Joseph Benedict Carr (22 February 1922 – 3 June 2004) was an Irish amateur golfer.

Early life Carr was born in Inchicore, a suburb of Dublin, Ireland, to George and Margaret Mary "Missie" Waters (the fifth of seven children). At 10 days old, he was adopted by his maternal aunt, Kathleen, and her husband, James Carr, who were childless and had recently returned home from India. The Carrs had just been appointed steward and stewardess of the Portmarnock Golf Club, allowing young Joe to play golf from a very early age.

Golf career Carr won his first major tournament, the East of Ireland Amateur, at the age of 19 in 1941, which started one of Ireland's greatest golfing careers. He went on to win twelve East of Ireland titles, twelve West of Ireland titles, six Irish Amateur Close Championships, four Irish Amateur Opens, and three South of Ireland titles.

Carr won The Amateur Championship three times, in 1953, 1958, and 1960, and was runner-up in 1968. He was a semi-finalist at the U.S. Amateur in 1961, and was low amateur at The Open Championship in both 1956 and 1958 (and finished 8th overall in 1960).

In 1967, he became the first Irishman to play in the Masters Tournament. He made three Masters appearances, surviving the cut in 1967 and 1968. He later became the first Irishman to be a member of the Augusta National Golf Club.

Carr received the Bob Jones Award in 1961, the USGA's highest honour, which is given for "distinguished sportsmanship in golf". He was the first non-American to win the award.

Internationally, Carr represented Ireland in numerous amateur golfing events. He was a member of a record eleven Walker Cup teams from 1947 to 1967, including non-playing captain in 1965 and playing captain in 1967, amassing a record of 5–14–1. After several years of playing against the United States' top-ranked players, he was moved down in the order for the 1961 event—only to be paired against Jack Nicklaus (who won the match).

Carr was part of the first winning Irish team at the European Amateur Team Championship in 1965 and again when Ireland successfully defended the title in 1967. After a third and last appearance by Carr in 1969, his son Roddy was a member of the Irish team in 1971, as well as on the winning Great Britain & Ireland Walker Cup team. In 1983 Carr's younger son John was part of the Irish team winning a third title at the European Amateur Team Championship.

Carr played and captained on multiple Eisenhower Trophy teams, and represented Ireland in the Men's Home Internationals every year from 1947 to 1969. Carr retired from competitive golf in 1971. In 1991, Carr was named Captain of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, the first Irishman to hold the post. In July 2007, Carr was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in the Lifetime Achievement category, and was inducted in November 2007.

From 1992 until his death in 2004, Carr was president of Mount Juliet Golf Club in Kilkenny. Mount Juliet still hosts the annual J.B. Carr Trophy for its members. Two months before Carr's death, his son John became the third Irishman to be invited to join Augusta National Golf Club, after his father and Ian Webb.

Awards and honors

In 1961, Carr received the Bob Jones Award from the USGA In 2007, Carr was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame

Amateur wins (42) 1941 East of Ireland Amateur 1943 East of Ireland Amateur 1945 East of Ireland Amateur 1946 Irish Amateur Open Championship, West of Ireland Amateur, East of Ireland Amateur 1947 West of Ireland Amateur 1948 West of Ireland Amateur, East of Ireland Amateur, South of Ireland Amateur 1950 Irish Amateur Open Championship 1951 West of Ireland Amateur, Golf Illustrated Gold Vase 1953 British Amateur, West of Ireland Amateur 1954 Irish Amateur Open Championship, Irish Amateur Close, West of Ireland Amateur 1955 Gleneagles-Saxone Foursomes Tournament (with Harry Brashaw) 1956 Irish Amateur Open Championship, West of Ireland Amateur, East of Ireland Amateur 1957 Irish Amateur Close, East of Ireland Amateur 1958 British Amateur, West of Ireland Amateur, East of Ireland Amateur 1959 Berkshire Trophy 1960 British Amateur, West of Ireland Amateur, East of Ireland Amateur 1961 West of Ireland Amateur, East of Ireland Amateur 1962 West of Ireland Amateur 1963 Irish Amateur Close 1964 Irish Amateur Close, East of Ireland Amateur 1965 Irish Amateur Close 1966 West of Ireland Amateur, South of Ireland Amateur 1967 Irish Amateur Close 1969 East of Ireland Amateur, South of Ireland Amateur

Major championships

Amateur wins (3) YearChampionshipWinning scoreRunner-up 1953 The Amateur Championship 2 up Harvie Ward 1958 The Amateur Championship 3 & 2 Alan Thirlwell 1960 The Amateur Championship 8 & 7 Bob Cochran

Results timeline Tournament19481949Masters TournamentU.S. OpenThe Open ChampionshipU.S. AmateurR64The Amateur ChampionshipR64R64

Tournament1950195119521953195419551956195719581959Masters TournamentU.S. OpenThe Open ChampionshipT24CUTT36 LACUT37 LAT38U.S. AmateurR128R256The Amateur ChampionshipQFSFSF1SFQFR128R1281R16

Tournament1960196119621963196419651966196719681969Masters Tournament5552CUTU.S. OpenCUTThe Open Championship8CUTCUTCUTCUTT33CUTU.S. AmateurSFT38The Amateur Championship1QFR32R16QFR32R128R322R64

Tournament1970197119721973Masters TournamentU.S. OpenThe Open ChampionshipCUTU.S. AmateurThe Amateur ChampionshipR256R16R32R128

LA = low amateur CUT = Missed the half-way cut "T" indicates a tie for a place R256, R128, R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in match play

Sources: Masters,www.masters.com U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur,USGA Championship Database Open Championship,www.opengolf.com 1948 British Amateur,The Glasgow Herald, May 27, 1948, pg. 6. 1949 British Amateur,The Glasgow Herald, May 26, 1949, pg. 8. 1950 British Amateur,The Glasgow Herald, May 27, 1950, pg. 9. 1951 British Amateur,The Glasgow Herald, May 26, 1951, pg. 5. 1952 British Amateur,The Glasgow Herald, May 31, 1952, pg. 5. 1954 British Amateur,The Glasgow Herald, May 29, 1954, pg. 4. 1955 British Amateur,The Glasgow Herald, June 4, 1955, pg. 9. 1956 British Amateur,The Glasgow Herald, May 30, 1956, pg. 4. 1957 British Amateur,The Glasgow Herald, May 29, 1957, pg. 4. 1959 British AmateurThe Glasgow Herald, May 29, 1959, pg. 11.

Team appearances Walker Cup (representing Great Britain & Ireland): 1947, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1965 (tied, playing captain), 1967 (playing captain) Eisenhower Trophy (representing Great Britain & Ireland): 1958, 1960 European Amateur Team Championship (representing Ireland): 1965, (winners) 1967 (winners), 1969 Amateurs–Professionals Match (representing the Amateurs): 1956, 1957, 1958 (winners), 1959, 1960 St Andrews Trophy (representing Great Britain & Ireland): 1956 (winners), 1968 (winners) Sources:

References

Further reading Gilleece, Dermot (2004). Breaking 80: The Life and Times of Joe Carr.

External links

Biography page on the Carr family business website Irish Examiner obituary Golf Union of Ireland article