Few extraneous golfers have had as much impingement on American golf asSouth Africa ’s Arthur D’Arcy " Bobby " Locke . In fact , no other international player has had such straightaway success in the U.S. as Locke revel after arriving in 1947 .
Two development in 1946 encouraged Locke , then age 29 , to give the American Tour a endeavor . He finished secondly toSam Sneadin the British Open , then beat Snead in 12 of 16 matches when the American star live to South Africa for an exhibition tour .
Locke excruciate up six triumph in 13 U.S. event in 1947 , finishing secondly on themoneylist despite not playing the whole season . In 1948 , he win double , one of them by a Tour - phonograph recording 16 strokes at the Chicago Victory Championship .
The run of victories was startling considering Locke ’s unorthodox methods . Early in his calling , Locke had been a very short batter ; his solution for gaining distance was to hit a pronounced lure off every tee .
Locke practice very little and conceive that American pros were too mechanical with their lilt ; Locke played by feel . Locke was a smart as a whip putter , but even on the Green he incorporated a sort of hook diagonal .
The American pros resented both his success and the appearance fee he dominate to hop the British Open to play in George S. May ’s All - American Open in 1947 , which he won . Locke also alienate the press by ask for $ 100 if they asked motion of an instructional nature .
Ultimately , the PGA ostracise him in 1949 , saying he had failed to honor commitments . They reinstated him in 1951 , when Locke make the last of his 10 American victories , but he diddle very picayune in the U.S. after that except for the U.S. Open .
Locke spent the latter part of his calling playing mostly in Great Britain , and he win the British Open in 1949 , 1950 , 1952 , and 1957 . Though he never gain ground the U.S. Open , Locke finish third there in 1947 and 1951 , quaternary in 1948 and 1949 , and 5th in 1954 . He won the South African Open nine times .
" My coming to golf , " Locke said , " is that I always play to beat the course . Even in match gaming , I do not concentrate primarily on beating my antagonist . "
