Frank Ball (golfer)
| Frank Ball | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Born | c. 1892 West Kirby, Cheshire, England |
| Sporting nationality |  England |
| Spouse | Lucille Ball |
| Career | |
| Status | Professional |
| Professional wins | 3 |
| Best results in major championships | |
| Masters Tournament | DNP |
| PGA Championship | DNP |
| U.S. Open | T22: 1928 |
| The Open Championship | T3: 1924 |
Frank Ball (born c. 1892) was an English professional golfer who played in the early 20th century. He tied for third place in the 1924 Open Championship.[1]
Early life[edit]
Ball was born circa 1892 in West Kirby, Cheshire (now Merseyside), England, to William Henry Ball and Hannah Silcock Roscoe. He had four brothers and four sisters. His birthplace was but a short distance south of the Royal Liverpool Golf Club at Hoylake.
Frank's father, William (1856–1926), was a greenkeeper from Hoylake.[2] Frank's brothers Tom, Sydney, William Henry (Harry) were also professional golfers, as was Harry's son Errie.
Golf career[edit]
In 1923 Ball reached the final of two important tournaments within a month. In late-June he lost to Arthur Havers in the Glasgow Herald Tournament but in mid-July he won the Broxbourne Tournament beating James Sherlock.[3][4]
The 1924 Open Championship was held 26–27 June at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, England. The American golfer Walter Hagen won the second of his four Open Championships, one stroke ahead of runner-up Ernest Whitcombe.[5][6] Ball finished in a tie for third place with Macdonald Smith.[1]
He sailed from Southampton on 29 October 1926 aboard RMS Andania[7] to find new opportunities in America and quickly found work at the East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia.[8] His career and whereabouts after moving to Atlanta is somewhat of a mystery.
Death[edit]
Ball's date of death is unknown.
Professional wins (3)[edit]
- 1923 Broxbourne Tournament, Kent Professional Championship
- 1924 Kent President's Cup
Results in major championships[edit]
| Tournament | 1920 | 1921 | 1922 | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Open | T22 | T32 | ||||||||
| The Open Championship | T61 | T19 | T16 | T3 | T24 |
| Tournament | 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Open | ||||||
| The Open Championship | T27 |
Note: Ball only played in The Open Championship and the U.S. Open.
"T" indicates a tie for a place
References[edit]
- ^ a b Brenner, Morgan G. (2009). The Majors of Golf: Complete Results of the Open, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and the Masters, 1860–2008. Vol. 1. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-3360-5.
- ^ "Death of William Ball". The Times. 24 February 1926. p. 6.
- ^ "Gleneagles – "Glasgow Herald" tournament – Arthur Havers wins". The Glasgow Herald. 25 June 1923. p. 9.
- ^ "Broxbourne Tournament". The Glasgow Herald. 16 July 1923. p. 11.
- ^ Prew, Robert J. (28 June 1924). "Hagen scores 301 to win British Open golf title". Milwaukee Sentinel. Universal Service. p. 9. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
- ^ "Hagen wins British title by one stroke". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. 28 June 1924. p. 6. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
- ^ "RMS Andania Manifest - U.S. Department of Labor, Immigration Services, Form 500-A". ancestry.com. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
- ^ "Ball, last inaugural Masters participant, dies at 103". Golf Channel. Retrieved 10 May 2015.