Richard "Dick" Burton (born October 11, 1907 –
December 31, 1989) was an English golfer.
He is mainly remembered for winning The Open Championship (British Open) in
1939, when it was played on the Old Course at
St Andrews in Scotland. He played for Great Britain in the Ryder Cup in 1935, 1937, and 1949, and won two of his five matches.
Burton, a former four-loom weaver at Cobden Mill, was born at Darwen, Lancashire. He is remembered for holding the Open title for the longest time - from 1939 till after
World War II. In the spring of 1946, he wrote to the Royal and Ancient: "Dear Sirs, Please
find enclosed my fee of five guineas for this year's Open. I will bring the trophy back when I come."
Richard Burton was based at Sale Golf Club, on the Manchester Cheshire border, and is still celebrated at the club. Every year
the club holds the Richard Burton Trophy on the weekend of the Open Championship, and have a display including the putter he used
to win the Open.
When he played 4 ball with other members, rather than pair up with a member, he would play against all 3, and give full
handicaps. He still won more often than not.
Also, he reputedly hit the 120 yard 17th hole hole with every club in his bag, including the putter.
Burton died peacefully on December 31 1989 at 11:25 pm. He
was buried on January 8, 1990 in his home-town of
Lancashire.
|
The Open champions |
1860 Willie Park, Snr. · 1861 Tom Morris, Sr. · 1862
Tom Morris, Sr. · 1863 Willie Park, Snr. · 1864 Tom
Morris, Sr. · 1865 Andrew Strath ·
1866 Willie Park, Snr. · 1867 Tom Morris, Sr. · 1868
Tom Morris, Jr. · 1869 Tom Morris, Jr. · 1870 Tom
Morris, Jr. · 1871 No championship · 1872
Tom Morris, Jr. · 1873 Tom Kidd · 1874 Mungo
Park · 1875 Willie Park, Snr. ·
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, Jnr. · 1888 Jack Burns · 1889 Willie
Park, Jnr. · 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 · 1915-19 No
Championships due to World War I · 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 · 1939 Richard Burton · 1940-45 No Championships due to World War II · 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
DeVicenzo · 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 Severiano
Ballesteros · 1980 Tom Watson
· 1981 Bill Rogers · 1982 Tom Watson · 1983
Tom Watson · 1984 Severiano Ballesteros · 1985 Sandy Lyle · 1986 Greg Norman
· 1987 Nick Faldo · 1988 Severiano 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
|
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)