Thomas Renouf

Thomas George Renouf (c. 1878 – 14 July 1955) was an English professional golfer from Jersey who played in the late 19th and early 20th century. He had multiple top-10 finishes in the Open Championship. His best result was fifth in the 1909 Open Championship. Renouf caddied in his youth at Royal Jersey Golf Club and became a skilled club maker as well as a manufacturer of golf balls.

Thomas Renouf
Renouf, c. 1907
Personal information
Full nameThomas George Renouf
Bornc. 1878
Grouville, Jersey
Died14 July 1955 (aged 77)
Marple, Cheshire, England
Sporting nationality Jersey
Career
Turned professionalc. 1895
Professional wins6
Best results in major championships
Masters TournamentDNP
PGA ChampionshipDNP
U.S. OpenDNP
The Open Championship5th: 1909

Early life

Thomas Renouf was born in Grouville, Jersey. He learned the game by starting out as a caddie and also developed skills as a club and ball maker.[1] Thomas's younger brother, Francis (Frank) George Renouf, was also a professional golfer. Frank was killed in France in 1915 in World War I.[2]

Golf career
Renouf (left) watches Harry Vardon putt in a match at Silloth-on-Solway Golf Club in 1898.

By the age of 17, and barely speaking any English, he had turned professional and traveled to the north of England taking a job at the Roundhay Golf Club in Leeds. After a few intermediate stops at different clubs he was posted at Silloth in 1898 where he remained for 8 years. At Silloth he was a teacher and mentor of the great lady golfer Cecil Leitch.[3] When the British PGA was formed in 1901, Renouf was a founding member.[3]

Renouf left Silloth for Trafford Park, Manchester in 1906, and remained there until 1929. During his tenure at Trafford Park he began designing golf courses—particularly in the north of England—and added the layout of the Alderley Edge course to his resumé.[3]

Renouf had a number of regional tournament successes while he was posted at Trafford Park; wins included the Manchester Courier Cup in 1910 and 1930 and the Manchester Despatch Trophy in 1924.[1]

His abilities on the golf course as a successful and highly competent professional were clear after he had six caps for England between 1903 and 1912. He had an excellent record in matches against Scotland, scoring wins in 7 of 10 matches played.[3]

1909 Open Championship

In the 1909 Open Championship, held 10–11 June at Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club in Deal, Kent, England, Renouf carded rounds of 76-78-76-73=302[4] finishing in fifth place and won £7 10s. J.H. Taylor won the tournament with scores of 74-73-74-74=295.[4]

News of the World Tournament

At the age of 45—by which time he had moved to Stockport Golf Club[1]—he reached the final of the important News of the World Tournament in 1923 at Walton Heath having beaten Arthur Havers on his way to the final match which, unfortunately, he lost to Reg Wilson.[3]

Leeds Cup

Renouf finished second in the 1911 Leeds Cup Tournament at Roundhay Golf Club, losing by one stroke to Ted Ray. His tenacity paid off in 1914 when he won the event by two strokes from three runners-up at Northumberland Golf Club.

Northern Professional Championship

He won the 1920 Northern Professional Championship and repeated the feat in 1929 at Pleasington Golf Club in Blackburn.[5]

Death and legacy

In 1929, Renouf was posted at Stockport Golf Club at Torkington where, just before his retirement in 1938, he played a 36-hole exhibition match against Henry Cotton.[3] He was named captain of the British PGA in 1931–32. He is perhaps best remembered for his consistent, steady performances in the Open Championship which included numerous top-10 finishes.

Renouf died at Marple, Cheshire, England, on 14 July 1955 at the age of 77.[3][6]

Results in major championships
Tournament 1897 1898 1899
The Open Championship T14 9 T12
Tournament 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909
The Open Championship T12 T20 WD 23 T16 T8 T17 T28 5
Tournament 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919
The Open Championship T8 T13 19 T5 NT NT NT NT NT
Tournament 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929
The Open Championship T43 CUT CUT

Note: Renouf only played in The Open Championship.

  Top 10
  Did not play

NT = No tournament
WD = withdrew
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place

Team appearances

References
  1. "Silloth on Solway Golf Club -- Tom Renouf". SillothGolfClub.co.uk. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  2. "The Channel Islands and the Great War". greatwarci.net. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  3. "Alderley Edge Golf Club -- T. G. "Tommy" Renouf". aegc.co.uk. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  4. 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.
  5. "The Northern Professional title winner". The Glasgow Herald. 6 September 1929. p. 19.
  6. "Probate Search -- Renouf, Thomas George". probatesearch.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
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