Bill Branch

William John Branch (20 February 1911[1] – 25 February 1985[2]) was an English professional golfer. He finished 9th in the 1935 Open Championship and won the Belgian Open 10 days later. His last major success was in the 1954 Gleneagles-Saxone Foursomes Tournament.

Bill Branch
Personal information
Full nameWilliam John Branch
Born(1911-02-20)20 February 1911
Alsager, Cheshire, England
Died25 February 1985(1985-02-25) (aged 74)
Heslington, Yorkshire, England
Nationality England
Career
Turned professional1928
Professional wins5
Best results in major championships
Masters TournamentDNP
PGA ChampionshipDNP
U.S. OpenDNP
The Open Championship9th: 1935

Golf career

Branch's father, Jack was a golf professional. Jack had been at Woolacombe Bay Golf Club in Devon and Stafford Castle but was professional at Alsager Golf Club in 1911 when Branch was born.[3][4] Jack moved to Henbury Golf Club near Bristol soon after Branch's birth and was professional there for 37 years until his death in 1949 aged 64.[5] After leaving school Branch became an assistant to his father[6] where he stayed until becoming an assistant at Leicestershire Golf Club in 1937.[7] He left the Leicestershire club at the end of 1945 and was unattached for some time until joining Berkhamstead Golf Club in 1949 and then moving to Ganton Golf Club in 1951. He was professional at Scarborough South Cliff Golf Club in the 1960s eventually moving to Fulford Golf Club in 1971.

Branch won the 1954 Gleneagles-Saxone Foursomes Tournament, in partnership with Donald Cameron. He was runner-up in the 1950 Daily Telegraph Foursomes Tournament and joint runner-up in the 1953 Silver King Tournament.

Tournament wins
  • 1930 PGA Assistants' Championship
  • 1932 West of England Professional Championship
  • 1935 Belgian Open
  • 1936 Dunlop-Midland Professional Championship
  • 1954 Gleneagles-Saxone Foursomes Tournament (with Donald Cameron)

Results in major championships
Tournament 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939
The Open Championship T39 CUT 9 T31 13 CUT CUT
Tournament 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949
The Open Championship NT NT NT NT NT NT CUT T14
Tournament 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959
The Open Championship T24 CUT T35 T22 CUT
Tournament 1960 1961
The Open Championship T46

Note: Branch only played in The Open Championship.

  Top 10
  Did not play

NT = No tournament
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place

Team appearances

References
  1. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVC1-BGS9
  2. https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/Calendar?surname=branch&yearOfDeath=1985&page=2#calendar
  3. "Alsager Golf Club, Staffs". golfsmissinglinks.co.uk. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  4. "Woolacombe Bay Golf Club, Mortehoe, Devon". golfsmissinglinks.co.uk. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  5. "Death after illness of Mr Jack Branch". Western Daily Press. 18 April 1949. Retrieved 17 April 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/singfreepressb19350723-1.2.148.aspx
  7. "Glo'shire golfer's post in Leicestershire". Gloucestershire Echo. 22 February 1937. Retrieved 17 April 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.
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