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2019 Former Ryder Cup Star Declan Rice Reveals
Brian Barnes Dies, Aged 74
11th, famously beat Jack Threats To Him And His
Brian Barnes, who
September day in the Ryder Cup, Family After England
Nicklaus twice in one

Barnes, who won the
| has died at the age of 74.
Senior British Open in
EXAMINER 1995 and defended the Switch “You click on their profile aimed at the likes of Paul Pogba,

title the following year,
died from cancer on
Declan Rice has revealed
IRISH Monday afternoon after a short illness. threats were made against him and they’d just be a fake profile, Tammy Abraham and Kurt
His brother-in-law, Guy Faulkner, told PA: “It
so don’t know whether it’s true
and his family after switching
Zouma.
was very sudden. I played a round of golf with him
England
Marcus
forward
in May and he played 18 holes with no problem at allegiance from the Republic of or not. Rashford, another targeted
Ireland to England.
“But do you know what? I
all.” Having represented Ireland at know, thinking about it now, I online, last week said the fight
Barnes was born in Addington, Surrey, and rep- youth level and won three sen- was never actually scared about against racism was “going back-
resented England at international level until 1971 ior caps, the 20-year-old made it, because always fans are going wards rather than forwards” and
when he joined the Scottish PGA. waves at the start of the year by to be giving me abuse and what- called on social media platforms
He won nine times on the European Tour but announcing his attention to not over it. You just kind of look to get a grip on the issue.
the defining moment of his playing career came in switch to the country of his at it and laugh, you think, ‘Yeah, Making individuals account-
the 1975 Ryder Cup at Laurel Valley when he beat birth. all right, as if you’re going to able for their accounts has regu-
reigning Masters and US PGA champion Jack Rice won his fourth England come and do that type of thing’. larly been mentioned as a poten-
Nicklaus 4&2 in the morning singles. cap in Saturday’s s 4-0 defeat of “It was tough, there has been tial step forward and Rice can-
“When we went to the press tent after the morn- Bulgaria and the change of some abuse, it was more for my not believe the number of fake
ing round everybody acted as if I’d beaten Jesus nationality did not go down mum and dad really. profiles that are allowed to be
Christ,” Barnes recalled in an interview with well with some, leading to some “They were more worried created.
Today’s Golfer in 2012. “He was Jesus Christ as far vitriolic online abuse. about me than anyone else, I “It’s outrageous, even with
as golf was concerned, but he was still beatable. “Yeah, I’ve had a few bad was always quite strong mind- the racism thing,” he said.
“The Yanks only needed one or two more points bits,” he told ITV News when ed. “Even if you look at half
to win and while I was still continuing with the asked about social media “My mum obviously with me these people’s profiles, they’re
interviews, Jack had gone to Arnold (Palmer, the attacks. being her youngest, she was fake profiles. There’s someone
US captain) and said, ‘Look, there is only one “I’ve had people saying always a bit worried. Other than behind it, but they’re using a
match the punters want to see, and that’s Barnesy they’re going to come to my that, I don’t take any notice of fake profile and they’re still get-
and I’. house…yeah online. it. I just try to keep focused.” ting caught out.
“That was the only time in the history of the “There’s a few bits I could go The control and protection, “We’re in 2019 and it’s hap-
Ryder Cup that the match order was changed at into, but I don’t need to go into or rather lack thereof, on social pening week in week out, it’s
that late stage. While that was going on, I was it, threats to my family, threats media platforms is a hot topic not good enough, we need to
asked ‘Would you like the opportunity to play ‘The to me. right now given racist abuse stamp our authority better.” C
Bear’ again this afternoon?’. I replied, ‘Well, light-
ning doesn’t strike the same place twice’.”
Nicklaus started the rematch with two birdies “It was tough, there has
but Barnes fought back to win 2&1, although Great
Britain and Ireland were beaten 21-11 and been some abuse, it was
European players were added to the team by the
time of the next contest on American soil in 1979. more for my mum and
Barnes was a larger-than-life character who was
known to like a drink and famously marked his ball dad really. They were
on the final hole of the 1982 Scottish Professional
Championship with a beer can, then putted out for more worried about me
the win.
He would regularly tee off with a bottle of than anyone else.”
vodka and orange juice in his bag and one year – at
the Zambia Open – downed three pints in the club-
house, checked his watch and headed for the door.
“I better be going now,” he said. “I’m on the
10th tee.”
However, the drinking took its toll and Barnes
came close to committing suicide before eventual-
ly receiving treatment for alcoholism in 1993.
Barnes became eligible for the Seniors Tour in
1995 and won the British Open at Royal Portrush
that year, successfully defending the title at the
same venue 12 months later.
Portrush played an important part in Barnes’s
life as it was at the Northern Irish venue that his
father-in-law Max Faulkner had won the Open
Championship in 1951.
Barnes married Faulkner’s daughter Hilary in
1968 and they had two children, Didi and Guy.
Hilary died on July 16, 2014. C