DICK BURTON, the former Darwen weaver, will always be remembered as the man who held the Open golf championship for the longest time – seven years, from 1939 until the famous claret jug was again played for after the War.
The Darwen News said of the victory that the town was proud "so great a championship should rest in such worthy hands." Burton, they said, had a big heart and a level head and had shown tremendous powers of concentration.He was the only Lancashire lad ever to win the Open and victory was even sweeter as he performed the feat at St Andrews. Burton would have loved to play for Lancashire; but his priority was to earn a living from the game he had enjoyed from being a child.

Darwen-born Burton had begun his working life running four-loom at Cobden Mill near Lynwood just off the main road. He knew what it was like to be poor As the dark clouds gathered over Europe in the summer of 1939 he went up to Scotland and held off a strong American challenge to win the Championship by two strokes. Within a few weeks he was serving in the RAF and never had a chance to capitalise on his success. It never troubled Burton “I was lucky enough,” he recalled. “A lot of those who watched me up at ST Andrews also went off to war and they never came back. Some of my friends didn’t make it either. I did”.
In the spring of 1946 the Darren lad wrote to the Royal and Ancient: "Dear Sirs, Please find enclosed my fee of five guineas for this year's Open. I will bring the trophy back when I come." It's difficult to imagine one of today's sporting superstars penning something quite so touching. The Burton family were well-known in Darwen and before moving down to Lynwood Avenue they lived in a farm above the golf club. The three lads of the family, Tom, Dick and John used to watch members hacking away past their farmhouse and they all showed a natural ability for the game as they grew up. Playing with real golf clubs and real golf balls was quite a challenge for the Burton lads who had spent many an hour hitting bobbins from their mother's sewing basket with old walking sticks.

Dick was the youngest brother – he was born in 1907 – and it soon became apparent that he had tremendous power in a rather loose swing and golf club members took a keen interest in his ability and his prospects. But when he left school he had to earn his keep and in his teens was working at Cobden Mill.
However, the life of a weaver was a long way from the dreams of young Dick Burton and, when a vacancy for a greensman at Darwen came up, he applied for the position and was successful. He worked on the course for a few years during which time brother John became the club professional when Tom Fish left to join Rishton.

When John moved on Dick took over as pro and held the job for three years. It gave him a wonderful opportunity to practise and hone his skill and soon he was making his mark in some of the top Northern tournaments. He was appointed professional at Hooton Golf Club on the Wirral. A couple of years later Tom, the third brother, followed Arthur Hassid as professional at Darwen to complete the hat-trick for the Burton boys. In 1937 Dick Burton was appointed professional at the prestigious Sale Golf Club and it was a while he was there that he won the Open. John became Professional at Hillside and Tom became Professional at Shaw Hill.
Dick played in three Ryder Cup matches against the USA. In 1935 at Ridgewood Country Club, New Jersey, he lost his singles match to Paul Runyan and two years later at Southport & Ainsdale he lost to Sam Snead in the singles but, partnered by Percy Alliss, he won foursomes 2 and 1 against Henry Picard and Johnny Revolta. He didn't play in 1947, but two years later at Ganton, Scarborough, he and Arthur Lees beat Sam Snead and Lloyd Mangrum though he lost narrowly in the singles to an inspired 3-4-3-3 finish by Clayton Heafner.

The Open championship of 1939 was Dick Burton's most wonderful achievement. Playing at St Andrews, he had rounds of 70, 72, 77 and 71 for an aggregate of 290. Runner-up was American Johnny Bulla two shots adrift.
The last round was full of drama. The wind had freshened across the exacting course as Burton started out in the last group of the day, knowing that he had to hit at least a 73 to tie with Bulla who was back in the clubhouse after a great round although had he hit trouble at the second. Three putts at the first did not augur well for Dick, but he ran into form at the seventh where he played a fine approach and holed from seven feet for a birdie three. He got a three at the eighth, holed from four yards for a birdie at the ninth and was out for 35.
The Darren lad used his power to good advantage on the second, tougher, half but he played the treacherous 14th cautiously for a five and was equally careful not to find the traps on the 17th. The 18th was an easy-enough four but Burton made it look a simple three by smacking a 350-yard drive almost to the green. He ran up four yards past the pin for two and dropped it for three to a tremendous ovation from the packed gallery.

After the war Dick Burton became professional at Coombe Hill in Surrey where he became friendly with Peter Alliss, the doyen of golf commentators and Percy’s son. Alliss, as a youngster, had met Burton during the war and he wrote fondly of the man in a kindly letter to Darwen Golf Club on the occasion of their centenary in 1993.
"I can remember watching him play wearing his Royal Air Force uniform. I can see him now: borrowed clubs, no proper golf shoes and going round Ferndown in 68 or 69 every time he played.” Darwen Golf Club proudly display half-a-dozen engraved irons – from a 2 to an 8 – used by Burton on his way to victory at St Andrews. They were bought a few years ago by builder Rob Hollingworth and donated to the club.