Stewart Burns

For the television writer and producer, see J. Stewart Burns.

Stewart Burns
Personal information
Full nameRobert Stewart Burns
Born(1899-05-11)11 May 1899
Stirling, Scotland
Sporting nationality Scotland
Career
StatusProfessional
Professional wins4
Best results in major championships
Masters TournamentDNP
PGA ChampionshipDNP
U.S. OpenDNP
The Open Championship16th: 1928

Robert Stewart Burns (born 11 May 1899) was a Scottish professional golfer. He was in the team for the 1929 Ryder Cup but did not play in any matches. He was Scottish Professional Champion three times.

Early life

Burns was born on 11 May 1899 in Stirling, Scotland, the son of George Burns, a gardener, and Jane.[1][2][3] He served in the 7th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders during World War I, having been as assistant at Stirling Golf Club before the war.[2] His older brother James was also a professional golfer. Before the war, James had been an assistant at Stirling Golf Club and then professional at Falkirk Tryst Golf Club for six years. James also served in the 7th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and was killed in action on 23 April 1917 during the Second Battle of Arras.[4]

Golf career

In 1919 Burns became the professional at Falkirk Tryst Golf Club, where his brother had been the professional before the war.[5] In 1924 he became the professional at Cruden Bay Golf Club before being attached to Hendon Golf Club, near London, from 1929 to 1933.[6][3] He was then at Murrayfield Golf Club until World War II.

Burns won the Scottish Professional Championship in 1925, 1927 and 1928.[3] In 1925 he won by 5 strokes from Tom Fernie, while in 1927 he won by 3 from Duncan McCulloch.[7][8] In 1928 Burns was level with Gordon Lockhart after three rounds but a final round of 68 gave him victory by 11 strokes.[9] His best performance in The Open Championship was at Sandwich in 1928 where he was tied for 6th place after two rounds. A third round of 75 improved his position to a tie for 5th place but a final round of 83 dropped him to 16th place.

The team for the 1929 Ryder Cup was selected in January 1929.[10] With his performance in the 1928 Open and his three wins in the Scottish Professional Championship Burns was chosen as one of the ten-man team. It was originally planned that, as in 1927, only eight players should be used by each team, the same players being used in the foursomes and singles. However, Hagan, the American captain, wished to use all 10 of his players. This was agreed to, although Duncan, the British captain, announced that he would only play eight as originally intended.[11] Burns and Percy Alliss were left out and did not play. Burns had performed poorly in the Frinton Invitation Tournament and the Roehampton Invitation Tournament, which had been played in the weeks before the event, although in late March he had won the Middlesex Professional Championship at Hendon, by 5 strokes.[12]

Tournament wins

Results in major championships

Tournament 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937
The Open Championship T56 CUT 16 T49 T24 CUT T62 T37 CUT

Note: Burns only played in The Open Championship.

  Did not play

CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place

Team appearances

References

  1. ^ "Births in the district of St. Ninians in the county of Stirling 488/1 53". ScotlandsPeople. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Private Stewart Burns, Newhouse". Stirling Observer. 26 August 1916. Retrieved 25 May 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. ^ a b c "Antique Golf Clubs from Scotland: Clubmakers".
  4. ^ "Private James Burns". Stirling Observer. 26 May 1917. Retrieved 25 May 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ "Stewart Burns". Dundee Courier. 17 September 1919. Retrieved 25 May 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ^ "Appointments for local professionals". Falkirk Herald. 9 April 1924. Retrieved 25 May 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ^ "The new Champion". The Glasgow Herald. 5 June 1925. p. 11.
  8. ^ "Scottish Professional Championship". The Glasgow Herald. 3 June 1927. p. 18.
  9. ^ "Burns's great finish". The Glasgow Herald. 8 June 1928. p. 6.
  10. ^ "The Ryder Cup Team". The Times. 15 January 1929. p. 7.
  11. ^ "The Ryder Cup". The Times. 24 April 1929. p. 7.
  12. ^ "Stewart Burns Wins Middlesex Championship". Aberdeen Press and Journal. 28 March 1929. Retrieved 25 May 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.