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| The Max Factor | |
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Max was an extraordinary man and had a natural talent for most sports but it was playing the game of golf that made his name. Here's why:
- Max won golf's oldest major, the British Open Championship in 1951 with a 3-under 285 score at Royal Portrush. The only Open Championship played in Ireland to date, Max beat Argentina's Antonio Cerda to secure his much dreamed of Open Championship victory by two shots. Click Here to see the photograph. So certain was Max that he would win, he famously signed for a fan ahead of the final round, "Max Faulkner, 1951 Open Champion".
Max said of his Open Championship victory: "There was no way I was going to lose". "The Open meant everything to me. When I was handed the trophy [that famous claret jug], I looked at the names on it - Walter Hagen, Bobby Jones, Gene Sarazen, Sam Snead, Henry Cotton - and thought 'Wow!'. It was marvellous, I was very lucky.". Of the following year's open, Max said: "I remember I had a putt at the second hole of the first round at Lytham the following year, from about four feet, which I managed to miss and my immediate thought was: 'That's it, I'll never win the Open again'."
Though Max was right about not winning the Open again, his Open triumph was not to be matched by a British golfer until Tony Jacklin won at Royal Lytham eighteen years later in 1969.
At 85 years of age, Max said during an interview: "Oh, I'd been close [to winning the Open again]. I was in the lead after three rounds at Sandwich in 1949 only to fade to sixth, and I was fifth at Troon in '50. Both times I finished four strokes behind the winner, Bobby Locke, of South Africa. Also, I only played one round of golf between 1939-45 when I was in the RAF. But for the war, I honestly think I might have won the Open on three or four occasions."
- Max represented Britain and Ireland against the United States in five Ryder Cups, including the famous 1957 European victory at Lindrick.
- Max headed the Butten Scheme which aimed to produce world class golfers through proper coaching, fitness and diet. My father, Brian Barnes, was one of the most successful of the "Butten Boys" as they were called. It was during this time that my father-to-be met my mother-to-be, Max's daughter Hilary! I am very glad they did otherwise I wouldn't be here! Indeed, you could say that myself and my brother, Guy, owe our lives to the Butten Scheme!
- Max also won other major golfing events: he achieved sixteen wins in Europe as well as two Seniors titles. He was three times the Spanish Open champion and a notable achievement was his Portugese Open win, at the tender age of 52, way after golfers are usually past their prime! This particular win was probably due the high level of fitness Max maintained during his life (despite being also a dedicated smoker of cigarettes!). Interestingly, my father also won both the Portugese and Spanish Opens during his own career. Perhaps two relatives having such major wins to their names is a unique situation in professional golf!
- Max had a unique sartorial and entertaining style - he was known as the "Clown Prince of Golf" - and a mercurial character he was indeed. He was certainly one of the most charismatic personalities the game has ever seen and dressed accordingly: in brightly coloured but stylish plus-fours and other clothes. Why did he do this? He was given a bunch of colourful flowers during a stay in hospital as a result of perforating an ear drum during the war, and, noting the contrast between the flowers and the greyness of the hospital, he vowed that he would always dress in exhuberant styles on the golf course to celebrate the sheer joy of living. The crowd loved him almost as much as he was loved by his family, it seems; and certainly judging from the enormous number of letters of condolence the family has received from all over the World since his death just over a week ago (at time of writing).
As my father said during one press interview: "Max was the first great entertainer in British golf. And what made him such a great entertainer was that he had the game to go with it. He was a superb striker of the ball and had a wonderful golf swing. He was always super-confident. I don't think I ever heard him utter a negative thought. He always thought positively. He used to say if you think you are lucky, you will be."
- Max was also famous for his ability to do "trick shots" and was one of the few players of his time that was able to bend lofted approaches into the green at will. This was a particular feat given there were only simple golf clubs available for use at that time, not least because of the strange array of golf clubs Max tended to carry! He was a great experimenter and often played with an unmatching set of clubs: irons with different heads and shafts, and home made putters (he was a skilled maker of golf clubs). The game simply came so naturally to him that he would experiment to make it more interesting for himself as he tackled some of the World's most famous golf courses!
- Max returned to Royal Portrush in 1995 and saw his son-in-law (my father) win the Senior British Open - a very emotional time for all the family, especially because Dad had prior to then been experiencing a well-publicised run of bad luck, not least including a period of time fighting alcoholism before he returned to the seniors tour in the mid 90s. Click Here to see the photograph.
- Max played more charity golf matches than almost any other professional golfer and was a dedicated supporter of Cancer Relief. Indeed, it was his death wish that donations be made to the Macmillan Cancer Relief charity instead of buying wreaths for his funeral. To make a donation in honour of Max, please click Here to go to the Macmillan donation page.
- Max received an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in 2001 for his services to golf.
