Reflections on 1951

Seven decades have passed since Brian Twite competed in The Open at Royal Portrush, and his memories of the week remain as fresh as ever.

Twite, now aged 98, is believed to be the last surviving player from the historic 1951 Championship which was taking place in Northern Ireland for the first time.

With The Open back in County Antrim this summer, his fascinating story has garnered media attention both in the UK and in Australia where he has spent almost all his adult life.

In a Championship which was eventually won by Max Faulkner – by two from Antonio Cerda – Twite recalls playing well tee to green but struggling on the putting surface. He eventually recorded two rounds of 81, missing the cut.

Although his flat stick was misfiring on the big stage, and he recorded 73 putts across 36 holes, he never lost faith in the club he bought for £2 just weeks before making his Championship bow.

In fact, he continued to use it throughout his entire golfing career, which included decades as a Head Professional, and he still has it to this day.

These days, with The 153rd Open – and the third at Royal Portrush – just around the corner, memories of his visit to the Antrim coast have been flooding back.

Speaking to Inside Golf in Australia, he recalled a round which began with some wise words of his playing partner – Scotsman Eric Brown – as they stood on the first tee, winds howling all around them.

He said: “Before we hit off he said to me, ‘Brian, remember you have to play around the wind here, don’t fight it’.

“That’s what I did and played well from tee to green. Unfortunately, I had 36 putts on the first day and 37 during the second round for two rounds of 81 and missed the cut.

“Brown had a total of 53 putts on the first two days and easily made the cut.

“The greens were very undulating and if you picked the wrong undulation, even from as little as two feet away, you could end up 10-feet past the hole, worse off than you were with your approach shot.”

Twite, who is originally from Sheffield, found an unconventional route into The Open – and had it not been for a gushing compliment from a certain Champion Golfer he may not have even entered.

Speaking to The Telegraph, he said: “I was 24 and had just come second in a trainees event at Hoylake – shooting 71, 71 – which won me £15. I promptly lost this money playing cards on the train travelling home to Abbeydale Golf Club in Sheffield where I was assistant professional.

“George Duncan [the 1920 Champion Golfer] was at Hoylake and told me he thought I had the best pair of golfing hands he had seen, and suggested I enter The Open at Portrush.”

Like with Brown, he listened to the advice and went on to seal his spot at the Championship through qualifying at Portstewart and Portrush.

And although his short game cost him in the end, he was left with special memories of the venue.

He added: “I thought Portrush was something else. It had long carries from the tee, thick rough, and very impressive duneland.

“I have since played all over the world, but nothing I have played since was as good as Portrush.”

Twite moved to Australia in 1953 and has lived there ever since.

He spent 39 years as the Head Professional at Metropolitan Golf Club in Melbourne’s Sandbelt region and later moved into coaching the game he loves. He also wrote two autobiographical books telling the stories of his career – 'Rubbing Shoulders with the Greats' and 'Just Magnificent: Lessons from a Life in Golf'.

When it comes to his life in golf, his contribution to the game means he’s a local legend in Melbourne. In 2013 he was awarded an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) by the Australian Government for his services to golf and community.

To this day he remains an avid golf fan, still reflecting on the magic of The Open when telling his own story 74 years on.

Many more stories are set to be etched into the history of golf’s original championship when it returns to Royal Portrush in July.