Intimidating Archie Compston
Archie Compston used to frighten the life out of me when I first started playing tournaments. Not only was he 6 feet 6 inches in height, he also had a tough-looking face and was aggressive […]
Author: G.F.
Bobby Locke – US trail blazer
Bobby Locke has always been a hero to me, even though he was a few months younger. His record in the USA does not look as spectacular as Gary Player’s but is remarkable if you […]
Abe Mitchell – a long hitter with hickory
Abe Mitchell, who came close to winning the Open a few times in the 1920s and played in the 1929, 1931 and 1933 Ryder Cup matches, had the fastest clubhead speed I have ever seen. […]
The obsessive Hogan
Ben Hogan and I had only one thing in common: our golf swings were both based on what I call a ‘power fade’ system. I can’t speak for Ben but I had a terror of […]
Alex Herd gives me a sharp lesson
Although not a multiple winner of the James Braid, Harry Vardon and J.H. Taylor class, the Scottish pro Alex ‘Sandy’ Herd has a remarkable record in the Open Championship. He won it in 1902 but […]
US club backs amateurs to beat me and Weetman
After the 1951 Ryder Cup match at Pinehurst, Harry Weetman and I were booked for a series of six exhibition matches. We fixed ourselves up with a Chevrolet and had our names painted on the […]
British courtesy unnerves US pros
In 1960/61 I spent several months in the US playing their winter tour. I travelled there with Eric Brown and our first tournament was the Los Angeles Open at the Rancho Club, which is opposite […]
Snead loses his cool
I was last match out in the singles at Pinehurst, North Carolina, in the 1951 Ryder Cup match and my opponent was the US Captain Sam Snead. After the morning round I was 4 down […]
I play with future Open Champions as 16-year old
In 1932, when I was only 16, my father took me to Roehampton for a practice round before the tournament on the next day. When we got to the first tee, a four-ball comprised of […]
First Open Championship
I was only 17 when I qualified for the 1934 Open at Royal St. Georges, Sandwich. My father was very keen for me to play in the tournament and had to smooth things over with […]
Max Faulkner 