MAGAZINE 2022-23
Although Great Britain would be thrashed by 10 matches to 2, Ronnie White performed extremely well. In the Friday foursomes, partnered with Joe Carr, he contributed to a 3 & 2 victory over Ray Billows and Willie Turnesa; and on Saturday he beat Mr Turnesa 4 & 3.
Britain's playing captain was Laddie Lucas, the much admired and decorated World War Two fighter pilot, though he did not select himself from the team of ten for any of the matches.
Writing about the experience for the USGA, alongside a picture of the successful Ronnie White, Laddie Lucas stated: "My view is this: we were beaten by a magnificent United States side because their short game was in a different class from ours. Their use of the wedge was remarkable. This, allied to their admirable holing out, brought them victory, and the British side defeat.
ONE FINAL THING I WOULD SAY: WE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN BEATEN BY A NICER BUNCH OF FELLOWS THAN THERE WERE ON THIS UNITED STATES TEAM.
This was an extraordinary year for Ronnie White, regarded by many during the post-war years as the best amateur golfer in the world. Along with his excellent Walker Cup performance he won the English amateur, the Golf illustrated Gold Vase and, with Reg Home, the Daily Telegraph Foursomes Tournament.
Born on 9th April 1921 in Wallasey, Ronnie was five years old when he was introduced to the game by his father, a member of Southport and Ainsdale.
Ronnie attended the Merchant Taylors' school in Crosby, and soon developed into one of the country's leading Juniors. In 1936 he played in the Boys Amateur Championship held at Birkdale, the Club he had joined aged 12 three years earlier. He lost 5 & 3 in the fourth round to William Innes of Lanark. Innes went on to lose the final 11 & 9 to the famous Irish player, Jimmy Bruen.
In 1937 the Ryder Cup came to S&A and Ronnie had the opportunity to see his hero Sam Snead in the flesh. Snead would become Ronnie's role model, gifted with a style the youngster strove to emulate.
In 1938 Ronnie was selected for, and captained, the English Boys Team for their annual match against Scotland. He played six games winning four, halving one and losing the other.
Ronnie had just started a law degree when Great Britain declared war on Germany. He volunteered for the Royal Air Force and, as luck would have it, was posted to RAF Leuchars for his initial three months of training. This allowed him to practice his golf at nearby St. Andrews. He became a flying instructor, having qualified as a pilot at the British Flying Training School in Texas.
Ronnie was demobilised in 1946 and moved back to the Birkdale area. Now aged 25 he resumed his studies and qualified as a solicitor in London in 1949.
He honed his game, adopted a fitness regime, and trained himself to breathe his way through nerves. According to golfer and journalist, Leonard Crawley, Ronnie's mechanical approach, perfected by the innovative use of photography and mirrors, enabled him to become;
THE MOST ACCURATE HITTER OF A BALL BETWEEN TEE AND GREEN SINCE HENRY COTTON
Ronnie's approach to athleticism was also ahead of its time. When in offices in Hamilton Square, Birkenhead, he installed a gym and sauna on the top floor, and when he wasn't working out indoors he ran regularly in the dunes near Southport to strengthen his legs, which he regarded as essential for good golf playing.
Ronnie White was a true amateur. It was widely reported, during his 1951 Brabazon victory at Formby Golf Club, that both before and after each round he was seen rushing off to his office or Wigan Magistrates' Court. This was Ronnie's second Brabazon win on the spin, having taken the trophy at Birkdale the previous year.
He would work as a solicitor until his retirement, aged 72.
In March 1953, somewhat unusually for an amateur but reflecting his standing in the game, Ronnie White published an instructional book entitled Golf As I Play It.
Illustrated by many pictures taken at Hoylake, the book whipped up a minor storm because of the rules governing amateur status.
Given that Ronnie was a lawyer, it comes as no surprise to learn that he had paved the way for authorship by first securing the approval of the Secretary of the R&A.
Ronnie's skills brought him many triumphs and spanned a long period. He won the Formby Hare three times, giving one each to his son and two daughters. In 1978 and 1979 he won the Seniors Amateur Championship.
He had other passions too, including sports cars - he owned three Lotuses in succession. Gardening passed time at home, while further afield he volunteered at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust site at Martin Mere near Ormskirk. A religious man, he would also devote time to reading the Bible. In 1980 he moved to Morton-in-Marsh in Gloucestershire to realise his dream of owning a tea shop and restaurant.
In 1984 Ronnie was reunited with Laddie Lucas on the set of the episode of the popular ITV show 'This Is Your Life' given over to his fellow golfer and pilot.
This brief resume of an outstanding golfer's life and times ends with a minor mystery. Having joined Birkdale as a Junior, Ronnie White lived opposite the course for most of his life, and subsequently became an Honorary Member of the Club.
Nevertheless, his competition entries from 1947 onwards list him as representing Royal Liverpool. What is even more confusing is the fact that in the Hoylake archives is barely a mention of a man respected across the golfing world.
Ronnie's son, Jon, has memories of a possible reason
A FRIEND OF MY DAD'S TOLD ME HE HAD A FALLING OUT WITH SOME BIRKDALE COMMITTEE MEMBERS ONE SUNDAY MORNING OVER 'SOMETHING AND NOTHING' AS HE DESCRIBED IT.
"He wouldn't tell me exactly what it was. I believe Dad from then on represented Royal Liverpool and that is why all the photos for his book were taken there. We were both members at Hoylake for a while and used to play in the evenings.
Then we moved to Caldy and became members at Caldy Golf Club. He seems to get more of a mention at Caldy than Hoylake for some reason, not sure why.
"I wish he was still around to ask exactly what happened at Birkdale. He'd probably reply, 'It was all part of life's rich tapestry' - one of his favourite sayings."
Ronnie White died, aged 84, on December the 17th 2005.