James Kinnell (1876 – 22 April 1918) 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 and early 20th century. Kinnell had five 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 came in the
1905 Open Championship
The 1905 Open Championship was the 45th Open Championship, held 7–9 June at the Old Course at St Andrews, Fife, Scotland. James Braid won the Championship for the second time, five strokes ahead of runners-up Rowland Jones and John Henry ...
when he finished in fourth place.
He served as the head professional at the Prestwick St Nicholas Golf Club in
Prestwick
Prestwick ( gd, Preastabhaig) is a town in South Ayrshire on the west coast of Ayrshire in Scotland about southwest of Glasgow. It adjoins the larger town of Ayr to the south on the Firth of Clyde coast, the centre of which is about south, an ...
, Scotland. His brother
David
David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
, also a professional golfer, worked at the club as well.
Kinnell was
killed in action in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
on 22 April 1918 during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.
Early life
Kinnell was born in 1876 in
Leven, Fife
Leven ( gd, Inbhir Lìobhann) is a seaside town in Fife, set in the east Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies on the coast of the Firth of Forth at the mouth of the River Leven, north-east of the town of Kirkcaldy and east of Glenrothes.
...
, Scotland, to James Kinnell and his wife Janet. He became a licensed golf professional at
North Berwick
North Berwick (; gd, Bearaig a Tuath) is a seaside town
A seaside resort is a town, village, or hotel that serves as a vacation resort and is located on a coast. Sometimes the concept includes an aspect of official accreditation based on th ...
in 1894.
Golf career
1905 Open Championship
The
1905 Open Championship
The 1905 Open Championship was the 45th Open Championship, held 7–9 June at the Old Course at St Andrews, Fife, Scotland. James Braid won the Championship for the second time, five strokes ahead of runners-up Rowland Jones and John Henry ...
was held 7–9 June at the
Old Course at St Andrews
The Old Course at St Andrews, also known as the Old Lady or the Grand Old Lady, is considered the oldest golf course.
It is a public course over common land in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland and is held in trust by the St Andrews Links Trust under ...
,
Fife
Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross (i ...
,
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 ...
. Scottish linksman
James Braid won the Championship for the second time, by five strokes from runners-up
Rowland Jones and
J.H. Taylor
John Henry "J.H." Taylor (19 March 1871 – 10 February 1963) was an English professional golfer and one of the pioneers of the modern game of golf. Taylor is considered to be one of the best golfers of all time. He was a significant golf ...
.
Details of play
All entries played 18 holes on the first two days with all those within 14 strokes of the leader making the cut and playing 36 holes on the final day. Strong winds and hard ground conditions made scoring difficult on all three days and there were but just a scant few rounds under 80.
Sandy Herd
Alexander "Sandy" Herd (24 April 1868 – 18 February 1944) was a Scottish professional golfer from St Andrews. He won The Open Championship in 1902 at Hoylake.
Early life
Born in St Andrews, Scotland, on 24 April 1868, to a golfing family, H ...
, Taylor and
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 ...
led after the first round with scores of 80. Scoring was slightly better on the second day with Jones's 77 giving him the lead on 158. He was followed by Braid on 159 and Kinnell and
Arnaud Massy
Arnaud George Watson Massy (; 6 July 1877 – 16 April 1950) was one of France's most successful professional golfers, most notable for winning the 1907 Open Championship.
Early life
Massy was born in Biarritz, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France. Th ...
on 161. Just 45 players made the cut of 172. Only one amateur,
John Graham Jr., was able to survive the cut.
Kinnell played steady golf despite having to deal with adverse playing conditions, particularly the blustery winds. On the final leaderboard he was in the fourth position and took home £10 as his share of the purse.
Death and legacy
Kinnell was killed in action in France on 22 April 1918 during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.
He was a private in the Queen's Own (
Royal West Kent Regiment
The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army based in the county of Kent in existence from 1881 to 1961. The regiment was created on 1 July 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms, originally as the Quee ...
) 1st Battalion. He was buried in the Morbecque British Cemetery.
He is best remembered as a consistent and steady performer in the Open Championship with five top-10 finishes and for military service to his country.
Results in major championships
![Scotland's 1903 International Golf Team](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/Scotland%27s_1903_International_Golf_Team.PNG)
''Note: Kinnell played only 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 ...
.''
DNP = Did not play
WD = Withdrew
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Yellow background for top-10
Team appearances
*
England–Scotland Professional Match
The England–Scotland Professional Match was an annual men's professional golf competition between teams representing England and Scotland. It was played from 1903 to the start of World War I and was then revived in 1932 and played until the star ...
(representing Scotland): 1903 (winners), 1904 (tie), 1905 (tie), 1906, 1907, 1910, 1912 (tie)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kinnell, James
Scottish male golfers
Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment soldiers
British Army personnel of World War I
British military personnel killed in World War I
Military personnel from Fife
Golfers from Fife
People from Leven, Fife
1876 births
1918 deaths