Aubrey Boomer


Aubrey Basil Boomer was a professional golfer who played in the early 20th century. Boomer had three top-10 finishes in the Open Championship. He was a frequent competitor in the French Open and won the event five times.

Early life

Boomer was born on 1 November 1897 and grew up in Jersey. His father George was a school teacher in Grouville and had, in 1902, designed the La Moye Golf Club. Aubrey's brother Percy was also a professional golfer.

Golf career

Ryder Cup

Boomer played in the first two Ryder Cup matches. In the 1927 Ryder Cup contested at Worcester Country Club in Massachusetts the British team was defeated 9½–2½. At his death he was the last surviving member of the 1927 British team, although he was out-lived by Gene Sarazen.

French Open

Boomer won the French Open five times—in 1921, 1922, 1926, 1929, and 1931. In the 1921 French Open, Boomer won in a playoff against Arnaud Massy, his former golf teacher. Massy picked up his ball on the 34th hole after being 8 shots behind after 33 holes. Massy had been 3 shots up after 9 holes. In his 1929 victory he beat the St Cloud course record with a score of 61. Horton Smith was second with Gene Sarazen third.
In the 1922 French Open he beat the La Boulie course record, scoring 65 in the third round. Boomer won by 9 strokes from Eugène Lafitte, setting a record score for any national championship.

Belgian Open

Boomer twice finished second in the Belgian Open, in 1920 and 1924. In the 1924 tournament he came second on 146. Walter Hagen won with a score of 143. In 1926, one of his best years, he finally broke through and won the event.

1924 Open Championship

The 1924 Open Championship was held 26–27 June at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, England. Walter Hagen won the second of his four Open Championships, one stroke ahead of runner-up Ernest Whitcombe. Boomer finished tied for sixth place in the event.

1927 Open Championship

The 1927 Open Championship was held 13–15 July at the Old Course at St Andrews in St Andrews, Scotland. Amateur Bobby Jones successfully defended the title with a six-stroke victory, the second of his three victories at the Open Championship. Boomer and Fred Robson tied for second place, six shots back.

Death

He suffered a stroke in Cannes and died later in Brussels on 2 October 1989.

Tournament wins (19)

Note: Boomer never played in the Masters Tournament nor the PGA Championship.
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place

Team appearances