Alf Padgham
Alf Padgham | |
---|---|
Personal information | |
Full name | Alfred Harry Padgham |
Born | (1906-07-02)2 July 1906 Caterham, Surrey, England, United Kingdom |
Died | 4 March 1966(1966-03-04) (aged 59) West Wickham, Kent, England, United Kingdom |
Sporting nationality | England |
Career | |
Status | Professional |
Professional wins | 21 |
Best results in major championships (wins: 1) | |
Masters Tournament | DNP |
PGA Championship | DNP |
U.S. Open | DNP |
The Open Championship | Won: 1936 |
Alfred Harry Padgham (2 July 1906 – 4 March 1966[1]) was one of the leading British professional golfers of the 1930s and 1940s. He won the 1936 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, Merseyside, England[2] and played for Great Britain in the Ryder Cup in 1933, 1935 and 1937. He was captain of the Professional Golfers Association in 1936.
Early life
Padgham was born in Caterham, Surrey. His family had close ties to Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Club in Sussex, where he served his apprenticeship under head professional Jack Rowe.
Career
As a tournament player, he came into prominence in 1931 when he won the News of the World Match Play at Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club, beating Mark Seymour in the final and receiving £300 in prize money.
On 20 May 1933, Padgham took part in an exhibition match against Percy Alliss, as the main event at the opening of the reconstructed West course at Sundridge Park Golf Club, in the south east suburbs of London, near Sevenoaks in Kent. Members of the management committee at the Sundridge Park were impressed with Padgham's skill, so he was approached and he agreed to become the club professional, on a five-year contract, working as senior partner with present club pro Jack Randall, working in tandem. Padgham's many successes in tournament golf in the years to come, beside his work at the club, were of great delight of the club.[3]
He will be remembered most for his remarkable sequence of five victories between the autumn of 1935 and the summer of 1936. They included the News of the World Match Play for the second time, beating Percy Alliss in the final, and The Open Championship. He also captured the championships of Ireland, Germany and Holland.
He built up slowly towards his Open Championship victory in 1936. He was fourth in 1932, seventh the following year, then third behind Henry Cotton at Sandwich and second to Alf Perry at Muirfield in 1935 before the title became his at Royal Liverpool. On the longest course yet used for The Open at 7,708 yards, he came from behind with a last round of 71 to beat Jimmy Adams by a single stroke and Cotton by another stroke. On that final day, he had to break into the locked Hoylake pro shop to retrieve his clubs for an early tee time, but seemed completely unperturbed by the incident. On the final green he holed from 12 feet for a 3 to win.
Despite seeming to be a good match-play competitor, winning the News of the World Match Play twice and once being beaten in the final by Cotton, he failed to win a single point in his three Ryder Cup appearances in 1933, 1935 and 1937.
Personal life and retirement
Padgham was a tall and thin man with a natural smooth swing, a lot similar to that of the great Harry Vardon, but sometimes his putter let him down. Vardon, winner of six Open titles, had one word for Padgham's swing. He thought it "perfect". From a short, three-quarter backswing the club seemed to flow effortlessly into the ball and yet he was one of the longest hitters of his day.
Padgham was not a charismatic person, usually dressed in dark clothes, often a raincoat. He was shy and quiet and only showed his sense of humour with close friends.
He lost what might have been some of his best competitive years due to World War II. During the war, Padgham joined the full-time Special Police and part of the club house and golf course at Sundridge Park was used for military purpose. Nevertheless, in June 1940, Padgham took part in a 72-hole tournament at Sundridge Park, with gate receipts going to the Red Cross. During the 1950s and early 1960s, Padgham took part in many exhibition matches, the money going to good causes. In 1959, he was presented with a gold watch by Sundridge Park, for 25 years of service to the club. Unfortunately the watch did not go over his hand.
Whilst Padgham was absent from the club through sickness in the beginning of the 1960s, his eldest son died, which added to his suffering. He retired from the club in 1965, with failing health, and was succeeded by George Will.
Padgham died on 4 March 1966 at age 59 at his home in West Wickham, Greater London, Kent.[4]
Professional wins (21)
This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (February 2023) |
- 1931 News of the World Match Play
- 1932 Irish Open
- 1933 Sussex Professional Championship[5]
- 1934 German Open, Dunlop-Southport Tournament, Yorkshire Evening News Tournament, Kent President's Cup[6]
- 1935 News of the World Match Play
- 1936 The Open Championship, Daily Mail Tournament, Silver King Tournament, Dunlop-Southport Tournament, Western Province Open
- 1938 Dutch Open, Kent Professional Championship
- 1939 Silver King Tournament, News Chronicle Tournament
- 1946 Daily Mail Tournament
- 1947 Silver King Tournament
- 1948 Kent President's Cup[7]
- 1954 Kent Professional Championship[8]
Major championships
Wins (1)
Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1936 | The Open Championship | 1 shot deficit | 73-72-71-71=287 | 1 stroke | Jimmy Adams |
Results timeline
Tournament | 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Open Championship | T39 | T40 | T4 | T7 | 3 | 2 | 1 | T7 | T4 |
Tournament | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Open Championship | NT | NT | NT | NT | NT | NT | T31 | T13 | T7 | CUT |
Tournament | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Open Championship | T20 | CUT | CUT | CUT |
Note: Padgham only played in The Open Championship
NT = No tournament
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Team appearances
- Ryder Cup (representing Great Britain): 1933 (winners), 1935, 1937
- England–Scotland Professional Match (representing England): 1932 (winners), 1933 (winners), 1934 (winners), 1935 (winners), 1936 (winners), 1937 (winners), 1938 (winners)
- England–Ireland Professional Match (representing England): 1932 (winners), 1933 (winners)
- Coronation Match (representing the Ladies and Professionals): 1937
- Llandudno International Golf Trophy (representing England): 1938 (winners)
References
- ^ "Mr Alfred Padgham. The Times, 5 March 1966; pg. 10; Issue 56572.
- ^ "1936 Alf Padgham". The Open. Archived from the original on 26 November 2011. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
- ^ "Black and White Photos of SPGC History". Sundridge Park Golf Club. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
- ^ "Death of Mr A. H. Padgham". The Glasgow Herald. 5 March 1966. p. 5.
- ^ "Alfred Padgham's Title". Birmingham Gazette. 29 September 1933. p. 14. Retrieved 10 February 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Golf | Padgham's record round". Bromley & West Kent Mercury. 24 September 1954. p. 2. Retrieved 10 February 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Course record smashed". The Chronicle and Courier. 23 July 1948. p. 6. Retrieved 10 February 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Golf Course Record in Kent Professional Championship". Kentish Express. 24 September 1954. p. 14. Retrieved 10 February 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- 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
- 2024 Xander Schauffele
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