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Scotland's 'forgotten golfer': From PoW to sporting icon
By Ken Banks and Ben PhilipBBC ScotlandWhen Scotsman Bobby Cruickshank was taken prisoner during World War One, he could little have imagined he would later find enduring fame in America as a golfing legend.
Born in Grantown-on-Spey in 1894, he escaped the prisoner of war camp and eventually crossed the Atlantic to follow his golfing dream.
He went on to win more than 20 tournaments and be considered a sporting great in the USA. But his story is far less well known back home in Scotland.
Now the Highland course where he learned to play is offering golfers an "immersive" experience in his honour, including the chance to use hickory clubs of the style he played with in the 1920s and 1930s.
Bobby was born about 400 yards - or roughly the length of a par-four hole - from Grantown-on-Spey golf course.
At the time, it was just a nine-hole course. But it was big enough for Bobby.
He caddied there as well as learning to play the game.
Bobby later moved to Edinburgh where he developed his education and sporting skills, ultimately resulting in him pursuing his golfing ambitions.
But World War One got in the way. Bobby signed up and managed to survive the horrors of the Somme only to be captured by the Germans.
He succeeded in escaping a PoW camp at Arras in France.
Bobby emigrated in 1921, joining a wave of Scottish golfers seeking success in the growing American golf scene.
It was there that he ultimately won a series of tournaments and finished runner-up in the US Open in 1923 and 1932.
He played alongside other greats of that era including Bobby Jones and his golfing status saw him rub shoulders with Hollywood icons including Charlie Chaplin.
In 1967 he was elected to the PGA of America Hall of Fame, external - the highest honour it can bestow upon its membership or ambassadors of golf.
Other greats of the game to have the same honour include Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer.
Bobby died at the age of 80 in 1975.
Granddaughter Diana Smith, 82, who lives in Georgia, USA, is proud of his achievements.
"He was one of the finest people you could ever meet," she told BBC Scotland News.
"He loved the game dearly. He, along with his group of buddies in the States, literally started the concept of what is now the golf tour."
Diana Smith is seen playing golf with her grandfather Bobby
"We had more laughs on the golf course than I can even tell you. He used to chase the alligators away with his club," she said.
"When he couldn't play golf anymore, he quickly passed away."
Diana and the rest of Bobby's family are delighted by the new project at his home course.
"We are thrilled. I know how much Grantown meant to my family and my grandad. I'm very proud of him. And I'm happy that people are recognising him.
"It's easy to forget, but he was so much part of the golf world and for this chance for people to get to know him, does my heart good."
Grantown-on-Spey Golf Club - which was established in 1890 - has launched the Bobby Cruickshank Hickory Experience.
Players can use a set of hickory clubs and see footage, photographs and memorabilia related to Bobby's exploits.
Club member Bill Mitchell, 90, remembers Bobby Cruickshank well.
"I remember him coming over on holiday and he had a huge American car," he said.
Club member Bill Mitchell has fond memories of Bobby Cruickshank
"I recall him coming down one night and his nephew was practising bunker shots.
"Bobby was all dressed up in his dinner jacket, ready to go out for a meal with some friends.
"And he saw his nephew and Bobby said 'Give me your wedge and one ball and I'll give you 10 shots if you can put it nearer to the hole'.
"And of course he just flopped it out, six inches away, and his nephew had no chance.
"He was a class act, there's no doubt about it."
He added: "He had a super swing - a no-nonsense swing. One waggle and away it went."
'Deserves his place in history'
Steve Stuart from Grantown-on-Spey Golf Club has been driving the legacy project.
"He won 25 tournaments in America - I can't think of another Scot who has done that," he said.
Mr Stuart described Scottish golf tourism as "amazing" with the best courses in the world.
"Most of the tourists visit them, but you've also got lots of hidden gems and we like to think that we're one of those," he said. "So what we're trying to do is celebrate our unique selling point in Bobby Cruickshank.
"Tourists can expect a true and immersive history lesson. And if they have never played with hickory clubs, it's great fun.
"He played all his golf in America and he was a household name there.
"We sometimes get Americans coming here just to see the home of Bobby Cruickshank and people here generally don't give a very good response because nobody is clued up on it yet - but we're aiming to change that.
"He really is the forgotten golfer. He was one heck of a golfer. Bobby Cruickshank deserves his place in history."
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Ken Brown MBE
Brown played on the European Tour from 1976 to 1992. He won four times on the tour between 1978 and 1985. His first win was in the 1978 Carrolls Irish Open where he finished a stroke ahead of Seve Ballesteros and John O'Leary. He had further wins in the 1983 KLM Dutch Open, the 1984 Glasgow Open and the 1985 Four Stars Celebrity Pro-Am. He often performed well in the British PGA Championship, finishing runner-up or joint runner-up four times between 1978 and 1983, three times behind Nick Faldo and then behind Seve Ballesteros. Brown finished in the top-10 of European Tour Order of Merit in 1978, 1979, 1980 and 1983. His best season was 1978 when he finished fourth in the Order of Merit.
Brown gained his PGA Tour card at The 1983 PGA Tour Qualifying School. He played mainly on the PGA Tour from 1984 to early 1989, winning the Southern Open in 1987. Brown struggled in the early part of his first season, 1984, but from August he made the cut in his last 10 tournaments. Despite this he was 151st in the money list coming into the final event of the year, the Pensacola Open, and unlikely to retain his card by finishing in the top 125. Leading after three rounds, he eventually finished joint runner-up, lifting him to 112th in the money list. 1987 was his best season on the tour with six top-10 finishes. Brown had a poor start to the 1989 PGA Tour season and played the remainder of the season in Europe, losing his PGA Tour card. He continued to play on the European Tour but had relatively little success and retired in 1992.
Brown played in five Ryder Cup matches, in 1977, 1979, 1983, 1985, and 1987. He had a 4-9-0 win–loss–tie record, including two wins and two losses in singles matches. He was vice-captain under Mark James in the 1999 matches. In 1977 Brown switched his allegiance from England to Scotland and later represented Scotland in a number of team competitions, including the World Cup on four occasions. Playing with Sandy Lyle they finished second in the 1979 World Cup. Brown played in the Open Championship 14 times. His best performance was in the 1980 Open at Muirfield where he was tied for second place after three rounds but a final round of 76 left him in a tie for sixth place.
After retiring from playing, Brown has spent much of his time as a TV golf commentator and analyst, for the BBC and Fox Sports. He also worked as part of the commentary team for the international coverage of the European Tour on selected events. He started his TV work with Sky Sports, working on their PGA Tour and European Tour coverage in the early 1990s.
Brown was appointed Member of The British Empire (MBE) in the 2019 Birthday Honours for services to sport and to broadcasting.
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Peter McEvoy OBE
- European Amateur Team Championship (representing England): 1977 (individual leader), 1979 (winners), 1981 (winners), 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989
- Walker Cup (representing Great Britain and Ireland): 1977, 1979, 1981, 1985, 1989 (winners), 1999 (non-playing captain), 2001 (non-playing captain)
- Eisenhower Trophy (representing Great Britain and Ireland): 1978, 1980, 1984, 1986, 1988 (team winners and individual leader)
- St Andrews Trophy (representing Great Britain and Ireland): 1978 (winners), 1980 (winners), 1984 (winners), 1986 (winners), 1988 (winners)
Peter McEvoy OBE (born 22 March 1953) was a leading British amateur golfer for many years, and is now a golf course designer, golf administrator, and golf writer.
McEvoy was born in London, but spent much of his childhood living near Turnberry where his father was a member of the famous links course. Even after moving back to London, he was able to play at the famous course.
McEvoy won The Amateur Championship in both 1977 and 1978, which kicked off an impressive amateur golf career. He was a member of the Great Britain & Ireland Walker Cup team five times between 1977 and 1989. He also played on five Eisenhower Trophy teams, including 1988 when he won the individual event and GB&I won the team event. He was the low amateur at The Open Championship in 1978 and 1979, and was the first British amateur golfer to make the cut at the Masters Tournament, which he did in 1978. He also won the Lytham Trophy in 1979, the Brabazon Trophy in 1980 (tied with Ronan Rafferty), and was runner-up at the Amateur Championship in 1987.
McEvoy was named captain of the Great Britain & Ireland teams for the 1999 and 2001 Walker Cups, which won both times; this was the first time GB&I ever had consecutive wins in the event. McEvoy was also captain of the victorious Great Britain & Ireland team for the 1998 Eisenhower Trophy tournament, making McEvoy the only person to win the individual event, the team event as a player, and the team event as a captain. He captained again in 2000, and GB&I finished in second place. In 2002, when Ireland, England, Scotland, and Wales began sending separate teams to the tournament instead of a combined team, McEvoy was the captain of the English team.
McEvoy has been involved with golf course design for over 20 years, with his own company and in collaboration with others. He has worked on numerous courses around the world, including Fota Island Golf Course, which hosted the 2001 Irish Open and other Irish tournaments.
In 2002, McEvoy was named Chairman of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews Selection Committee, which chooses the members for Great Britain & Ireland amateur teams competing in various international events (such as the Walker Cup).
The Association of Golf Writers named McEvoy the winner of the 1978 Golf Writers' Trophy, after he won his second Amateur Championship and made the cut at the Masters. The trophy is "awarded each year to the individual, born or resident in Europe, or the European team, who have made the most outstanding contribution to golf in the preceding 12 months." He won again in 2001, as the award was given to the victorious 2001 Walker Cup team.[2] The English Golf Union named McEvoy as the winner of the 1999 Gerald Micklem Award, given to those who have "made an outstanding contribution to further the interests of amateur golf in England." McEvoy was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire on the 2003 Queen's New Year's Honours List, for "services to golf."
In February 2008, McEvoy devised and launched PowerPlay Golf, a shortened version of golf in a bid to create golf's version of Twenty20 cricket.
McEvoy lives in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, in England.
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