Donald Barclay Howard (27 January 1953 – 19 May 2008) was a Scottish amateur golfer. He was regarded as one of the finest golfers of his time and considered a folk-hero. He has had a lifetime relationship with Cochrane Castle Golf Club in Johnstone, Renfrewshire.

Barclay Howard
Personal information
Full nameDonald Barclay Howard
Born(1953-01-27)27 January 1953
Glasgow, Scotland
Died19 May 2008(2008-05-19) (aged 55)
Johnstone, Scotland
Sporting nationality Scotland
Spouse
Alexandra Lawson Brennan
(m. 1972; div. 1980)
Children3
Career
StatusAmateur
Best results in major championships
Masters TournamentDNP
PGA ChampionshipDNP
U.S. OpenDNP
The Open ChampionshipT60: 1997

Life

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Howard was born in Glasgow. He was married when he was 19, the marriage to Alexandra Lawson Brennan produced two daughters – Linda (b. 1972) and Lorraine (b. 1976).

Howard first joined Clydesdale Bank and later switched to Rolls-Royce, where he was made redundant in 1993. After that he became a full-time amateur golfer, that and his previous success on the golf course led him to a job in customer relations with club-maker John Letters.

Howard was a self-confessed alcoholic, leading to international exclusion in 1984. After having suffered and defeated leukemia, he died of pneumonia in 2008.

Howard was a lifelong friend of Sam Torrance, who became a successful professional golfer.

Sporting career

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Howard can probably be best described as a true amateur. Working a regular work week and playing golf in his spare time. He might have been a top professional. He was a leading figure in Scottish and British amateur golf. Over the years he has won more than a hundred amateur tournaments.

Howard played on the Great Britain and Ireland team in the Walker Cup twice, winning in 1995 at Royal Portcawl. He has also played on the GB&I team in the Eisenhower Trophy in 1996. He was the low amateur in the 1997 Open Championship.

In his latter years, Howard was a leading figure in the Scottish Golf Union.

Autobiography

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Howard published an autobiography (with Jonathan Russell) in 2001 called "Out of the rough"[1] (not to be confused with Laura Baugh's book called "Out of the Rough" or John Daly's: "My life in and out of the rough") where he describes his personal battles (against alcohol) and his inner demons.

Amateur wins

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this list is incomplete

Team appearances

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Amateur

References

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  1. ^ Out of the Rough: Booze, Birdies and a Driving Ambition, ISBN 978-1-84018-511-9, Hard cover, 192 pages, Mainstream Publishing Company
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