David Brown (golfer)

David Brown
Personal information
Died 1930
Musselburgh
Nationality  Scotland
Career
Status Professional
Best results in Major Championships
(Wins: 1)
Masters Tournament DNP
U.S. Open 2nd: 1903
The Open Championship Won: 1886
PGA Championship DNP

David "Deacon" Brown (18?? - 1930) was a Scottish golfer. He was a roofing slater by trade and a keen golfer. In 1886 he was working in Musselburgh when The Open Championship was about to be played. John Anderson, who was secretary of the Musselburgh Club at the time, invited him to play and provided him with a pair of striped trousers, a frock coat and a lum hat to wear. He shocked the professionals by winning the event[1] and then turned professional himself.

Brown moved to England to become club professional at Newbiggin By The Sea Golf Club in about 1888 (and then later at Malvern Club). He played in the Open Championship regularly and featured prominently. At the turn of the century he moved to Boston in the United States. In 1903 he tied with Willie Anderson for first place in the U.S. Open after 72 holes, but he lost the playoff. Brown enjoyed playing the stock market but lost most of his wealth during the Wall Street slump in 1929 and returned to Musselburgh, where he died the following year.

Contents

Major championships

Wins (1)

Year Championship Winning Score Margin Runner-up
1886 The Open Championship (79-78=157) 2 strokes Willie Campbell

Results timeline

Tournament 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889
The Open Championship T4 DNP DNP T24 DNP DNP 1 9 DNP T4
Tournament 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899
The Open Championship 10 7 24 DNP T13 T6 T7 T7 DNP CUT
Tournament 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908
U.S. Open DNP DNP T12 2 DNP 53 DNP T8 T12
The Open Championship DNP DNP CUT DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP

DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10

References