Harry Bradshaw (golfer)

Harry Bradshaw (9 October 1913 – 1990[1]) was a leading Irish professional golfer of the 1940s and 1950s.

Bradshaw was born in Delgany, Wicklow. He was the son of the Delgany professional golfer Ned Bradshaw and he and his three brothers Jimmy, Eddie and Hughie all became professional golfers. He was a ten-time Irish professional champion between 1941 and 1957, Irish Open champion in 1947 and 1949, and (with Christy O'Connor) helped Ireland win the Canada Cup in Mexico in 1958, finishing second in the individual section of the event despite suffering nosebleeds due to the altitude. Bradshaw played in the Ryder Cup in 1953, 1955 and 1957. He was twice British Masters champion, in 1953 and 1955.

Bradshaw lost the 1949 The Open Championship following a playoff against Bobby Locke at Royal St George's, after an extraordinary incident in the second round when his drive at the 5th hole came to rest against broken glass from a beer bottle on the fairway. Rather than taking a drop (to which he would probably have been entitled) Bradshaw elected to play the ball as it lay, but was only able to move it slightly forward, dropping the shot. The setback resulted in his tying with Locke with an aggregate of 283, thereby equalling the championship record. However he lost the playoff to Locke. Arguably the incident with the bottle cost Bradshaw the tournament. He won the Irish PGA Championship 10 times in his career, tied with Christy O'Connor Snr for most wins in that event.

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