Jimmy Adams (golfer)

Jimmy Adams
— Golfer —
Personal information
Full name	James Adams
Born	(1910-10-21)21 October 1910 Troon, Scotland
Died	London, England
Nationality	Scotland
Career
Status	Professional
Professional wins	9
Best results in major championships
Masters Tournament	DNP
U.S. Open	DNP
The Open Championship	2nd: 1936, 1938
PGA Championship	DNP

James Adams (21 October 1910 – 9 January 1986) was a Scottish professional golfer who was chosen for five Ryder Cup sides and achieved high finishes in The Open Championship on several occasions (five top-10s including two seconds).

Born in Troon, Adams turned professional when 14, and won the Irish PGA Championship, in 1933. In 1936, he won the Penfold Tournament on the British Tour, and came very close to winning The Open Championship at Hoylake. Adams shared the third-round lead with Henry Cotton, but despite beating Cotton (and Gene Sarazen, also in the field that year) in the final round, Adams finished a single shot behind Alf Padgham. Two years later, at Royal St George's, Adams' final two rounds of 78-78 put him in second place, this time behind Reg Whitcombe. When the Championship resumed after World War II, he was fourth in 1951, and in 1954, Adams was the only player to break 70 in both the final two rounds at Royal Birkdale with a pair of 69s, but his effort was not quite enough to catch Peter Thomson, and Adams finished fifth, three shots behind.

In 1937 Adams was runner-up in the British PGA Matchplay championship, the first of three occasions he would reach the final of that event without winning it. He won the British Masters in 1946 (tie with Bobby Locke), the Silver King tournament in 1948 (tie with Charlie Ward), the Dutch Open and Belgian Open in 1949, the Italian Open in 1951 and the Lakes Open, an event on the Australian Tour, in 1952.

Adams was selected for the 1939 Ryder Cup team, although the matches did not take place, then again in 1947, 1949, 1951 and 1953. He won both his matches in 1949. In 1951, the British team all played in the North and South Open in America in preparation for the Ryder Cup matches, and Adams finished fourth in a field that contained the entire U.S. Ryder Cup team.

Adams was the head pro at the Wentworth Club from 1949 to 1952. He then went to Royal Mid-Surrey, where he stayed until 1969.

Tournament wins

This list may be incomplete

• 1933 Irish PGA Championship
• 1936 Penfold Scottish Open
• 1946 British Masters (tie with Bobby Locke)
• 1948 Silver King Tournament (tie with Charlie Ward)
• 1949 Dutch Open, Belgian Open
• 1951 Italian Open
• 1952 Lakes Open (Australia)
• 1955 Southern Professional Championship

Results in major championships

Note: Adams only played in The Open Championship.

Tournament	1930	1931	1932	1933	1934	1935	1936	1937	1938	1939
The Open Championship	CUT	DNP	CUT	T48	T26	CUT	2	T17	2	T13

Tournament	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944	1945	1946	1947	1948	1949
The Open Championship	NT	NT	NT	NT	NT	NT	CUT	12	DNP	T8

Tournament	1950	1951	1952	1953	1954	1955	1956	1957	1958	1959
The Open Championship	T12	T4	DNP	CUT	T5	CUT	T25	CUT	CUT	T29

NT = No tournament
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Yellow background for top-10

Team appearances

• Ryder Cup: 1947, 1949, 1951, 1953

References

Template:1947 Great Britain Ryder Cup team Template:1949 Great Britain Ryder Cup team

Template:1953 Great Britain Ryder Cup team