Max Faulkner

English golfer and flamboyant dresser who won the 1951 Open Championship at Royal Portrush, the first and to date only Open played outside Great Britain.

Born Herbert Gustavus Max Faulkner on 29 July 1916 in Bexhill-on-Sea, England, Max Faulkner turned professional in 1933 and built a reputation for exceptional ball-striking and creative shot-making, particularly his skill with lofted irons. He was equally well known for his flamboyant personality, appearing in brightly coloured shirts, trousers and pink shoes on the course decades before such attire became fashionable, and for building his own eccentric equipment, including a putter with a driftwood head and a pool-cue shaft. Faulkner's career-defining moment came at the 1951 Open Championship at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland — the first, and to date only, Open played outside Great Britain. Holding a six-shot lead entering the final round, Faulkner won by two strokes over Antonio Cerdá, having reportedly signed an autograph for a young boy on the morning of his final round with the words 'Open Champion 1951' already written beneath his name, a story that became part of golfing folklore. Faulkner's Open title remained the only British win of the championship between Henry Cotton's 1948 victory and Tony Jacklin's breakthrough in 1969. He represented Great Britain and Ireland in five Ryder Cup teams between 1947 and 1957, and was part of the victorious 1957 team at Lindrick, where captain Dai Rees credited him as the squad's 'secret weapon' for boosting team morale despite being left out of the singles matches. Faulkner also won three Spanish Opens and the Portuguese Open, and twice claimed the PGA Seniors Championship. He remained a beloved and colourful figure in British golf into his later years, appearing on television programmes including Peter Alliss's Around with Alliss, and died on 26 February 2005 at age 88.

Creative shot-maker renowned for exceptional skill with lofted irons

Remembered as a colourful, flamboyant character who brought personality and style to post-war British golf