Ross Somerville

Charles Ross "Sandy" Somerville (May 4, 1903 – May 17, 1991) was a Canadian golfer and all-around athlete.

Ross Somerville
Personal information
Full name	Charles Ross Somerville
Nickname	Sandy
Born	(1903-05-04)May 4, 1903 London, Ontario, Canada
Died	May 17, 1991(1991-05-17) (aged 88)
Sporting nationality	Canada
Career
College	University of Toronto
Status	Amateur
Best results in major championships (wins: 1)
Masters Tournament	T36: 1938
PGA Championship	DNP
U.S. Open	CUT: 1929
The Open Championship	T28: 1933
U.S. Amateur	Won: 1932
British Amateur	T3: 1938

Career

Somerville was born in London, Ontario. He won six Canadian Amateur Championship golf titles between 1926 and 1937, and in 1932 became the first Canadian to win the U.S. Amateur. He was selected by the Canadian Press as Canada's athlete of the year for 1932, and in 1950 was picked as Canada's top golfer of the first half of the 20th century.

While at the University of Toronto, Somerville played for three years for the Varsity Blues football team and Varsity Blues men's ice hockey team (1921–24). He was also one of Canada's leading cricketers earning selection as a member of the Canadian side that toured England in 1922, his score of 92 against the Free Foresters being Canada's highest individual innings of the tour.^[1]

Later, Somerville won three Canadian senior golf titles. and served as president of the Royal Canadian Golf Association in 1957.

Death and legacy

In 1991, Somerville died at age 88. The London Hunt Club, Somerville's home course for most of his life, has a room in its clubhouse honouring Somerville's golf achievements. In 2002, the London, Ontario posthumously inducted him into their Sports Hall of Fame.

Awards and honors

• In 1955, Somerville was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
• In 1971, he was inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame
• In 1985, Somerville was inducted into Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame
• In 1987, he was inducted into the U of T Sports Hall of Fame

Tournament wins

• 1926 Canadian Amateur
• 1926 Manitoba Amateur
• 1928 Canadian Amateur
• 1930 Canadian Amateur
• 1931 Canadian Amateur
• 1932 U.S. Amateur
• 1935 Canadian Amateur
• 1937 Canadian Amateur
• 1960 Canadian Senior Championship
• 1961 Canadian Senior Championship
• 1965 Canadian Senior Championship
• 1966 Canadian Senior Championship

Professional and amateur majors shown in bold.

Major championships

Amateur wins (1)

Year	Championship	Winning score	Runner-up
1932	U.S. Amateur	2 & 1	Johnny Goodman

Results timeline

Tournament	1926	1927	1928	1929	1930	1931	1932	1933	1934	1935	1936	1937	1938	1939
Masters Tournament	NYF	NYF	NYF	NYF	NYF	NYF	NYF	NYF	T43				T36
U.S. Open				CUT
The Open Championship								T28
U.S. Amateur	DNQ	DNQ	R16		R32	R16	1	QF	R32	R64	R128	R16	R64	QF
The Amateur Championship								R16		R256			SF

Note: As an amateur, Somerville did play in the PGA Championship.

  Win

  Top 10

  Did not play

NYF = Tournament not yet founded
NT = No tournament
DNQ = Did not qualify for match play portion
R256, R128, R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" indicates a tie for a place

Source for U.S. Amateur: USGA Championship Database

Source for 1933 British Open: www.opengolf.com

Source for 1933 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, June 23, 1933, pg. 20.

Source for 1934 & 1938 Masters: www.masters.com

Source for 1935 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 21, 1935, pg. 3.

Source for 1938 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 28, 1938, pg. 11.