Max Faulkner Herbert Gustavus Max Faulkner, OBE (29 July 1916 – 26 February 2005) was Max Faulkner an English professional golfer who won the Open Championship in 1951.[1] Personal information Full name Herbert Gustavus Contents Max Early life Faulkner Pre-war golf career Born 29 July War service 1916 Post-war golf career Bexhill-on- Honours Sea, Death England Professional wins (19) Died 26 February Important wins (14) 2005 Other wins (3) (aged 88) Senior wins (2) Nationality Major championships England Wins (1) Results timeline Career Team appearances Status Professional References Professional wins 19 Best results in major championships Early life (wins: 1) Faulkner was born on 29 July 1916 in Bexhill-on-Sea, the son of Gus (1893– Masters Tournament DNP 1976), a professional golfer who had been assistant to James Braid before World U.S. Open DNP War I.[1][2] After the war his father took a position at Pennard Golf Club on the The Open Championship Won: 1951 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 PGA Championship DNP Bramley Golf Club, just south of Guildford, where he remained until 1945.[1] Achievements and awards [2] Faulkner was outstanding at a number of sports but golf was his main interest. Officer of the Order 2001 [1] After leaving school he became an assistant to his father at Bramley. of the British Empire 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 theIrish 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 300putters , 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) Important wins (14) Margin Winning Date Tournament Venue of Runner(s)-up score victory 10 Dunlop-Southport Southport and 79-74-72- 1 Norman Von May Tournament Ainsdale Golf Club 71=296 stroke Nida 1946 6 May 74-67-72- 2 Dunlop Tournament Wentworth Club Sam King 1949 74=287 strokes Penfold 24 Jun Tournament South Herts Golf Dick Burton & 1 up (foursomes) 1949 (with John Club Flory Van Donck Burton) 2 Sep Little Aston Golf 69-68-70- 1 Lotus Tournament Charlie Ward 1949 Club 70=277 stroke 6 Jul The Open Royal Portrush Golf 71-70-70- 2 Antonio Cerdá 1951 Championship Club 74=285 strokes 11 Oct 71-70-72- 4 Dunlop Masters Wentworth Club Reg Horne 1951 68=281 strokes 2 May Sunningdale Golf 68-73-67- 7 Dunlop Tournament Tom Haliburton 1952 Club 65-72=345 strokes 19 Oct 2 Spanish Open Madrid 275 Tom Haliburton 1952 strokes 19 News of the World Sep Ganton Golf Club 1 up Dai Rees Match Play 1953 18 Oct 6 Spanish Open Madrid 271 Carlos Sellés 1953 strokes 27 Oct Club de Campo 73-70-?-? 6 Spanish Open Henry Cotton 1957 Villa de Madrid =283 strokes 12 Jul Irish Hospitals Woodbrook Golf 67-65-74- 4 Peter Alliss, 1959 Tournament Club 68=274 strokes Dave Thomas 26 Woodlawn Woodlawn Golf 68-68-68- Aug Tournament Playoff Bob Charles Course 69=273 1962 (Germany) 24 66-69-69- 2 Nov Portuguese Open Estoril Golf Club Ángel Gallardo 69=273 strokes 1968 Other wins (3) 1937 Addington Foursomes (with Stanley Anderson) 1947 West of England Professional Championship 1964 Southern Professional Championship Senior wins (2) 1968 PGA Seniors Championship 1970 PGA Seniors Championship 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.