Reg Whitcombe
Encyclopedia
Reginald Arthur Whitcombe (1898 – 11 January 1957) was an English professional golfer
.
Whitcombe began his career at Came Down Golf Club in Dorset
and served in the British armed forces during World War I
. He was the professional at Parkstone Golf Club from 1 January 1928 until his death in 1957. He finished runner up to Henry Cotton in the 1937 Open Championship at Carnoustie
, and in 1938 he won the famously windswept Open at Royal St George's
, where his two final rounds of 75–78 were still enough to beat the halfway leaders by ten strokes. His two older brothers Ernest and Charles
were also professional golfers and all were selected for Great Britain in the Ryder Cup
, although Reg never played – his selection for the 1939 team was overtaken by the events of the war.
NT = No tournament
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10
Professional golfer
In golf the distinction between amateurs and professionals is rigorously maintained. An amateur who breaches the rules of amateur status may lose his or her amateur status. A golfer who has lost his or her amateur status may not play in amateur competitions until amateur status has been reinstated;...
.
Whitcombe began his career at Came Down Golf Club in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
and served in the British armed forces during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He was the professional at Parkstone Golf Club from 1 January 1928 until his death in 1957. He finished runner up to Henry Cotton in the 1937 Open Championship at Carnoustie
Carnoustie Golf Links
The Carnoustie Golf Links are in Carnoustie, Angus, Scotland. Its historic championship golf course is one of the venues in the Open Championship rotation.-History:...
, and in 1938 he won the famously windswept Open at Royal St George's
Royal St George's Golf Club
The Royal St George's Golf Club is one of the premier golf clubs in the United Kingdom, and one of the courses on The Open Championship rotation. It has hosted 13 Open championships since 1894, when it became the first club outside Scotland to host the championship...
, where his two final rounds of 75–78 were still enough to beat the halfway leaders by ten strokes. His two older brothers Ernest and Charles
Charles Whitcombe
Charles Whitcombe was the second of the three Whitcombe brothers who were all successful English professional golfers in the 1920s and 1930s and - despite never winning The Open Championship like his younger brother Reg - could be considered the most prominent of the three, winning the British PGA...
were also professional golfers and all were selected for Great Britain in the Ryder Cup
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
, although Reg never played – his selection for the 1939 team was overtaken by the events of the war.
Tournament wins
this list is probably incomplete- 1934 Penfold TournamentPenfold TournamentThe Penfold Tournament was a golf tournament on the European circuit/European Tour. It was played from 1932 to 1974 at a variety of courses. The purse for the 1974 event was £11,388....
- 1936 Irish OpenIrish Open (golf)The Irish Open is a professional golf tournament on the European Tour, currently played at the end of July or early August each year. The event has been played in many locations on the island; its current home is the Killarney Golf & Fishing Club in County Kerry in southwestern Ireland...
- 1938 Open Championship, News Chronicle Tournament
- 1946 Lotus Tournament
- 1947 Penfold TournamentPenfold TournamentThe Penfold Tournament was a golf tournament on the European circuit/European Tour. It was played from 1932 to 1974 at a variety of courses. The purse for the 1974 event was £11,388....
(tie with Dai ReesDai ReesDavid James Rees, CBE was one of the Britain's leading golfers either side of World War II.The winner of many prestigious tournaments in Britain, Europe and farther afield, Rees is best remembered as the captain of the Great Britain Ryder Cup team which defeated the United States at Lindrick Golf...
and Norman Von NidaNorman Von NidaNorman Guy Von Nida was an Australian professional golfer.Von Nida was born in Strathfield and grew up in Brisbane. He turned professional in 1933, after attracting attention by winning the Queensland Amateur aged just 18...
)
Wins (1)
| Year | Championship | 54 Holes | Winning Score | Margin | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 1938 Open Championship The 1938 Open Championship was a golf competition held at Royal St George's Golf Club. The competition was won by Reg Whitcombe.-Final leaderboard:-External links:*... |
The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
1 shot lead | (71–71–75–78=295) | 2 strokes |  Jimmy AdamsJimmy Adams (golfer) James Adams was a Scottish professional golfer who was chosen for five Ryder Cup sides and achieved high finishes in The Open Championship on several occasions .... |
Results timeline
- Note: The Open Championship was the only majorMen's major golf championshipsThe men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...
Whitcombe played in.Tournament 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 The Open Championship The Open ChampionshipThe Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...T20 T14 CUT T23 T45 T13 T17 T17 T7 T16 T34 T8 2 1 T3 Tournament 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 The Open Championship The Open ChampionshipThe Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...NT NT NT NT NT NT T14 T13 T18 CUT CUT CUT
NT = No tournament
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10