Stewart Burns

{{short description|Scottish golfer}} {{for|the television writer and producer|J. Stewart Burns}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox golfer | name = Stewart Burns | image = | imagesize = | caption = | fullname = Robert Stewart Burns | nickname = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1899|5|11|df=y}} | birth_place = Stirling, Scotland | death_date = | death_place = | height =  | weight = | nationality = {{SCO}} | residence = | spouse = | partner = | children = | college = | status = Professional | yearpro =  | retired =  | tour =  | extour =  | prowins = 4 | majorwins = | masters = DNP | usopen = DNP | open = 16th: 1928 | pga = DNP | wghofid = | wghofyear = | award1 =  | year1 =  | awardssection =  }}

'''Robert Stewart Burns''' (born 11 May 1899) was a Scottish professional golfer. He was in the team for the 1929 Ryder Cup but did not play in any matches. He was Scottish Professional Champion three times.

==Early life== Burns was born on 11 May 1899 in Stirling, Scotland, the son of George Burns, a gardener, and Jane.<ref name="spbirth">{{cite web |title=Births in the district of St. Ninians in the county of Stirling 488/1 53 |accessdate=25 May 2020 | url=https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/view-image/nrs_stat_births/44432802 | publisher =ScotlandsPeople |url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name=so26aug1916/><ref name=agc>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dmcsoft.com/antiquegolf/maker.php3?makerid=191|title=Antique Golf Clubs from Scotland: Clubmakers}}</ref> He served in the 7th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders during World War I, having been as assistant at Stirling Golf Club before the war.<ref name=so26aug1916>{{cite news |title=Private Stewart Burns, Newhouse |work=Stirling Observer |date=26 August 1916 |accessdate=25 May 2020 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000474/19160826/020/0003 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }}</ref> His older brother James was also a professional golfer. Before the war, James had been an assistant at Stirling Golf Club and then professional at Falkirk Tryst Golf Club for six years. James also served in the 7th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and was killed in action on 23 April 1917 during the Second Battle of Arras.<ref name=so26may1917>{{cite news |title=Private James Burns |work=Stirling Observer |date=26 May 1917 |accessdate=25 May 2020 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000474/19170526/035/0003 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==Golf career== In 1919 Burns became the professional at Falkirk Tryst Golf Club, where his brother had been the professional before the war.<ref name=dc17sep1919>{{cite news |title=Stewart Burns |work=Dundee Courier |date=17 September 1919 |accessdate=25 May 2020 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000164/19190917/078/0006 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }}</ref> In 1924 he became the professional at Cruden Bay Golf Club before being attached to Hendon Golf Club, near London, from 1929 to 1933.<ref name=fh9apr1924>{{cite news |title=Appointments for local professionals |work=Falkirk Herald |date=9 April 1924 |accessdate=25 May 2020 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000733/19240409/082/0004 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name=agc/> He was then at Murrayfield Golf Club until World War II.

Burns won the Scottish Professional Championship in 1925, 1927 and 1928.<ref name=agc/> In 1925 he won by 5 strokes from Tom Fernie, while in 1927 he won by 3 from Duncan McCulloch.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=EJ9AAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UKUMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5061%2C4747799 |title=The new Champion |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |date=5 June 1925 |page=11}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=d_89AAAAIBAJ&sjid=dEkMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5582%2C5003912 |title=Scottish Professional Championship |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |date=3 June 1927 |page=18}}</ref> In 1928 Burns was level with Gordon Lockhart after three rounds but a final round of 68 gave him victory by 11 strokes.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=oQI-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=YkkMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1633%2C6323768 |title=Burns's great finish |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |date=8 June 1928 |page=6}}</ref> His best performance in The Open Championship was at Sandwich in 1928 where he was tied for 6th place after two rounds. A third round of 75 improved his position to a tie for 5th place but a final round of 83 dropped him to 16th place.

The team for the 1929 Ryder Cup was selected in January 1929.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=The Times |date=15 January 1929 |page=7 |title=The Ryder Cup Team}}</ref> With his performance in the 1928 Open and his three wins in the Scottish Professional Championship Burns was chosen as one of the ten-man team. It was originally planned that, as in 1927, only eight players should be used by each team, the same players being used in the foursomes and singles. However, Hagan, the American captain, wished to use all 10 of his players. This was agreed to, although Duncan, the British captain, announced that he would only play eight as originally intended.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=The Times |date=24 April 1929 |page=7 |title=The Ryder Cup}}</ref> Burns and Percy Alliss were left out and did not play. Burns had performed poorly in the Frinton Invitation Tournament and the Roehampton Invitation Tournament, which had been played in the weeks before the event, although in late March he had won the Middlesex Professional Championship at Hendon, by 5 strokes.<ref name=apj28mar1929>{{cite news |title=Stewart Burns Wins Middlesex Championship |work=Aberdeen Press and Journal |date=28 March 1929 |accessdate=25 May 2020 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000577/19290328/143/0012 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==Tournament wins== *1925 Scottish Professional Championship *1927 Scottish Professional Championship *1928 Scottish Professional Championship *1929 Middlesex Professional Championship

==Results in major championships== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;" !Tournament !1923 !1924 !1925 !1926 !1927 !1928 !1929 !1930 !1931 !1932 !1933 !1934 !1935 !1936 !1937 |- |align=left|The Open Championship |T56 |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |CUT |16 |T49 |T24 |CUT |T62 |T37 |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |CUT |} ''Note: Burns only played in The Open Championship.''<br /> {{legend|#eeeeee|Did not play}} CUT = missed the half-way cut<br /> "T" indicates a tie for a place

==Team appearances== *Ryder Cup (representing Great Britain): 1929 (winners) *England–Scotland Professional Match (representing Scotland): 1932

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burns, Stewart}} Category:Scottish male golfers Category:Ryder Cup competitors for Europe Category:Golfers from Stirling Category:1899 births Category:Year of death missing