Robert Pringle (1851 – 8 September 1902) was a Scottish

professional golfer A professional golfer is somebody who receives payments or financial rewards in the sport of golf that are directly related to their skill or reputation. A person who earns money by teaching or playing golf is traditionally considered a "golf pr ...

who played in the late 19th century. Pringle had four top-10 finishes in

The Open Championship The Open Championship, often referred to as The Open or the British Open, is the oldest golf tournament in the world, and one of the most prestigious. Founded in 1860, it was originally held annually at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. Later th ...

. His best performance was second place in the 1877 Open Championship.

Early life

Pringle was born in

Dalkeith Dalkeith ( ; gd, Dail Cheith, IPA: �t̪alˈçe is a town in Midlothian, Scotland, on the River Esk. It was granted a burgh of barony in 1401 and a burgh of regality in 1540. The settlement of Dalkeith grew southwestwards from its 12th-cent ...

, Scotland, in 1851. He was the son of David Pringle and his wife Mary Hilston. He learned golf by starting out as a

caddie In golf, a caddie (or caddy) is the person who carries a player's bag and clubs, and gives the player advice and moral support. Description A good caddie is aware of the challenges and obstacles of the golf course being played, along with the ...

. Pringle was described as having an admirable swing, one that was technically correct and aesthetically pleasing to see. He was said to be a great stylist of the day, in the manner of

Harry Vardon Henry William Vardon (9 May 1870 – 20 March 1937) was a professional golfer from Jersey. He was a member of the Great Triumvirate with John Henry Taylor and James Braid. Vardon won The Open Championship a record six times, and also won the ...

. In October 1874, Pringle stunned a strong field in a four-round tournament on the Musselburgh Links. His success in winning the tournament was described in a magazine article at the time as "the whole of the 'cracks' had been vanquished by a hitherto unknown caddie, named Pringle."

Golf career

1877 Open Championship

Pringle's best result as a player came in the 1877 Open Championship held 6 April at

Musselburgh Links Musselburgh Links, The Old Golf Course in Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland, is generally accepted as being one of the oldest golf courses in the world. The course is not to be confused with The Royal Musselburgh Golf Club or the Levenhall ...

Musselburgh Musselburgh (; sco, Musselburrae; gd, Baile nam Feusgan) is the largest settlement in East Lothian, Scotland, on the coast of the Firth of Forth, east of Edinburgh city centre. It has a population of . History The name Musselburgh is Ol ...

East Lothian East Lothian (; sco, East Lowden; gd, Lodainn an Ear) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, as well as a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area. The county was called Haddingtonshire until 1921. In 1975, the histo ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. Pringle played solid golf but Jamie Anderson won the Championship by two strokes. Pringle finished in second place, carding rounds of 44-38-40-40=162, and won £6.

Details of play

Davie Strath David Strath (1849 – 28 January 1879) was a Scottish professional golfer. His golf career was highlighted with a trio of second place finishes in the 1870, 1873 and 1876 Open Championships. In 1876, he lost the playoff to fellow countryman B ...

and Bob Ferguson played together but Strath had a disappointing 45 in the first round which left him well behind the leaders. Ferguson, too, began in disappointing fashion but managed to salvage a 40. William Brown led on 39 with Ferguson and Jamie Anderson on 40. After two rounds, three players were level on 80: Brown, Ferguson and

William Cosgrove William Cosgrove VC MSM (1 October 1888 – 14 July 1936) was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Back ...

with Anderson and Pringle only two behind. Strath was five behind on 85. Anderson carded a 37 in the third round while Ferguson could muster only a 40 and Davie Strath scored 38. Anderson now led on 119 with Ferguson on 120 and Strath on 123. In the final round Strath took a horrendous 9 at the second hole to drop out of contention. Ferguson also had a disappointing last round and Anderson's 41 was enough to give him the Championship.

Death

Pringle died on 8 September 1902. A "nervous affliction" affected one of his hands, ending his playing career. He died in poverty at the

Inveresk Inveresk (Scottish Gaelic, Gaelic: ''Inbhir Easg'') is a village in East Lothian, Scotland situated to the south of Musselburgh. It has been designated a Conservation area (United Kingdom), conservation area since 1969. It is situated on s ...

poorhouse.

Tournament wins (1)

''Note: This list may be incomplete.'' *1874 Musselburgh Tournament

Results in The Open Championship

''Note: Pringle played only in

.'' DNP = Did not play
"T" indicates a tie for a place
RET = Retired
Yellow background for top-10

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pringle, Bob Scottish male golfers 1851 births 1902 deaths