04/09/2026
🏆 Celebrating 90 Years Since Jimmy Bruen’s Historic Boys Amateur Championship Victory ⛳
The 51st Walker Cup matches takes place in Lahinch this Saturday 5th & Sunday 6th of September 2026.
The First Walker Cup Match took place on 28 & 29th August 1922. The previous year there was a test run for it, but 1922 is recorded as The First one to take place at The National Links of America at Southampton New York. The USA won on a score line of 8 to 4.
The Walker Cup is named after George Herbert Walker who was a wealthy American business man & President of The US Golf Association (USGA), & it was He who put up The Trophy.
In Memory of Walker Cups Lets recall a very important Muskerry Golf Club Member, 18 Year old Jimmy Bruen who was on the 1938 GB&I Team.
In 1936 Jimmy a 16 yo made history, after receiving his first Handicap in muskerry December 1935, it allowed him to participate in The British Boys Championship at Royal Birkdale Golf Club which He won on the 29th August 1936, a first for an Irish Amateur Golfer
This was truly a tremendous result for Him, & for Muskerry Golf Club, his first club. It also brought him to notice in amateur Golf circles & He was selected for The Walker Cup team of 1938.
The 1938 GB&I Team made history by winning the 10th & first Walker Cup win for Team GB&I, with a final score of 7 & a half to four & a Half. Each team had 8 Players.
Jimmy halved the Day 1 Foursomes playing with Harry Bentley & the second Day in the Singles he was matched against the American Number 1 Charlie Yates, who the previous week had won the British amateur Championship. Jimmy eventually lost the match 2&1, but had succeeded in taking on the US Number 1.
Yates later competed in 11 Masters & for many years was the Secretary of The Augusta Masters Club.
WW 2 interrupted the following Walker Cup event until resuming again in 1947.
Jimmy took part in two further Walker Cups in 1949 & 1951, 3 in all.
Unfortunately in 1947 Jimmy (27) had a serious Left wrist injury in a gardening accident, which even after 18 months Recuperation & physiotherapy, eventually led to an earlier retirement from Competitive Golf than He planned.
In the 1951 Walker Cup Jimmy in his last appearance can be seen with a heavily strapped wrist & after 8 holes in the foursomes it effectively collapsed & they were beaten.
Members should look up the Club History on the Website where Tim O’Brien tells the marvelous story of our famous International Golfer Jimmy Bruen.
Muskerry Heritage will soon be compiling an archive of Jimmy Bruen’s golfing career, with the help & approval of his family.
Every Year Muskerry Hosts the Bruen Boys / Youths Competition. Inaugurated in the Mid 1980s, the trophy is a Cup Jimmy won playing in The Muskerry Captains Prize of 1944.
Nell Bruen, Jimmy’s widow, kindly donated the Cup to Muskerry to initiate The Bruen Boys. Much thanks to The Cahill family for sponsoring the event each year, & David Bruen or a Bruen family member, faithfully attend Muskerry GC to present the Annual Trophy to the lucky & talented winner.
Neil O’Brien from our Heritage committee will be doing an illustrated Presentation on the Life & Golfing talent of Jimmy Bruen in October or November.
This will be an event not to be missed, if you want to hear more wonderful stories about our famous member of the 1930s & early 1940s.
Incidentally James Bruen, Jimmy’s father was also a Muskerry member.
You are part of the great historical club of Muskerry & we are all proud to be members of.
Click on this link to view the 1938 Walker Cup win for GB & Ireland https://youtube.com/watch?v=GxOUYA1wJ_w&si=_eat92P45AESkPXs
