Who's who: Fred Daly

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Who's who: Fred Daly

  • Name:

    Fred Daly
  • Country:

    Ireland
  • Lived:

    [1911-1990]. Born on Oct 11, 1911 in Portrush, Co. Antrim, N. Ireland. Died on Nov 18, 1990 in Belfast, N. Ireland (aged 79).
  • Original/Home Club:

    Rathmore GC (playing on the Valley course, Royal Portrush GC).
  • Occupation:

    Professional golfer
  • Turned Pro:

    1931

Roll of Honour

MAJORS (1): The Open (1947). Irish Open (1946). Ryder Cup player (1947, '49, '51, '53). Appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire, MBE (1984).

Did you know?

A frequent winner on the British and Irish professional circuit in the years immediately after World War II, Daly became the first Irishman to win the Open Championship and the first to play in a Ryder Cup.

Top tournaments won by Fred Daly

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Daly, Fred

Score

280

Prize money

£400

Title sponsor

Daks

Played as the Daks Tournament. Second-placed Jack Hargreaves (Eng) finished 2 shots behind Daly (N.Ire). This was the first televised golf event in the UK, broadcast by the BBC. [West course, Wentworth Club, Virginia Water, Surrey].

1952
Europe
4 & 3
£750
News of the World

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Daly, Fred

Score

4 & 3

Prize money

£750

Title sponsor

News of the World

Played as the News of the World Match Play (Sept 17-20). Daly (N.Ire) beat Flory van Donck (Belg) 4 and 3 in the 36-hole final. This was Daly's third win in this event in six years, and, as in 1947, another win against van Donck in the final. [Old course, Walton Heath GC, Walton on the Hill, Surrey].

1950
Europe
278
£350
Lotus

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Daly, Fred

Score

278

Prize money

£350

Title sponsor

Lotus

Played as the Lotus £1,500 Tournament (Aug 30-Sept 1). Second-placed Bobby Locke (S Africa) finished 1 shot behind Fred Daly (N.Ire). [Moortown GC, nr Leeds, W Yorks].

1949
Europe
Mere
277
£350
Manchester EC

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Daly, Fred

Venue

Mere

Score

277

Prize money

£350

Title sponsor

Manchester EC

Played as the Manchester Evening Chronicle £1,500 Tournament (discontinued after this event). Second-placed Flory van Donck (Belg) finished 3 shots behind Daly (N.Ire). [The Mere Resort, Mere, Knutsford, Cheshire].

1948
Europe
4 & 3
£750
News of the World

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Daly, Fred

Score

4 & 3

Prize money

£750

Title sponsor

News of the World

Played as the News of the World Match Play (Sept 22-25). Defending champion Daly (N.Ire) beat Laurie Ayton Jr (Scot) 4 and 3 in the 36-hole final. [Royal Birkdale GC, Southport, Merseyside].

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Daly, Fred

Score

290

Prize money

£350

Title sponsor

Dunlop

Played as the Dunlop-Southport £2000 Tournament. Fred Daly (N.Ire) beat Ted McNeill (N.Ire) by 10 shots in a 36-hole playoff (Daly 141, McNeill 151). [Southport & Ainsdale GC, Southport, Merseyside].

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Daly, Fred

Score

273

Prize money

£200

Title sponsor

Penfold

Played as the Penfold Tournament. Second-placed Ken Bousfield (Eng) and Dai Rees (Wales) finished 3 shots behind Daly (N.Ire). [King's course, Gleneagles Hotel, Auchterarder, Perthshire].

1947
Majors
293 (+5)
£150
R&A

Category

Majors

Winner (holder)

Daly, Fred

Score

293 (+5)

Prize money

£150

Title sponsor

R&A

The Open Championship (76th) (July 2-4). Second-placed Reginald W "Reg" Horne (Eng) and Frank Stranahan (USA) finished 1 shot behind Daly (N.Ire). Daly became the first Irishman to lift the Claret Jug. [Royal Liverpool GC, Hoylake, Wirral, Merseyside].

1947
Europe
3 & 2
£750
News of the World

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Daly, Fred

Score

3 & 2

Prize money

£750

Title sponsor

News of the World

Played as the News of the World Match Play (Sept 24-27). Daly (N.Ire) beat Flory Van Donck (Belg) 3 and 2 in the 36-hole final, to become the first man since James Braid in 1905 to jointly hold the Open Championship and Professional match Play Championship titles. [Royal Lytham & St Annes GC, nr Blackpool, Lancs].

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Daly, Fred

Score

288

Prize money

Title sponsor

x

Played as the Irish Open. Second-placed Bobby Locke (S Africa) finished 4 shots behind Fred Daly (N.Ire). [Portmarnock GC, nr Dublin, Ireland].

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