William John Branch (20 February 1911[1] – 25 February 1985[2]) was an English professional golfer. He finished 9th in the 1935 Open Championship and won the Belgian Open 10 days later. His last major success was in the 1954 Gleneagles-Saxone Foursomes Tournament.
| Bill Branch | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Full name | William John Branch |
| Born | 20 February 1911 Alsager, Cheshire, England |
| Died | 25 February 1985 (aged 74) Heslington, Yorkshire, England |
| Sporting nationality |  England |
| Career | |
| Turned professional | 1928 |
| Professional wins | 5 |
| Best results in major championships | |
| Masters Tournament | DNP |
| PGA Championship | DNP |
| U.S. Open | DNP |
| The Open Championship | 9th: 1935 |
Golf career
editBranch's father, Jack was a golf professional. Jack had been at Woolacombe Bay Golf Club in Devon and Stafford Castle but was professional at Alsager Golf Club in 1911 when Branch was born.[3][4] Jack moved to Henbury Golf Club near Bristol soon after Branch's birth and was professional there for 37 years until his death in 1949 aged 64.[5] After leaving school Branch became an assistant to his father[6] where he stayed until becoming an assistant at Leicestershire Golf Club in 1937.[7] He left the Leicestershire club at the end of 1945 and was unattached for some time until joining Berkhamstead Golf Club in 1949 and then moving to Ganton Golf Club in 1951. He was professional at Scarborough South Cliff Golf Club in the 1960s eventually moving to Fulford Golf Club in 1971.
Branch won the 1954 Gleneagles-Saxone Foursomes Tournament, in partnership with Donald Cameron. He was runner-up in the 1950 Daily Telegraph Foursomes Tournament and joint runner-up in the 1953 Silver King Tournament.
Tournament wins
edit- 1930 PGA Assistants' Championship
- 1932 West of England Professional Championship
- 1935 Belgian Open
- 1936 Dunlop-Midland Professional Championship
- 1954 Gleneagles-Saxone Foursomes Tournament (with Donald Cameron)
Results in major championships
edit| Tournament | 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Open Championship | T39 | CUT | 9 | T31 | 13 | CUT | CUT |
| Tournament | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Open Championship | NT | NT | NT | NT | NT | NT | CUT | T14 |
| Tournament | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Open Championship | T24 | CUT | T35 | T22 | CUT |
| Tournament | 1960 | 1961 |
|---|---|---|
| The Open Championship | T46 |
Note: Branch only played in The Open Championship.
NT = No tournament
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Team appearances
edit- England–Scotland Professional Match (representing England): 1936 (winners)
- Slazenger Trophy (representing Great Britain and Ireland): 1956 (winners)
References
edit- ^ "FamilySearch.org". Retrieved 22 June 2023.
- ^ "Search probate records for documents and wills (England and Wales)". probatesearch.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
- ^ "Alsager Golf Club, Staffs". golfsmissinglinks.co.uk. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
- ^ "Woolacombe Bay Golf Club, Mortehoe, Devon". golfsmissinglinks.co.uk. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
- ^ "Death after illness of Mr Jack Branch". Western Daily Press. 18 April 1949. Retrieved 17 April 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "NewspaperSG - Terms and Conditions". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
- ^ "Glo'shire golfer's post in Leicestershire". Gloucestershire Echo. 22 February 1937. Retrieved 17 April 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.