Lou_Kelly_(golfer)

Lou Kelly

Lou Kelly

Australian professional golfer

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.

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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. [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. [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. [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. [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. [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. [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. [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. [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. [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. [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. [11]
    "Championship Golf". The Age. No. 24811. Victoria, Australia. 20 October 1934. p. 17. Retrieved 15 January 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. [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. [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. [14]
    Michael Sheret. "Australia's Ryder Cup" (PDF). Through the Green. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
  15. [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. [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. [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. [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. [19]
    "Mass for top golf official". The Sydney Morning Herald. 6 April 1971. p. 26. Retrieved 15 January 2021 – via Google News Archive.
  20. [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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