1951 Open Championship: "Royal Portrush was something else", says last remaining player alive from that event
The first time the Open Championship was played at Royal Portrush was back in 1951 – a memory which Brian Twite doesn’t forget.
Mr Twite, who is now 98-years-old, is believed to be the only player still alive who played in that tournament 74 years ago.
Unfortunately, he missed the cut as his putter went cold as he recorded 73 putts across 36 holes.
He might be forgiven for losing faith in the putter he bought for £2 just two weeks before travelling to Northern Ireland – but he kept it for the entirety of his golfing career – and he still has it to this day.
The tournament was won by Englishman Max Faulkner, two shots ahead of Antonio Cerda.
In an interview on the Open website ahead of this week’s play at Royal Portrush, Mr Twite – who grew up in Sheffield but later moved to Australia – was quoted in the Telegraph as saying: “George Duncan [the 1920 Champion Golfer] was at Hoylake and told me he thought I had the best pair of golfing hands he had seen, and suggested I enter The Open at Portrush.
“I thought Portrush was something else. It had long carries from the tee, thick rough, and very impressive duneland.
“I have since played all over the world, but nothing I have played since was as good as Portrush.”
Twite moved to Australia in 1953 and has lived there ever since.
He spent 39 years as the Head Professional at Metropolitan Golf Club in Melbourne’s Sandbelt region and later moved into coaching the game he loves.