Northern Irish · Portrush, County Antrim, Northern Ireland · Born 11 October 1911Fred Daly was a Northern Irish professional golfer who won The Open Championship in 1947, becoming the first golfer from either Ireland or Northern Ireland to win a major championship.
Frederick J. Daly was born on October 11, 1911, on Causeway Street in Portrush, County Antrim, the youngest of six children of a blacksmith. He began his golfing life as a caddie at Royal Portrush from around age 10, borrowing clubs from the golfers he caddied for to compete in caddies' tournaments, and turned professional as a teenager. Daly built a strong reputation on the British and Irish circuit through the 1930s and 1940s, winning the Irish Professional Championship three times and the Ulster Professional Championship on numerous occasions. He arrived at the 1947 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool in Hoylake in excellent form, and after a rollercoaster four rounds — including a third-round 78 that dropped him into a four-way tie — he holed a crucial putt to win by a single stroke over amateur Frank Stranahan and Reg Horne, becoming the first Irishman from either side of the border to win The Open. Daly's win made him a national hero, and weeks later he completed a rare double by winning the British Matchplay Championship, becoming the first golfer since James Braid in 1905 to win both titles in the same year. Later in 1947 he became the first Irish-born player to appear in the Ryder Cup, going on to represent Great Britain and Ireland four times through 1953, including two singles wins in the 1953 edition. He remained a fixture near the top of the Open leaderboard throughout the following decade, finishing runner-up in 1948. Daly was appointed MBE in 1984 and remained the only Irish major champion until Pádraig Harrington's 2007 Open win, and the only Northern Irish major champion until Graeme McDowell's 2010 U.S. Open victory.
First golfer from Ireland or Northern Ireland to win The Open Championship, in 1947
How They Played
Unorthodox, wide-arcing swing paired with excellent long-iron play and a relaxed, whistling demeanour under pressure
Lasting Impact
A trailblazer for Irish and Northern Irish golf whose 1947 Open win stood as the region's only major title for over 60 years
Career Honours
- The Open Championship winner (1947)
- First Irish-born winner of The Open
- First Irish-born Ryder Cup player
- 3x British Matchplay Champion
- 3x Irish Professional Championship winner