Dr.
John D. MacCormack (a.k.a. J.D.) Born Co. Westmeath c. 1892
During the WWI JD
was badly wounded and shell shocked in 1916 while serving for
the Royal Army Medical Corps (R.A.M.C.). He sought the help of
a renowned physician in 1922 to allow him to walk again but even
at this stage a return of golf seemed a fornlorn hope yet within
eight months of his return to Dublin was not only playing but
taking the honours in the 1923 Close Championship. According to
Paul MacWeeney it was a testament to the human spirit that paralleled
that of Ben Hogan's and Jimmy Walker's recovery from car crashes.
Wearing a steel corset
lined with rubber to support muscles weakened by immobility and
non-use he relentlessly set about reconstructing the rythm and
power in his swing. JD held his title the following year in 1924
while almost completing the double in Dollymount at the Open Amateur
Championship.
Considered a natural
swinger of the golf club he had a colourful but forceful personality
which probably made him a natural choice to captain Irish International
teams which hw did from 1934-1937. Immediately recognisable from
his attire of riding breeches, buttoned up jacket and tweed cap.
His driver which he used to devastating effect was four ounces
and four inches longer than the norm and the swiftness of his
club-head speed through the ball ensured him great distance and
was consider one of if not the longest drivers in the British
Isles for a short spell.
He had close connections
with three clubs Portmarnock (where he scored the first sub-70
in the Legal Cup - 1934), Hermitage and the Grange.
Irish Amateur Close
Champion 1923,1924 and 1927
Irish Amateur Open
Champion runner-up 1924
Internationals 1924,
1927-28, 1932-37 [Captain 1934-1937]
In the 1924 British
Amateur at St. Andrews he lost by 3 and 1 to Roger Wethered in
the quarter-finals. In 1926 at Muirfield he lost to Jesse Sweetser,
the first US born amateur to win the Championship, by 4 and 3
in the fifth round. Bear in mind that Sweetser had beaten Bobby
Jones by 8 and 7 in the semi-final of the US Amateur in 1922 which
he went on to win beating Chick Evans by 3 & 2. In 1927 at
Hoylake he lost by one hole to a local player in the quarters
and in 1930, the year of the Grand Slam, he lost in the fourth
round. Westward Ho! in 1931 was his most successful year at the
Amateur Championship when he reached the semi-finals where he
was defeated by Martin Smith the eventual winner by 3&1.
Other Sources
Pathe News video of
1929 exhibition match at Hermitage - Johnny Farrell, Ed Dudley,
J.D. MacCormack and Matt McDermott Click here.
