David Arthur Blair MBE, MC (25 August 1917[2] – 10 April 1985[3]) was a Scottish amateur golfer. He finished in the top-10 in the Open Championship in 1960 and played in the Walker Cup in 1955 and 1961. He was a retired major in the Seaforth Highlanders in the British Army. His younger brother Chandos was also in the Seaforth Highlanders.
| David Blair | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Full name | David Arthur Blair |
| Born | 25 August 1917 Scotland |
| Died | 10 April 1985 (aged 67) Canterbury, Kent, England[1] |
| Sporting nationality |  Scotland |
| Career | |
| Status | Amateur |
| Best results in major championships | |
| Masters Tournament | CUT: 1962, 1963 |
| PGA Championship | DNP |
| U.S. Open | DNP |
| The Open Championship | T9: 1960 |
Early life edit
Blair was educated at Harrow School and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.[3]
Military career edit
Blair graduated from Sandhurst on 26 August 1937 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Seaforth Highlanders, a line infantry regiment of the British Army.[4][3] He was captured at El Adem in 1942 but escaped in 1943. He was awarded the Military Cross when his company made an assault crossing over a canal in Holland in late 1944.[5]
Business career edit
Blair was chairman of the Scotch whisky export committee from 1985 to 1980 and a director of Distillers Company. He was also chairman of United Glass Ltd.[3]
Amateur wins edit
- 1935 Scottish Boys' Championship
- 1947 Army Championship
- 1948 Nairn Open
- 1953 Scottish Amateur, Royal St. Georges Gold Vase
- 1955 Golf Illustrated Gold Vase
- 1956 Golf Illustrated Gold Vase
- 1955 R&A Silver Cross, George Glennie Medal
- 1961 Scandinavian Amateur Championship
- 1964 Royal St. Georges Gold Vase
- 1966 Hampshire Hog
- 1967 Royal St. Georges Gold Vase, Hampshire Hog
- 1968 R&A Silver Cross
- 1970 Hampshire Hog
Source: [6]
Results in major championships edit
| Tournament | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | CUT | CUT | ||||||||||||
| The Open Championship | T30 | T9 | CUT |
Note: Blair only played in the Masters Tournament and The Open Championship.
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Team appearances edit
- Commonwealth Tournament (representing Great Britain): 1954
- Walker Cup (representing Great Britain & Ireland): 1955, 1961
- Amateurs–Professionals Match (representing the Amateurs): 1956, 1960
References edit
- ^ "Mr David Blair". The Times. 9 May 1985. p. 16.
- ^ "FamilySearch.org". Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Major D A Blair". The Times. 20 April 1985. p. 10.
- ^ "No. 34430". The London Gazette. 27 August 1937. p. 5443.
- ^ "Blair, DA, Major, 5th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders , No.11 Commando, MBE,MC". ww2.commando. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
- ^ Huggins, Percy, ed. (1973). The Golfer's Handbook. p. 362.