Gordon Brand Jnr facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gordon Brand Jnr |
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| Personal information | |
| Full name | Gordon Brand |
| Born | 19 August 1958 Kirkcaldy, Scotland |
| Died | 31 July 2019 (aged 60) Ash, Kent, England |
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) |
| Weight | 161 lb (73 kg; 11.5 st) |
| Nationality |  Scotland |
| Career | |
| Turned professional | 1981 |
| Former tour(s) | European Tour European Senior Tour |
| Professional wins | 11 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| European Tour | 8 |
| PGA Tour of Australasia | 1 |
| European Seniors Tour | 2 |
| Best results in Major Championships |
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| The Masters Tournament | DNP |
| U.S. Open | T39: 1994 |
| The Open Championship | T5: 1992 |
| PGA Championship | DNP |
| Achievements and awards | |
| Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year |
1982 |
Gordon Brand Jnr (born August 19, 1958 – died July 31, 2019) was a professional golfer from Scotland. He became well-known for playing on the European Tour, where he won eight times. Later, he joined the European Senior Tour and won two more titles. Gordon Brand Jnr also proudly represented Europe twice in the famous Ryder Cup golf tournament.
Contents
Early Life and Amateur Golf
Gordon Brand Jnr was born in Kirkcaldy, Scotland. His father, Gordon Brand Snr, was also a golf professional. He worked at Knowle Golf Club in Bristol for many years.
Gordon Brand Jnr was a very good amateur golfer. He played for Great Britain and Ireland in important events. These included the 1979 Walker Cup and the Eisenhower Trophy in 1978 and 1980. He turned professional in July 1981, ready to start his career in golf.
Professional Golf Career
Gordon Brand Jnr quickly found success as a professional golfer. In November 1981, he won the qualifying school for the European Tour. This meant he could play in the main European golf tournaments.
In his very first year, 1982, he won two European Tour events. Because of this great start, he was named the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year. He went on to win eight European Tour events in total. His last win on this tour was in 1993. He also won the 1988 West End South Australian Open.
Gordon Brand Jnr was a top player on the European Tour for many years. He finished in the top ten of the Order of Merit six times. His best ranking was fourth in 1987. He continued to play regularly on the tour until 2006.
In 1986, during the Jersey Open, he set a European Tour record. He made four eagles in just one round! An eagle is when a golfer finishes a hole in two strokes under par.
Gordon Brand Jnr played in the Ryder Cup twice for Europe. In 1987, Europe won on American soil for the first time ever. In 1989, Europe kept the trophy by tying the match. He also represented Scotland many times in the Alfred Dunhill Cup and the World Cup of Golf. In 1984, playing with Sam Torrance, Scotland finished second in the World Cup.
He played in the The Open Championship 18 times. His best result was tying for 5th place in 1992.
After turning 50, Gordon Brand Jnr joined the European Senior Tour. He won two events there: the 2010 Matrix Jersey Classic and the 2013 WINSTONgolf Senior Open. In 2008, in his first senior event, he played against another golfer named Gordon J. Brand. They tied after 72 holes, but Gordon Brand Jnr lost in a sudden-death playoff. Gordon J. Brand used his middle initial to help people tell them apart.
Death
Gordon Brand Jnr sadly passed away suddenly on July 31, 2019. He was 60 years old. He died from a heart attack at the London Golf Club in Ash, Kent. This happened after he had finished a practice round for a tournament.
Amateur Wins
- Brabazon Trophy (1978)
- British Youths Open Amateur Championship (1979)
- Swedish International Stroke Play Championship (1979)
- Scottish Youths' Amateur Open Stroke Play Championship (1980)
- Scottish Amateur Open Stroke Play Championship (1980)
- Golf Illustrated Gold Vase (1980)
- Portuguese Amateur Open Championship (1981)
- Sunningdale Foursomes (1981, with Alan Lyddon)
Team Appearances
Gordon Brand Jnr played for various teams during his amateur and professional career:
Amateur
- St Andrews Trophy (representing Great Britain & Ireland): 1976, 1978, 1980 (all wins)
- European Amateur Team Championship (representing Scotland): 1979
- Eisenhower Trophy (representing Great Britain & Ireland): 1978, 1980
- Walker Cup (representing Great Britain & Ireland): 1979
Professional
- World Cup (representing Scotland): 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1994
- Dunhill Cup (representing Scotland): 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997
- Four Tours World Championship (representing Europe): 1985, 1988, 1989
- Ryder Cup (representing Europe): 1987 (winners), 1989 (tied, cup retained)
See also
- List of golfers with most European Tour wins
