Garth McGimpsey

{{short description|Northern Irish amateur golfer (born 1955)}} {{use dmy dates|date=December 2019}} {{Infobox golfer | name = Garth McGimpsey<br>{{nobold|{{postnom|country=GBR|MBE}}}} | image = | image_size = | caption = | fullname = Garth McGimpsey | nickname = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1955|7|17|df=y}} | birth_place = Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland | death_date =  | death_place = | height = {{height|ft=|in=}} | weight = | sporting_nationality = {{NIR}} | residence = Northern Ireland | spouse = | partner = | children = | college = | status = Amateur | yearpro = | tour = | extour = | prowins = | pgawins = | eurowins = | japwins =  | asiawins =  | sunwins =  | auswins =  | nwidewins =  | chalwins =  | champwins =  | seneurowins =  | otherwins = | majorwins =  | masters = CUT: 1986, 1987 | usopen = DNP | open = CUT: 1985, 1986 | pga = DNP | wghofid =  | wghofyear =  | award1 = | year1 = | award2 = | year2 = | awardssection =  }} '''Garth McGimpsey''' (born 17 July 1955)<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/golf/mcgimpsey-to-take-the-helm-26065602.html |title=McGimpsey to take the helm |newspaper=Irish Independent |first=Colm |last=Smith |date=20 December 2001}}</ref> is an amateur golfer from Bangor, Northern Ireland.

==Early life== McGimpsey attended Millfield School from 1972 to 1974.<ref>{{cite journal |editor1-last=Davies |editor1-first=John |title=Distinguished Old Millfieldians |journal=Old Millfieldian Society Chronicle |date=2012 |page=13 |url=https://issuu.com/strattons/docs/millfield_chronicle_2012 |access-date=21 July 2023}}</ref>

==Playing career== McGimpsey won The Amateur Championship in 1985.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.irishgolfdesk.com/news-files/2019/6/20/munster-triumph-gives-mcgimpsey-14th-senior-major |title=Munster triumph gives McGimpsey 14th Senior major - News |website=Irish Golf Desk |first=Brian |last=Keogh |date=20 June 2019}}</ref> He beat Graham Homewood, England, 8 and 7 in the final at Royal Dornoch Golf Club, Sutherland, Scotland.

His win gave an invitation to the Masters in 1986 and 1987 but he failed to make the cut on either occasion. He also played in The Open Championship in 1985 and 1986 but failed to make the cut.

He was part of the winning Great Britain and Ireland team at the 1988 Eisenhower Trophy<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/mcgimpsey-a-legend-in-his-own-time-1.79879 |title=McGimpsey a legend in his own time |first=Dermot |last=Gilleece |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=24 August 1996}}</ref> and the winning Ireland teams at the 1983 and 1987 European Amateur Team Championship. He represented the combined Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland team at ten consecutive European Amateur Team Championships.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

McGimpsey was the Irish long driving champion in 1977 and the United Kingdom long driving champion in 1979.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Golfer's Handbook 1993 |publisher=Munro-Barr Publications Ltd, Glasgow |year=1993 |isbn=0-333-58895-9 |page=328}}</ref>

==Captaincy career== He was appointed captain for the 2003 and 2005 Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup teams.<ref>{{Cite magazine |url=https://golfweek.com/2005/09/25/2005-walker-cup-down-crunch-time-americans-turn-ta/ |title=2005: Walker Cup - Down to crunch time, Americans turn tables on pesky GB&I |magazine=Golfweek |date=25 September 2005 |first=Ron |last=Balick}}</ref>

==Personal life, honors== McGimpsey was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2004 New Year Honours.

In 2004, McGimpsey was charged after having cocaine delivered to his home but was cleared of having any links to the drugs.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/golfer-says-drugs-find-may-have-been-set-up-1.1151778 |title=Golfer says drugs find may have been set-up |first=Gerry |last=Moriarty |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=3 August 2004}}</ref>

==Amateur wins== *1985 The Amateur Championship, Irish Amateur *1988 Irish Amateur

==Senior amateur wins== *2010 Ulster Seniors *2011 Irish Senior Close, Ulster Seniors *2012 Irish Senior Close, Ulster Seniors *2013 Irish Senior Close, Connacht Seniors *2014 Ulster Seniors *2015 Ulster Seniors *2016 Ulster Seniors, Connacht Seniors, Munster Seniors *2017 Ulster Seniors *2019 Munster Seniors

==Team appearances== '''Amateur''' *European Amateur Team Championship (representing Ireland): 1981, 1983 (winners), 1985, 1987 (winners), 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999<ref name=":0">{{cite web|title=European Amateur Team Championship – European Golf Association|url=http://www.ega-golf.ch/page/european-amateur-team-championship|access-date=29 March 2021}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{cite news |last=Jacobs |first=Raymond |date=27 June 1983 |title=Ireland end long wait for success |page=15 |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=GGgVawPscysC&dat=19830627&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |access-date=29 March 2021}}</ref> *Walker Cup (representing Great Britain and Ireland): 1985, 1989 (winners), 1991, 2003 (non-playing captain), 2005 (non-playing captain) *Eisenhower Trophy (representing Great Britain and Ireland): 1984, 1986, 1988 (winners) *St Andrews Trophy (representing Great Britain and Ireland): 1984 (winners), 1986 (winners), 1988 (winners), 1990 (winners), 1992 (winners), 2002 (non-playing captain), 2004 (non-playing captain)

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:McGimpsey, Garth}} Category:Male golfers from Northern Ireland Category:Amateur golfers Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire Category:Sportspeople from Bangor, County Down Category:Golfers from County Down Category:People educated at Millfield Category:1955 births Category:Living people