Jimmy Adams (golfer)

Jimmy Adams
— Golfer —
Personal information
Full name James Adams
Born (1910-10-21)21 October 1910
Troon, Scotland
Died 9 January 1986(1986-01-09) (aged 75)
London, England
Nationality  Scotland
Career
Status Professional
Professional wins 9
Best results in major championships
Masters Tournament DNP
U.S. Open DNP
The Open Championship 2nd: 1936, 1938
PGA Championship DNP

James Adams (21 October 1910 – 9 January 1986[1][2]) was a Scottish professional golfer who was chosen for five Ryder Cup sides and achieved high finishes in The Open Championship on several occasions (five top-10s including two seconds).[3]

Born in Troon,[1] Adams turned professional when 14, and won the Irish PGA Championship, in 1933. In 1936, he won the Penfold Tournament on the British Tour, and came very close to winning The Open Championship at Hoylake. Adams shared the third-round lead with Henry Cotton, but despite beating Cotton (and Gene Sarazen, also in the field that year) in the final round, Adams finished a single shot behind Alf Padgham.[3] Two years later, at Royal St George's, Adams' final two rounds of 78-78 put him in second place, this time behind Reg Whitcombe. When the Championship resumed after World War II, he was fourth in 1951, and in 1954, Adams was the only player to break 70 in both the final two rounds at Royal Birkdale with a pair of 69s, but his effort was not quite enough to catch Peter Thomson, and Adams finished fifth, three shots behind.

In 1937 Adams was runner-up in the British PGA Matchplay championship, the first of three occasions he would reach the final of that event without winning it. He won the British Masters in 1946 (tie with Bobby Locke), the Silver King tournament in 1948 (tie with Charlie Ward), the Dutch Open and Belgian Open in 1949, the Italian Open in 1951 and the Lakes Open, an event on the Australian Tour, in 1952.[3]

Adams was selected for the 1939 Ryder Cup team, although the matches did not take place, then again in 1947, 1949, 1951 and 1953.[3] He won both his matches in 1949. In 1951, the British team all played in the North and South Open in America in preparation for the Ryder Cup matches, and Adams finished fourth in a field that contained the entire U.S. Ryder Cup team.

Adams was the head pro at the Wentworth Club from 1949 to 1952.[4] He then went to Royal Mid-Surrey, where he stayed until 1969.[5]

Tournament wins

Note: This list may be incomplete.

Results in major championships

Note: Adams only played in The Open Championship.
Tournament 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939
The Open Championship CUT DNP CUT T48 T26 CUT 2 T17 2 T13
Tournament 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949
The Open Championship NT NT NT NT NT NT CUT 12 DNP T8
Tournament 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959
The Open Championship T12 T4 DNP CUT T5 CUT T25 CUT CUT T29

NT = No tournament
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Yellow background for top-10

Team appearances

References

  1. 1 2 Wexler, Daniel (2005). The Book of Golfers (PDF). Sports Media Group.
  2. ↑ "Mr Jimmy Adams. The Times, 23 January 1986; pg. 18; Issue 62352.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Alliss, Peter (1983). The Who's Who of Golf. Orbis Publishing. p. 203. ISBN 0-85613-520-8.
  4. ↑ "Past Professionals at The Wentworth Club". Wentworth Club. Retrieved 8 August 2009.
  5. ↑ "Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club – History". Retrieved 2 March 2012.
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