Jack Burns

Who is Jack Burns?

John "Jack" Burns, a native of St Andrews, was a Scottish professional golfer for part of his life. He was the son of an Irish labourer, and started earning his living as a plasterer. However, there is reference to him being a professional golfer in the minutes of the St Andrews Golf Club in October 1885.

Burns moved to Warwick, England in 1887 to become the golf professional and greenskeeper at the newly formed Warwickshire Golf Club, the first golf club in Warwickshire. Burns returned to Scotland in October 1888 to become the winner of the 1888 Open Championship, which was held at the Old Course at St Andrews. In those days a major championship title did not make a man's fortune. So he returned to his job in Warwick and was involved in the creation of the neighbouring golf course in Kenilworth in 1890.

He moved back to St Andrews in 1891 to work on the railways, but he carried on caddying. When he died in 1927, his profession was listed as a plasterer again.