David Brown

Who was David Brown?

David "Deacon" Brown was a Scottish professional golfer. He was a roofing slater by trade and a keen golfer. In 1886 he was working in Musselburgh when The Open Championship was about to be played. John Anderson, who was secretary of the Musselburgh Club at the time, invited him to play and provided him with a pair of striped trousers, a frock coat and a lum hat to wear. He shocked the professionals by winning the event and then turned professional himself.

Brown moved to England to become club professional at Newbiggin by the Sea Golf Club in about 1888. He played in the Open Championship regularly and featured prominently. At the turn of the century he moved to Boston in the United States. In 1903 he tied with Willie Anderson for first place in the US Open after 72 holes, but he lost the playoff. Brown enjoyed playing the stock market but lost most of his wealth during the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and returned to Musselburgh, where he died the following year.