For
a golfer who had only a relatively short competitive spell in
the royal and ancient game the stories that abound are of near
mythical proportions. Was it true he could regularly drive the
ball over 350 yards? Had he equalled Bobby Jones' record of 68
on the Old Course during the Walker Cup trials? Did he (at 19)
lead the qualifiers in the Open Championship at St. Andrews in
1939 with two 69s and four shots ahead of Cotton and Little?
Born
8 May 1920 in Belfast to James and Margaret Bruen. At eleven years
of age while on holiday at Rosapenna he started to play golf at
Bundoran G.C. with cut-down golf clubs. His playing partner at
that time was co-incidentially to become his future wife {Nell}.
His father saw the potential and purchased a set of cut down clubs
which he used during long hours of practice at the Cork G.C..
While there he came to the attention of Jack Higgins the local
pro and runner-up to Fred Daly in the 1940 Irish Professional
championship. JB also played at Muskerry where is received his
first handicap of 6 at 15 years old.
He won
the boys championship at only his second attempt in 1936 beating
William Innes {Lanark} by 11/9 at Royal Birkdale his handicap
by now was +1 and tales of his genius were beginning to permeate
there way into the public domain as witnesses were recounting
tales of his length. He had just taken delivery of a set of Fred
Smyth golf clubs and a Ben Sayers putter from Birkdale. In 1937
he beat John Burke in the Irish Close championship by 3/2 and
proceeded to play in the Irish Open championship at Portrush despite
being asked to withdraw for medical reasons and was leading Irish
amateur with Joint 6th overall. He clocked up many notable results
during the 1937 season all of which secured his place on the Walker
Cup team which was to rack up its first win for the GB+I team
at St. Andrews. His practice rounds during the Walker cup trials
were to manifest his genius at the game and many accolades were
being paid to him even before the formal event. He had equalled
Jones record of 68 around St. Andrews and was putting below par
figures together for all his practice rounds. George Greenwood
of the Telegraph wrote "Bruen is as much a golfing genius
as Jones or Henry Cotton..."
Bruen's
odyssey began with his victory in the Boys' Amateur Championship
in Royal Birkdale in 1936 but effectively came to an end in March
1947 after suffering a wrist injury. His maturity when playing
the game was exceptional in the Boys' Championship he recorded
a 71 in his first round which was 7 strokes below the SSS. The
following year at Ballybunion he beat John Burke by 3 and 2 in
the final of the Irish Amateur Close Championship when Burke was
the undisputed King of the Irish links at the height of his powers.
The
protege or infant phenomenon had only five playing years as war
had intervened yet his reputation was near hegemony. At the age
of 18 he led the Walker Cup team into battle and while caught
in his slipstream they were victorious for the first time ever.
By 1946 he was favourite to take both the Open Championship and
Amateur Championship and while he won the Amateur he decided not
to play in the Open citing business commitments at home allowing
insufficient time to prepare for the event.
The
loop in his swing allowing him to generate great power and speed
at impact but his short game also earned many plaudits as did
his silky smooth and amazing powers of recovery . However it was
the enormous distances he achieved with his unorthodox swing that
made their way into golfing folklore.
What
they said:
"This young
gentleman from Ireland regularly, whether in practice or in a
trial match, went round the Old Course in about 69 or 70 and made
it look quite an easy thing to do" Bernard
Darwin
"How good
Bruen may be when golf begins again I know not; perhaps better
still; perhaps never quite so good again in having lost that first
careless rapture. At any rate he was excitingly good then."
Bernard Darwin
"A golfing
genius had suddenly come among us and it gave the side a tremendous
lift." Leonard Crawley
"Bruen gave
the Americans a bit of an inferiority complex" John
Beck, Captain 1938 Walker Cup team
