnoustie Golf Links, tying for 6th place. In the championship itself he had a second 83 and missed the cut. He again performed well in the Daily Mirror Assistants' Tournament, despite a poor first day. Final day rounds of 70 and 72 lifted him into 4th place.[18] The following week he finished 3rd in the Irish Open.[19]
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 News of the World Match Play. The event was delayed until late April 1940 but Faulkner lost his first round match. Faulkner played relatively little golf during the war, although he played a number of exhibition matches in the winter of 1942/43.
During World War II Faulkner served in the RAF as a Physical Training (PT) instructor.[2] He took up boxing, becoming services champion.[22]
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 Spanish Opens, with his last being the 1968 Portuguese Open at the age of 52. He also won the PGA Seniors Championship on two occasions. His greatest achievement was his victory in the 1951 Open Championship at Royal Portrush. With a round still to be played he had a 6-stroke lead and is reported to have signed autographs with the postscript "1951 Open Champion".[24] Helped by what he called a "mystery guiding light",[25] he went on to finish with a score of 3 under par, two ahead of Antonio Cerdá, and said later "It was all I ever wanted. The Open meant everything to me."[26][27]
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 putters, always searching for the perfect one. He very rarely used a conventional set of clubs, sometimes having several of the same club with a variety of shaft lengths and flexes. He was known for his shotmaking ability, being able to make the ball curve in the air even on short lofted shots.[25]
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
- ^ a b c d e Fisher, Richard. "Faulkner, (Herbert Gustavus) Max (1916–2005), golfer". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/96610. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Assistant Professions' Championship". 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 Qualifiers". 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.
- ^ "Winner Leads in Every Round". The Glasgow Herald. 31 July 1936. p. 20.
- ^ ""News of the World" Tournament". The Times. 17 September 1936. p. 5.
- ^ "Brilliant Final Rounds". The Glasgow Herald. 10 April 1937. p. 3.
- ^ "The Addington Foursomes". The Times. 15 April 1937. p. 6.
- ^ "Tie in Assistants's Tournament". The Glasgow Herald. 24 July 1937. p. 2.
- ^ "Gadd's winning round". The Glasgow Herald. 30 July 1937. p. 6.
- ^ "Locke comes from behind to win Irish "Open"". The Glasgow Herald. 22 July 1938. p. 4.
- ^ "Arthur Lees wins his first big tournament". 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.
- ^ "Ward's one stroke victory at St Andrews". 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.
- ^ a b Alliss, Peter (1983). The Who's Who of Golf. Orbis Publishing. p. 240. 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.
- v
- t
- e
- 1860 Willie Park Sr.
- 1861 Tom Morris Sr.
- 1862 Tom Morris Sr.
- 1863 Willie Park Sr.
- 1864 Tom Morris Sr.
- 1865 Andrew Strath
- 1866 Willie Park Sr.
- 1867 Tom Morris Sr.
- 1868 Tom Morris Jr.
- 1869 Tom Morris Jr.
- 1870 Tom Morris Jr.
- 1872 Tom Morris Jr.
- 1873 Tom Kidd
- 1874 Mungo Park
- 1875 Willie Park Sr.
- 1876 Bob Martin†
- 1877 Jamie Anderson
- 1878 Jamie Anderson
- 1879 Jamie Anderson
- 1880 Bob Ferguson
- 1881 Bob Ferguson
- 1882 Bob Ferguson
- 1883 Willie Fernie†
- 1884 Jack Simpson
- 1885 Bob Martin
- 1886 David Brown
- 1887 Willie Park Jr.
- 1888 Jack Burns
- 1889 Willie Park Jr.†
- 1890 John Ball#
- 1891 Hugh Kirkaldy
- 1892 Harold Hilton#
- 1893 William Auchterlonie
- 1894 John Henry Taylor
- 1895 John Henry Taylor
- 1896 Harry Vardon†
- 1897 Harold Hilton#
- 1898 Harry Vardon
- 1899 Harry Vardon
- 1900 John Henry Taylor
- 1901 James Braid
- 1902 Sandy Herd
- 1903 Harry Vardon
- 1904 Jack White
- 1905 James Braid
- 1906 James Braid
- 1907 Arnaud Massy
- 1908 James Braid
- 1909 John Henry Taylor
- 1910 James Braid
- 1911 Harry Vardon†
- 1912‡ Edward Ray
- 1913 John Henry Taylor
- 1914 Harry Vardon
- 1920 George Duncan
- 1921 Jock Hutchison†
- 1922 Walter Hagen
- 1923 Arthur Havers
- 1924 Walter Hagen
- 1925 Jim Barnes
- 1926 Bobby Jones#
- 1927‡ Bobby Jones#
- 1928 Walter Hagen
- 1929 Walter Hagen
- 1930 Bobby Jones#
- 1931 Tommy Armour
- 1932‡ Gene Sarazen
- 1933 Denny Shute†
- 1934‡ Henry Cotton
- 1935 Alf Perry
- 1936 Alf Padgham
- 1937 Henry Cotton
- 1938 Reg Whitcombe
- 1939 Dick Burton
- 1946 Sam Snead
- 1947 Fred Daly
- 1948 Henry Cotton
- 1949 Bobby Locke†
- 1950 Bobby Locke
- 1951 Max Faulkner
- 1952 Bobby Locke
- 1953 Ben Hogan
- 1954 Peter Thomson
- 1955 Peter Thomson
- 1956 Peter Thomson
- 1957 Bobby Locke
- 1958 Peter Thomson†
- 1959 Gary Player
- 1960 Kel Nagle
- 1961 Arnold Palmer
- 1962 Arnold Palmer
- 1963 Bob Charles†
- 1964 Tony Lema
- 1965 Peter Thomson
- 1966 Jack Nicklaus
- 1967 Roberto De Vicenzo
- 1968 Gary Player
- 1969 Tony Jacklin
- 1970 Jack Nicklaus†
- 1971 Lee Trevino
- 1972 Lee Trevino
- 1973‡ Tom Weiskopf
- 1974 Gary Player
- 1975 Tom Watson†
- 1976 Johnny Miller
- 1977 Tom Watson
- 1978 Jack Nicklaus
- 1979 Seve Ballesteros
- 1980 Tom Watson
- 1981 Bill Rogers
- 1982 Tom Watson
- 1983 Tom Watson
- 1984 Seve Ballesteros
- 1985 Sandy Lyle
- 1986 Greg Norman
- 1987 Nick Faldo
- 1988 Seve Ballesteros
- 1989 Mark Calcavecchia†
- 1990 Nick Faldo
- 1991 Ian Baker-Finch
- 1992 Nick Faldo
- 1993 Greg Norman
- 1994 Nick Price
- 1995 John Daly†
- 1996 Tom Lehman
- 1997 Justin Leonard
- 1998 Mark O'Meara†
- 1999 Paul Lawrie†
- 2000 Tiger Woods
- 2001 David Duval
- 2002 Ernie Els†
- 2003 Ben Curtis
- 2004 Todd Hamilton†
- 2005‡ Tiger Woods
- 2006 Tiger Woods
- 2007 Pádraig Harrington†
- 2008 Pádraig Harrington
- 2009 Stewart Cink†
- 2010 Louis Oosthuizen
- 2011 Darren Clarke
- 2012 Ernie Els
- 2013 Phil Mickelson
- 2014‡ Rory McIlroy
- 2015 Zach Johnson†
- 2016 Henrik Stenson
- 2017 Jordan Spieth
- 2018 Francesco Molinari
- 2019 Shane Lowry
- 2021 Collin Morikawa
- 2022 Cameron Smith
- 2023 Brian Harman
1871 No championship; 1915–1919 cancelled due to World War I; 1940–1945 cancelled due to World War II; 2020 cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic