| Robert Sweeny Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Robert John Vincent Sweeny Jr. |
| Nickname | Bob or Bobby |
| Born | (1911-07-25)July 25, 1911 Pasadena, California, US |
| Died | October 21, 1983(1983-10-21) (aged 72) |
| Sporting nationality |  United States |
| Career | |
| Status | Amateur |
| Best results in major championships (wins: 1) | |
| Masters Tournament | T34: 1953 |
| PGA Championship | DNP |
| U.S. Open | DNP |
| The Open Championship | 33rd: 1939 |
| U.S. Amateur | 2nd: 1954 |
| British Amateur | Won: 1937 |
Robert John Vincent Sweeny Jr. (July 25, 1911 – October 21, 1983) was an American amateur golfer,socialite, businessman and Second World WarRoyal Air Force bomber pilot. He competed in all fourmen's major golf championships (which initially included theBritish Amateur andU.S. Amateur Championships, later replaced by theMasters andPGA Championships), including many Masters andBritish Opens.[1] In 1937, he won the British Amateur Championship.[2]
Sweeny's paternal grandfather, Charles Sweeny, was an Irish immigrant who made his fortune in mining in theCoeur d'Alene region.[1][3][4] "Bob" or "Bobby" was the youngest of four sons of Robert and Teresa Sweeny. Robert Sr. was a successful lawyer in Los Angeles, before moving to New York City in 1916 to pursue business opportunities and enlarge the family fortune.[1][5] One uncle wasCharles Sweeny (1882–1963), a soldier of fortune and officer in various armies.
He and his older brotherCharles Francis Sweeny (1909 or 1910–1993) grew up in Manhattan luxury.[1] The brothers attendedLoyola School in New York City andCanterbury School inNew Milford, Connecticut.[5] The family regularly vacationed in Europe. Robert Sweeny Sr. either joined[1] or in 1926 founded[6] the Federated Trust and Finance Corporation of London, and by the late 1920s, had homes inWimbledon[1] andLe Touquet.[6]
Bobby followed his brother toWadham College, Oxford, though it took him over two years to pass the entrance exam.[1][5]
Both brothers competed in the 1927Boys Amateur Championship; Bobby lost in the fourth round.[1]
When he graduated, he joined Philip Hill and Partners, a London investment banking firm, but showed more interest in his golf.[5]
He made his debut inthe Amateur Championship in 1929, shortly before his 18th birthday. In his fourth attempt, he reached the semi-finals in 1935. He lost in the semi-finals of both the 1933 and 1934Open de France. In 1937, he won theBritish Amateur Championship and theGolf Illustrated Gold Vase, the latter by seven strokes.[5]
He received one of four foreign invitations to the 3rdMasters Tournament in 1936. He would go on to play in numerous Masters:[5]
He also played in manyOpens:[5]
In 1946, he shared the inauguralBerkshire Trophy withJohn Beck and lost toJimmy Bruen in the final of the British Amateur Championship.[5]
In 1954,Arnold Palmer beat him, 1 up, in theU.S. Amateur final. Palmer considered this his first major victory and the "turning point" of his career.[7]
Sweeny tried to join theRoyal Air Force (RAF) as a fighter pilot, but was turned away as he was considered too old at 28 or 29. He was eventually made adjutant ofNo. 71 Squadron RAF, but managed to become a bomber pilot, flying theConsolidated B-24 Liberator withNo. 224 Squadron RAF.[8] He participated in the sinking of twoU-boats in theBay of Biscay within the space of a few days.[9] In the second clash, Sweeny's Liberator was hit, but he managed to return to base on three engines. For this second action, he was awarded theDistinguished Flying Cross in September 1943.[10][11]
Flight Lieutenant Sweeny was given a medical discharge on September 27, 1945, retaining the rank of squadron leader.[12]
Barbara Hutton, one of the wealthiest women in the world, was in the process of divorcing her second husband in 1938 and 1939. Newspapers speculated whether Sweeny would become her third.[3][4] They had a serious relationship, but Hutton ended up marrying movie starCary Grant in 1942.
In 1948, Sweeny met 18-year-old New Yorkdebutante Joanne Marie Connelley. Despite their significant age difference, they married the following year.[13] They had two daughters, Sharon (born 1950) and Brenda (born 1952). However, he divorced her in 1953[13] when she was allegedly caught in a compromising situation with playboyPorfirio Rubirosa.
