Scottish golfer
Robert Allan Cruickshank
(16 November 1894 ? 27 August 1975) was a prominent
professional golfer
from
Scotland
. He competed in the
PGA of America
circuit in the 1920s and 1930s, the forerunner of the
PGA Tour
.
Early life
[
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]
Born in
Grantown-on-Spey
in rural northern
Scotland
,
[2]
Cruickshank learned his golf as a boy playing over the town's course. As a teenager he also worked there as a caddie.
In that era, country houses around
Grantown-on-Spey
were often rented to rich
Edinburgh
families for the summer. A wealthy widow named Mrs. Isabella Usher made an offer to Cruickshank's parents to provide an education for their two sons in
Edinburgh
. In the autumn of 1909, Cruickshank and his younger brother John moved south. Mrs. Usher became their legal guardian and they lived at her house in the city's
Murrayfield
district. They were educated at the nearby
Daniel Stewart's College
.
Although Cruickshank was not tall (5 ft 5in), he was a fine athlete, and in 1912 the year that he left school, he ran the 100 yards in a time of 10.4 seconds. This time wasn't beaten until 1960 by the future Scotland international rugby player
Sandy Hinshelwood
.
He was also becoming an outstanding golfer and met and became friends with another rising local golfer,
Tommy Armour
. Armour and Cruikshank played together regularly over the
Braid Hills
course. Bobby also became a member of
Turnhouse Golf Club
on the west of the city.
[4]
Cruickshank served in the
British Army
in
World War I
. Captured in action by the
Germans
, he was a
prisoner of war
and later successfully escaped.
[5]
On returning from the war, Cruickshank won what was then Edinburgh's top amateur competition (the Edinburgh Coronation Cup) in both 1919 and 1920. The tournament was played at
Braid Hills
course which is still the city's premier municipal course. Representing his old school's former pupils (Stewart's FP Golf Club) Cruickshank was part of a team which won the Evening Dispatch Trophy. He also reached the final rounds of the
British Amateur Championship
played at
Muirfield
in the summer of 1920.
These successes encouraged Cruickshank to consider turning professional and moved to the United States with his wife Helen.
Professional career
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Cruickshank turned professional in 1921 and moved to the United States,
[1]
as suggested by his mentor and friend,
Tommy Armour
.
[5]
He rose to prominence in the U.S. after reaching the last four of the
PGA Championship
in both 1922 and 1923. He lost both times to eventual champion
Gene Sarazen
. Cruickshank was also twice runner-up in the
U.S. Open
. In 1923, he finished second to
Bobby Jones
down by two shots after an 18 hole playoff at Inwood Country Club, New York. In 1932, he was beaten by
Gene Sarazen
at Fresh Meadow Country Club, New York.
Cruickshank came home to Scotland to play at
Muirfield
in the
1929 Open Championship
. Despite only bringing two clubs with him and borrowing the rest from the Gullane professional, he finished sixth. In a nod to his old school, Cruickshank wore his Stewart's College tie while playing in the second round of the championship. He won £10 for sixth place while that years "Champion Golfer",
Walter Hagen
, won £75.
Cruickshank won 17 tour events in his career and his greatest year was 1927, when he won the
Los Angeles
and
Texas Opens
and finished as the leading money winner for the year. His last victory on tour was in 1936 and he had 16 top-10 finishes in
major championships
.
Cruickshank was a club pro in
Richmond, Virginia
, in 1930s and 1940s, and later in
Pittsburgh
, Pennsylvania.
[6]
He was also a winter pro in Florida.
Personal life
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Cruickshank died after a brief illness at age 80 in
Delray Beach
, Florida.
[5]
His wife Nellie (1895?1965) died ten years earlier in Pittsburgh.
[3]
Professional wins (29)
[
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]
PGA Tour wins (17)
[
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]
Other wins (12)
[
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]
this list may be incomplete
Results in major championships
[
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]
Top 10
Did not play
NYF = tournament not yet founded
NT = no tournament
WD = withdrew
CUT = missed the half-way cut
R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Source: British Amateur
[8]
See also
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References
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External links
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