Lou Kelly

Michael Louis Kelly (30 July 1913 – 2 April 1971) was an Australian professional golfer. He won the Australian Open in 1933 and the Australian Professional Championship in 1934.

Lou Kelly
Personal information
Full nameMichael Louis Kelly
Born(1913-07-30)30 July 1913
Wellington, New South Wales, Australia
Died2 April 1971(1971-04-02) (aged 57)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Sporting nationality Australia
Career
StatusProfessional

Early life

Kelly was born in Wellington, New South Wales on 30 July 1913.[1] After being a caddie in the Sydney area, the family moved to Canberra and Kelly became an assistant professional at Royal Canberra Golf Club.[1] In 1931, after five years at Canberra, he left to become the professional at Goulburn Golf Club.[2]

Professional career

Kelly won the inaugural New South Wales Assistants' Championship at Concord in 1931, shortly before leaving Canberra.[3][4] In 1932 he impressed by reaching the semi-final of the New South Wales Professional Championship.[5]

Aged just 20, Kelly was a surprise winner of the 1933 Australian Open at Royal Melbourne. After the first day he led by 3 strokes after a round of 73, a lead he maintained after a second round of 76.[6][7] A 73 on the final morning increased his lead to 6 strokes and he finished with a round of 80, to win by 3 strokes from the amateurs Jim Ferrier and Gus Jackson and professional Reg Jupp.[8] The following week he reached the semi-finals of the Australian Professional Championship before losing to Sam Richardson.[9] Kelly failed to successfully defend his Australian Open title in 1934, finishing 22 strokes behind the winner, Billy Bolger.[10] He was, however, in the top 16 professionals that qualified for the Australian Professional Championship. He met Bolger in the final, winning a close match 2&1.[11] Later in 1934 he was runner-up in the New South Wales Professional Championship, 6 strokes behind Sam Richardson.[12]

Kelly had further success in 1935, winning the New South Wales Dunlop Cup. He had rounds of 70 and 71 on the final day to win by a stroke from Billy Bolger and Tom Howard.[13]

In early 1936 Kelly was one of the six-man Australian team in the second Lakes International Cup at Lakewood Country Club, Long Beach, California. He was the only Australian to win a match, beating the reigning U.S. Open champion, Sam Parks Jr., in the singles.[14] He had been selected for the 1934 team but had declined, having a previous arrangement.[15]

Later life

Kelly left Goulburn in early 1934, joining Alan Kippax's sports store in Sydney.[16] In 1938 he was associated with St Michael's Golf Club and from 1939 with Bexley Golf Club, where he stayed until his death in 1971.[17][18][19] Kelly's brother Pat was also a professional at Goulburn, from 1937.[20]

Professional wins

Team appearances

References
  1. "Sporting notes". The Catholic Press. No. 2024. New South Wales, Australia. 1 November 1934. p. 21. Retrieved 15 January 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. "Farewell to Canberra golf pro". The Canberra Times. Vol. 5, no. 1161. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 13 July 1931. p. 2. Retrieved 15 January 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. "Practice for state title". The Daily Telegraph (Sydney). Vol. 1, no. 106. New South Wales, Australia. 18 June 1931. p. 3. Retrieved 15 January 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. "Golf title". The Canberra Times. Vol. 5, no. 1146. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 25 June 1931. p. 4. Retrieved 15 January 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. "Richardson and Gray in pro. golf final". The Daily Telegraph (Sydney). Vol. 2, no. 203. New South Wales, Australia. 8 October 1932. p. 2. Retrieved 15 January 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. "Golf Title Games In Gale". The Sun (Sydney). No. 7391. New South Wales, Australia. 7 September 1933. p. 18. Retrieved 15 January 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. "Better scores in golf championship". The Advertiser (Adelaide). South Australia. 9 September 1933. p. 16. Retrieved 15 January 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. "Golf". Western Mail. Vol. XLVIII, no. 2483. Western Australia. 14 September 1933. p. 20. Retrieved 15 January 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. "Australian golf titles". The News (Adelaide). Vol. XXI, no. 3168. South Australia. 13 September 1933. p. 7. Retrieved 15 January 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. "Bolger wins Open golf title". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 30197. New South Wales, Australia. 15 October 1934. p. 6. Retrieved 15 January 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. "Championship Golf". The Age. No. 24811. Victoria, Australia. 20 October 1934. p. 17. Retrieved 15 January 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. "Golf". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 30, 206. New South Wales, Australia. 25 October 1934. p. 18. Retrieved 20 December 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. "Dunlop Cup". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 30439. New South Wales, Australia. 25 July 1935. p. 13. Retrieved 15 January 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  14. Michael Sheret. "Australia's Ryder Cup" (PDF). Through the Green. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
  15. "To test Americans". The Daily Telegraph (Sydney). Vol. 4, no. 214. New South Wales, Australia. 23 October 1934. p. 4. Retrieved 15 January 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  16. "Kelly for city". The Daily Telegraph (Sydney). Vol. 3, no. 288. New South Wales, Australia. 18 January 1934. p. 3. Retrieved 15 January 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  17. "Opening of St. Michael's Golf Links". Catholic Freeman's Journal. Vol. LXXXVII. New South Wales, Australia. 26 May 1938. p. 29. Retrieved 15 January 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  18. "Bexley Golf Club Ltd". The St George Call. Vol. XXXVI, no. 44. New South Wales, Australia. 3 November 1939. p. 1. Retrieved 15 January 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  19. "Mass for top golf official". The Sydney Morning Herald. 6 April 1971. p. 26. Retrieved 15 January 2021 – via Google News Archive.
  20. "Pat Kelly for Goulburn". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 30978. New South Wales, Australia. 16 April 1937. p. 16. Retrieved 15 January 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
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