Jimmy Bruen

In the Irish Amateur Open Championship in September he won most of his matches comfortably and beat James Mahon 9&8 in the 36-hole final, becoming the first golfer to win both Irish Amateur titles in the same year since 1911.

James Francis O’Grady Bruen (8 May 1920 – 3 May 1972) was an Irish amateur golfer.

Bruen was born in Finaghy, Belfast, Northern Ireland on 8 May 1920.

He moved to Cork at an early age.

He was educated at the Presentation Brothers College, Cork.

As a 15-year-old Bruen entered the 1935 Boys Amateur Championship at Royal Aberdeen Golf Club but lost his first match.

He entered again the following year at Birkdale Golf Club.

In May 1937 Bruen travelled to Royal St George's Golf Club for his first Amateur Championship.

Prior to main event he was runner-up in the St George's Vase and, the following day, in the Prince of Wales Cup.

In the Amateur Championship, three day later, he met American Dick Chapman in his first match and lost 2&1.

In June, Bruen won the Irish Amateur Close Championship at Ballybunion Golf Club, beating five-times champion, John Burke, in the final.

In July, he played in the Irish Open and finished as leading amateur, tied for 6th place.

Bruen chose not to play in the Boys Amateur Championship but was selected for the Irish team in the annual amateur international matches, which took place in early September.

He then played in the Irish Amateur Open Championship but lost in the first round to J A Flaherty.

The early part of 1938 was dominated by the Walker Cup.

Trials were arranged in early May, at which Bruen performed exceptionally well and he was selected for the event in early June at St Andrews.

Bruen missed the Amateur Championship in late May.

In the Walker Cup foursomes he played with Harry Bentley in the first match.

They were 3 down at lunch but recovered to halve the match.

On the second day Bruen was again out first against Charlie Yates, who had won the Amateur Championship the previous week.

Bruen was again 3 down at lunch and eventually lost 2&1.

Despite Bruen's disappointment the match was won 7–4 by the British team with one match halved.

Bruen played in the 1939 Amateur Championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Club.

He reached the quarter-final where he lost to eventual winner Alex Kyle.

Bruen was tied for 43rd and missed the cut.

He won the 1946 Amateur Championship and was in the British Walker Cup team in 1938, 1949 and 1951.

He is regarded as one of Ireland's leading amateur golfers.

This was their first win in the Walker Cup after 9 defeats and they wouldn't win again until 1971.

Later in the month, Bruen successfully defended the Irish Amateur Close Championship at Castle Golf Club, beating Redmond Simcox 3&2 in the final.

In July Bruen entered the Open Championship for the first time.

He qualified comfortably with rounds of 73 and 76.

In the first round at Royal St George's Golf Club he scored 70 to be joint leader but took 80 on the second day.

At the time 36 holes were played on the final day and the field was restricted to a maximum of 40.

Later in the month he played in the Irish Open and again finished as leading amateur, tied for 10th place.

In a close match Kyle was 1 up as they reached the final hole, Kyle having won the long 16th with a birdie 4.

Kyle put his second shot into a bunker 40 yards from the hole while Bruen was 10 to 12 feet from the hole in two.

He only won his first round match at the 19th hole but won his next five matches more comfortably to reached the final, where he met a Scot, William Innes.

The 36-hole was very one-sided.

Bruen was 7 up after 9 holes and remained 7 up at the end of the morning round.

Bruen continued to dominate in the afternoon and eventually won 11&9, to become the first Irish winner of the championship.