Russell David Weir (11 July 1951 – 21 September 2022) was a Scottish professional golfer.[1] He chose not to play on the main tours, remaining a club professional. He played mostly on the Scottish PGA circuit, the "Tartan Tour", where he won over 100 times. He won the PGA Club Professionals Championship in 1987 and 1988 and won the European club professional title three times. He played in eight consecutive PGA Cup matches between 1986 and 2000 and was captain of the Great Britain and Ireland team in 2011 and 2013. After reaching 50 he played on the European Senior Tour where he won once.
Amateur career
Weir won the Scottish Boys' Championship at North Berwick in April 1968, beating Mike Grubb 6&4 in the 36-hole final. He had reduced his handicap from 12 to 4 in the previous year.[2] In August he captained the Scottish team in the England–Scotland boys match that preceded the Boys Amateur Championship.[3] In 1969 he finished fifth in the British Youths Open Amateur Championship at Lindrick, despite a poor finish.[4] He represented Scotland in the 1971 youth international against England, that preceded the British youths championship.[5]
Professional career
Weir turned professional in 1971 and became the professional at Cowal Golf Club, Dunoon, in 1979.[6] Despite qualifying for the Open Championship in 1975 and 1976, he had little success until the early 1980s.[7] He never played regularly on any of the major tours, but had considerable success on the domestic "Tartan Tour" where he won over 100 times.[1] His first 72-hole win came in the 1983 Scottish Coca-Cola Tournament at North Berwick, where he finished with two rounds of 68 to beat David Robertson by a stroke.[8] In 1984 he won the Carnoustie Challenge with a score of 11-under-par on the championship course, a stroke ahead of Bill Lockie, while in 1985 he won the Scottish Brewers Round-robin Tournament at Dumphries & County, with seven wins and a half from his eight matches.[9][10] In 1986 he won the Northern Open at Nairn, a stroke ahead of Ross Drummond, despite Drummond's final round of 67.[11] He also won the Dunbar Professional Championship three times in succession from 1988 to 1990, the Sunderland of Scotland Masters three times, in 1988, 1990 and 1994, and the 1989 Daily Express Scottish National Pro-am.[12][13] He never won the Scottish PGA Championship, although he was twice a runner-up, behind Drummond in 1987 and Sam Torrance in 1991.[14][15] Weir won the Scottish region Order of Merit five times, in 1983, 1986, 1988, 1990 and 1993.[16]
Weir was twice winner of the PGA Club Professionals' Championship, in 1987 and 1988. At Sandiway in 1987 he won by two strokes from John Hoskison and David Huish, despite taking seven at the par-3 13th in the final round.[17] In 1988 at Royal St David's he won by eight strokes from Ged Furey.[18] In the 1987 Scottish Open Weir had a final round 66 to finish tied for 15th place. He gained an entry into the Open Championship at Muirfield the following week, as one of the leading five not already qualified.[19] The following year, 1988, he did even better, finishing tied for 8th place and again earning a place in the Open.[20] This 8th place finish was his best finish in an official European Tour event, although he finished third in the 1989 Motorola Classic at Burnham & Berrow, an event the tour jointly organised with the PGA.[21]
Weir won the European teaching professionals title at Broekpolder three times.[22]
Weir competed in the PGA Cup eight consecutive times between 1986 and 2000 and was captain of the Great Britain and Ireland team in 2011 and 2013.[1]
^ abBrenner, Morgan G. (2009). The Majors of Golf: Complete Results of the Open, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and the Masters, 1860-2008. Vol. 1. McFarland. ISBN978-0-7864-3360-5.
