Brian Barnes: Former Ryder Cup player dies aged 74

[OldTomMorris]

[https://bbc.co.uk/sport/golf/49654233](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/golf/49654233 "https://bbc.co.uk/sport/golf/49654233")

 

Probably most famous for beating Jack Nicklaus twice in one day during the 1975 Ryder Cup matches.

Hugely interesting character that battled some personal demons. He had some nice success on his return to the game as a Senior, particularly The Senior British Open, before he had to quit due to arthritis.

 

Both Jack and Gary help Brian find his way onto the Champions Tour after he returned to golf then passed 50.

 

Sky Sports Golf lead commentator Ewen Murray

 

Golfing World profile

 

[tiderider]

i remember his picture from my very old golf encyclopedia book ... they had short bios on just about every golfer that had ever lived, but his had a pic ...

[Ferguson]

They broke the mold after these guys:

 

Brian Barnes

Eddie Money

Fernando Rey

 

[elwhippy]

An absolute legend. He could get through 6 - 8 cans of Guinness in a round and still shoot low numbers. Was a great commentator on SKY. Said exactly what he thought. One called a US tour venue a landscaped garden.

[Ferguson]

I think it was the 1982 Scottish Open, on the 18th green, when he marked his ball with a beer can .

 

 

 

[Nick6771]

I'm sure I've mentioned this before but as a star struck kid going to his first European Tour event held at the Belfry back in 1982 I asked him for an autograph. He must have spent 5 mins with me chatting about golf and life in general, that meant so much to me and he became my first golf hero. We followed him around and on the 10th (the short driveable par 4 over water) he asks the gallery if he should have a go for it, "yes" we all shout back, he promptly sticks it in the water! RIP Brian.

 

[iBanesto]

Not many people could say they've beaten Nicklaus twice in matchplay during Nicklaus' prime.

 

Is there another player who has beaten Jack twice?

[KennyP]

What a character - Pipe smoker of the year 1977.

[OldTomMorris]

> @KennyP said:

> What a character - Pipe smoker of the year 1977.

 

Thats a brilliant bit of trivia, what a list it is.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pipe_Smoker_of_the_Year](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pipe_Smoker_of_the_Year "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pipe_Smoker_of_the_Year")

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

Wasn't his drinking connected to the pressure of playing professional golf? Or was that his smoking? I remember reading recently that he quit one or the other the day he gave up tournament golf.

[OldTomMorris]

> @No_Catchy_Nickname said:

> Wasn't his drinking connected to the pressure of playing professional golf? Or was that his smoking? I remember reading recently that he quit one or the other the day he gave up tournament golf.

 

No, he was a shy person and started out having one or two sherbets to loosen up, it got worse. He explain in the Golfing World Profile video where he is very open and honest, you'd have to have a heart of stone not to feel for the guy.

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

> @OldTomMorris said:

> > @No_Catchy_Nickname said:

> > Wasn't his drinking connected to the pressure of playing professional golf? Or was that his smoking? I remember reading recently that he quit one or the other the day he gave up tournament golf.

>

> No, he was a shy person and started out having one or two sherbets to loosen up, it got worse. He explain in the Golfing World Profile video where he is very open and honest, you'd have to have a heart of stone not to feel for the guy.

>

 

It was the smoking I was thinking of (see the last minute of the video). May just have been cigarettes, though, and not the pipe.

 

Anyway, he was a golf legend. By beating Jack Nicklaus twice in one day, he sealed his place in golfing history.

[mocokid]

> @iBanesto said:

> Not many people could say they've beaten Nicklaus twice in matchplay during Nicklaus' prime.

>

> Is there another player who has beaten Jack twice?

 

Watson and Trevino beat JN in his prime, but in MEDAL play.

[Ferguson]

> @Ferguson said:

> They broke the mold after these guys:

>

> Brian Barnes

> Eddie Money

> Fernando Rey

>

 

Eddie Money died last Friday.

 

 

Fernando Rey has been gone for a while but I keep him alive here at WRX!