Metropolitan’s commemorated instructing skilled, Brian Twite, is now 98 years previous and as such the oldest residing participant who took half within the 1951 Open Championship at Royal Portrush in County Antrum, Northern Eire. It was the primary time the occasion had been performed outdoors Scotland or England.
Metro members led by Damian Quirk, desirous to take their beloved skilled to subsequent 12 months’s Open at Royal Portrush, alerted the R&A to the truth that Twite was maybe the oldest residing participant in that first Open. Naturally, the sport’s governing physique shortly responded by inviting Twite to subsequent 12 months’s championship as their visitor.
Twite, who arrived at Metro as a younger instructing skilled from Sunningdale in 1955 was nonetheless giving the odd lesson or two on the membership till lately coming down with a kidney sickness.
“I’ve accepted the invitation which arrived six weeks in the past from the R&A and it was very good of Damian and the members to do all they may to get me there. I nonetheless have a number of months to get nicely and hopefully be capable to go.”
Twite nonetheless remembers his look within the Open 73 years in the past.
Revered Metropolitan GC instructing skilled, Brian Twite, now 98 years previous, will return to Royal Portrush because the oldest residing participant to have competed on the 1951 Open Championship.
“I used to be 24 and performed with the Scottish worldwide Eric Broun. He was a practice driver earlier than he turned golf skilled. Earlier than we hit off he mentioned to me, ’Brian, keep in mind it’s important to play across the wind, right here, don’t struggle it.’
“That’s what I did and performed nicely from tee to inexperienced. Sadly, I had 36 putts on the primary day and 37 through the second spherical for 2 rounds of 81 and missed the minimize. Broun, had a complete of 53 putts on the primary two days and simply made the minimize.
“The greens have been very undulating and in case you picked the flawed undulation, even from as little as two toes away, you possibly can find yourself 10 toes previous the opening, worse off than you have been together with your strategy shot.”
Flamboyant Englishman Max Faulkner – he was a natty dresser for the conservative instances – gained the occasion in 1951 after being runner-up twice within the Irish Open at Portrush.
Such was Faulkner’s confidence, hearsay had it that the night earlier than the ultimate two rounds he was signing autographs and including ‘Open Champion 1951.’
A extra correct story got here to the fore after the victory, that this had merely been acceding to a request from a fan so as to add the title to the signature he was giving to his younger son.
Or perhaps it may have been an embellishment on the time by Faulkner’s ‘ghost’ author for a London newspaper – a fresh-faced Ian Wooldridge.
