Ross Somerville
Encyclopedia
Charles Ross "Sandy" Somerville (May 4, 1903 – May 17, 1991) was a Canadian golf
er and all-around athlete.
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 top cricket
players.
Later, Somerville won three Canadian senior golf titles. and served as president of the Royal Canadian Golf Association
in 1957.
He was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
(1955), the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame (1985), the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame
(1971), and the U of T Sports Hall of Fame (1987). He died at age 88 in 1991.
The London Hunt Club, Somerville's home course for most of his life, has a room in its clubhouse honouring Somerville's golf achievements.
Professional and amateur majors
shown in bold.
.
LA = Low Amateur
NYF = Tournament not yet founded
NT = No tournament
DNP = Did not play
WD = Withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place
DNQ = Did not qualify for match play portion
R256, R128, R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in match play
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10
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.
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er and all-around athlete.
Somerville was born in London, Ontario
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
. He won six Canadian Amateur Championship
Canadian Amateur Championship
The Canadian Amateur Championship, begun in 1895, is the men's amateur golf championship of Canada. It is staged annually by the Royal Canadian Golf Association. It was played at match play until 1968, went to stroke play beginning in 1969, and reverted to match play in 1995...
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
Canadian Press
Canadian Press Enterprises Inc. is the entity which "will take over the operations of the Canadian Press" according to a November 26, 2010 article in the Toronto Star...
as Canada's athlete of the year
Lionel Conacher Award
The Lionel Conacher Award is an annual award given to Canada's male athlete of the year. The sports writers of the Canadian Press first conducted a poll to determine the nation's top athlete, of either gender, in 1932. Separate polls for the best male and female athletes were conducted beginning...
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
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
, Somerville played for three years for the Varsity Blues
Varsity Blues
The Varsity Blues is the name for the intercollegiate sports program at the University of Toronto. Its 26 athletic teams regularly participate in competitions held by Ontario University Athletics and Canadian Interuniversity Sport. The Varsity Blues traces its founding to 1877, with the formation...
football team and Varsity Blues men's ice hockey team
Varsity Blues men's ice hockey team
The Varsity Blues men's ice hockey team is an ice hockey team operated by the Varsity Blues athletics program of the University of Toronto. The Varsity Blues senior team won the Allan Cup in 1921 and 1927, and won the gold medal for Canada at the 1928 Winter Olympics.The Blues play in the Ontario...
(1921-24). He was also one of Canada's top cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
players.
Later, Somerville won three Canadian senior golf titles. and served as president of the Royal Canadian Golf Association
Royal Canadian Golf Association
Golf Canada, formerly known as the Royal Canadian Golf Association is the governing body of golf in Canada.-Beginnings:The RCGA was founded on June 6, 1895 as the Canadian Golf Association at the Royal Ottawa Golf Club. The Royal prefix was granted to the CGA in June 1896 by Queen Victoria through...
in 1957.
He was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame is a hall of fame established in 1955 to "preserve the record of Canadian sports achievements and to promote a greater awareness of Canada's heritage of sport." It is located at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, Alberta...
(1955), the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame (1985), the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame
Canadian Golf Hall of Fame
The Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum and hall of fame covering the history of the game of golf in Canada, and celebrating the careers and accomplishments of the most significant contributors to the game in that country...
(1971), and the U of T Sports Hall of Fame (1987). He died at age 88 in 1991.
The London Hunt Club, Somerville's home course for most of his life, has a room in its clubhouse honouring Somerville's golf achievements.
Tournament wins
- 1926 Canadian Amateur
- 1926 Manitoba Amateur
- 1928 Canadian Amateur
- 1930 Canadian Amateur
- 1931 Canadian Amateur
- 1933 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
Men's major golf championships
The men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...
shown in bold.
Amateur wins (1)
| Year | Championship | Winning Score | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1932 | U.S. Amateur | 2 & 1 |  Johnny GoodmanJohnny Goodman Johnny G. Goodman was the last amateur golfer to win the U.S. Open, doing so in 1933; he also won the U.S. Amateur in 1937.... |
Results timeline
As an amateur, Somerville could not play in the PGA ChampionshipPGA Championship
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...
.
| Tournament | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | NYF | NYF | NYF | NYF |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| U.S. Amateur | DNQ | DNQ | R16 | DNP |
| The Amateur Championship The Amateur Championship The Amateur Championship is a golf tournament which is held annually in the United Kingdom. It is one of the two leading individual tournaments for amateur golfers, alongside the U.S. Amateur... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| Tournament | 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | NYF | NYF | NYF | NYF | T43 | DNP | DNP | DNP | T36 | DNP |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | T28 | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| U.S. Amateur | R32 | R16 | 1 | QF | R32 | R64 | R128 | R16 | R64 | QF |
| The Amateur Championship The Amateur Championship The Amateur Championship is a golf tournament which is held annually in the United Kingdom. It is one of the two leading individual tournaments for amateur golfers, alongside the U.S. Amateur... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | R16 | DNP | R256 | DNP | DNP | SF | DNP |
LA = Low Amateur
NYF = Tournament not yet founded
NT = No tournament
DNP = Did not play
WD = Withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place
DNQ = Did not qualify for match play portion
R256, R128, R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in match play
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10
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.