Legends of Manly
Chief Contributor: Philip Baird (Director of Golf)
Joe Kirkwood
Joe Kirkwood was the Manly Assistant Professional 1910-1915 who went on to become a Champion Golfer and International trail blazer. He was born in Sydney, Australia and left home aged 10 to work on a sheep station in the Australian Outback where his boss introduced him to the game of golf.
He won many tournaments including the Australian & New Zealand Open Championship before forging a stellar career in the US winning 13 times on the PGA Tour including the Canadian, Californian, Houston & Texas Open Championships. Later in his career Joe Kirkwood would be acknowledged for putting Australian Golf on the world map, travelling the globe, performing his famous ‘trick shot’ show whilst playing 100’s of exhibition matches across the globe with American Major Winner and legend ‘Walter Hagen’.
Ossie Pickworth
H.O. (Ossie) Pickworth was the Manly Assistant Professional, 1936-1946, left home at age 14 to become a caddie at Manly Golf Club. Pickworth, another Champion Golfer from Manly GC, won 36 Professional Titles, including: 4 Australian Opens (3 in a row), 3 Australian PGA Championships, the Irish Open and numerous other tournaments on the Australian & New Zealand circuits. An amazing fact about Ossie was that he served in the Army from 1942-1946 where he was discharged in February & and won his first Australian pen 6 months later!
According to his son Robert, his father ‘Ossie’ was a ‘man of the people’ on course during the tournaments with his swash buckling style. He was known to practice tirelessly and ‘play hard’, often putting his winning cheque on the bar!! The Australian Professional Golfers Association would later honour the Manly GC Golfing Icon, by awarding the Australian PGA Champion the ‘Pickworth Cup’ which is still played for today.
He lived a full life but a short one passing away at the age of 51.
Jim Ferrier
Jim Ferrier is a Manly Golf Club Legend and member who graced our fairways in the 1930’s who recorded the Course Record in 1936, a 10 under par 62 in the NSW Close Championship .
Ferrier’s stellar amateur career included victories in the NSW, QLD & Australian Amateur Championships, before turning Professional and amassing ‘36 Professional Titles’ including the 1947 US PGA Championship, becoming the first Australian Golfer to win a Major Championship. He also played many exhibitions with World Class Players including Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen & Joe Kirkwood.
Dan Soutar
D,G. (Dan) Soutar, born in Carnoustie Scotland, migrated to Australia in 1903. He is one of the ‘forgotten heros’ of Manly Golf Club where he was the Club Professional from 1911-1921. He mentored and played a significent role in the development of fellow Manly Legends: Joe Kirkwood, Ossie Pickworth & Jim Ferrier. Soutar’s extensive playing career includes victories in the Australian Amateur, Australian Open & 4 Australian PGA Championships.
Soutar was also responsible for laying down the original 9 holes at Manly GC and became a well known Golf Course Architect designing 8 Australian & New Zealand Courses around Australia including the jewell in the Crown ‘Kingston Heath Golf Club’. Dan Soutar also founded the Australian Professional Golfers Association in 1911.
Eric Apperly
E.L. (Eric) Apperly is a name synonymous with Manly Golf Club having won 9 Club Championships between 1915-1936, spanning 3 decades. He was one of the top amateur golfers in his era, winning many championships including the Austrlian amateur, NSW Amateur & the Champion of Champions of 2 ocassions. The ‘Eric Apperly Shield’, an annual Junior Match Play Series played tyhrought the NSW Metropolitan Area was named after him.
Apperly became a well known and sucessful architect designing both buildings and golf courses. He earning great distinction with having designed the Manly Golf Club House, which open in November 1924 and also hand his hand in designing many courses including: Pymble, Pennant Hills, Cromer, East Lakes & Kiama amongst others.
Elizabeth Cavill
Elizabeth Cavill, Life Member & Club Patron, is a Manly Golf Club Legend.
For those unfamiliar with Elizabeth Cavill’s achievements, her stellar playing career includes 50 years playing Women’s Grade for Manly – Captain/Manager, ‘27 time’ – Manly Club Champion, Australian Amateur Champion 1987, Indian Amateur Champion 1987, New Zealand Amateur Champion 1988, Australian Senior Amateur Champion 1998 & 1999 and a record 20 times representing NSW.
Elizabeth represented Australia 11 times throughout 1968, 1969, 1974, 1988 & 1989 and won many amateur titles both in Australia and International. Elizabeth is the proud recipient of an Australian Sports Medal and was inducted into the NSW Hall of Champions in 2000.
In recent years, the Mixed Fourball Knockout Championship was renamed the ‘Elizabeth Cavill Cup’ in honour of one of our Manly Golf Club Legends.
Harry Hattersley
Harry Hattersley is one of the Manly Golf Club Legends from the 1930’s & 40’s. ‘Harry Hattersley was the essential amateur golfer of his time…and left an indelible mark’ – Peter Thomson, Australia’s Greatest Golfer. Hattersley a 3-time Club Champion at Manly GC, establised one of the finest amateur records during his era, winning the Australian Amateur Championship twice, the NSW Amateur Championship 3 times and represneted Australia on more than 20 ocassions over a 10 year period.