by John Hamarik

A hickory-shafted putter, along with dark blue plus-fours, a white cap and dashing white shoes, became the trademarks of the likeable South African golfer, Bobby Locke. The skill with which he handled his putter placed him in the same league as the greats Walter Hagen and Bobby Jones as a master of putting.

Born in the Transvaal in 1917, he was only eight when he played off a handicap of 14. Before he turned 18 he won the South African Open title as an amateur. He was still an amateur when he won the title again in 1937. By the following year, however, he had turned professional and won the same title again. Altogether he was the South African Open champion nine times between 1935 and 1955.

During the war he served as a bomber pilot with the South African Air Force which meant a two-and-a-half-year layoff from golf. When he returned to the game in 1946 he headed for Britain. For some years Walter Hagen had been trying to persuade him to play in the States and in 1947 he eventually made the trip. After a poor opening, notably in the Masters, he took the US Tour by storm, winning seven tournaments, including four in five starts. His impressive performance placed him second on the money list to Jimmy Demaret.

Locke returned in 1948 and continued to play outstanding golf. His victory by 16 strokes in the Chicago Victory National remains a US Tour record. After a brief stay in the States where he found himself clashing with the golfing authorities, he returned to the British and European circuits. In 1949 he won the first of four British Open titles when he beat Harry Bradshaw in a play-off at Sandwich. He retained the title a year later at Troon and in 1952 embarked on a period of great rivalry with Australian Peter Thomson, with Locke winning at Lytham. Thomson then dominated the Open until Locke won for the fourth time, at St Andrews in 1957, with Thomson runner-up.

Locke won more than 80 tournaments worldwide, but returned to his native Transvaal for his final tournament win, the 1958 Transvaal Open. A car crash in 1960 left Locke's eyesight impaired and he played little serious golf after that. His difficulties continued after his playing days - he was given a three-month suspended prison sentence for manslaughter following the shooting of a man who had demanded money from him. Arthur D'Arcy 'Bobby' Locke, one of the world's best putters, died in 1987 after a brief illness. He was 69.