The Overweight Alcoholic Golfer Who Beat Everyone
The Overweight Alcoholic Golfer Who Beat Everyone
Brian Barnes was never meant to be comfortable viewing. In this video, we trace the real life and career of Brian Barnes, from his rise on the European Tour to the day he beat Jack Nicklaus twice, and the personal battles that nearly destroyed him. Brian Barnes was not a model professional, but he was an honest one. This is a story about talent, conflict, failure, and what it truly means to survive the game.
#golfers #golferslife #BrianBarnes
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32 Comments
I saw him back in the day
Barnes was my golfing hero. I saw him as a youngster and the sound at impact and flight of the ball was an epiphany for me. I always hoped that one day I would hit just one shot with that purity. 50 years later I never have and now accept I never will.
He was much misunderstood. He suffered from crippling shyness and the gregarious persona was possibly an over compensation for that. It could also be what allowed drink to take hold; self medication becoming a habit and then an addiction. Full credit and respect to him for overcoming it and remaining sober for the last 20 years of his life. Sadly his senior career was cut short by painful arthritis which made it impossible to continue playing.
I would like to clarify the "beer can" insident. The tournament sponsor was Dryburghs; a brewery! It was one of their cans Brian used to mark the ball in the misguided belief he was promoting the sponsor; it was well intentioned with no maverick intent or defiance behind it. I understand the penalty imposed was quite a token one in the circumstances.
A true legend of the game and sadly missed.
In other words, he was not a tight ass, dickhead.😀
Sounds like John daily
That would be Brian Barnes and i haven’t even started to watch the video.
Now I’ve watched the video, I guessed correctly. Brian was an absolute hoot to be around. I watched him at Gleneagles at the Scottish Open decades ago. He hit an uphill putt that passed the hole then turned and dropped in. Bugger me, backspin on a putt he declared. The crowds loved him. He was funny, approachable and one hell of a nice guy and golfer.
I won the west of England PSC at Burnham & Berrow. A low flight mattered there.Brian’s mum taught me piano. I also went to St Dunstans. Brian was a contradiction whose seeming arrogance was a shield for anxiety. He had an effortlessly powerful game.
I saw him playing twice (in France). His power was unbelievable, firing a one iron 280 yards without even trying to. Relaxed, effortless, and totally independant minded. What a golfer !
Genius often comes with flaws. Brian was the epitome of genius. A natural golfer.
But he was a tremendous golfer 👍
seems like Englands Rodney Dangerfield
John Daly before John Daly
Now the alcohol I understand not being allowed. What the heck is wrong with a pile? Most pipe tobaccos smell nice. They don’t stick like cigarettes. You also don’t toss them on the ground. You can put it in your pocket. Or your golf bag. I don’t understand why it was frowned upon to smoke a pipe as a golfer.
I remember him well & Christy OConnor snr also.
Christy loved a drop of alcohol too!
Gotta Love Seeing a title about a topic that you are interested in and it sounds like something you'd enjoy, just to click it and find out a few seconds later that its yet another damn A.I. narrated and scripted video that is absolutely mind numbing to try and watch for even a couple of minutes. I would have really liked to hear more about this man because I'm just now getting into golf or rather becoming addicted to the game for the first time ever and I'm learning a lot about it through YouTube videos. Would have been nice to find out more about this guy because he sounds like my kind of guy. Unfortunately I won't be able to find out much about this guy today because there's no chance I would ever willingly watch and listen to this trash and the person who posted this needs to go suck on an exhaust pipe while the car is idling and stop feeling YouTube with more and more of this garbage ass content that nobody wants to see or hear and stop being part of the problem you lazy pos. If you want to post videos about stuff like this at least narrated yourself or pay somebody on Fiverr to do it. You may actually get people who want to watch your channel And subscribe to you if you stopped doing ignorant shit like this
If there would be more like him I would even watch golf again
I've played Burnham and Berrow twice now and it's such a difficult golf course. The second time I played there it was set up for open final qualifying. It blew my mind to think someone could shoot under par in those conditions and then a week later Justin Rose shot seven under through two days and cruised into the open! I also drove the 18th green from the purple tees there. True story 444
As usual, the producers of these video cannot be bother to coordinate the visuals with the commentary.
I played a last round with Brian in Spain the late 80s, he had two coffee's with double brandies in them before we tee'd off at 10.00. He had a huge water bottle full of orange juice, must have been 3 pints in it. He hit the ball so well and was putting for a birdie within 10ft every hole. Barnsie said help yourself to the orange juice Paul so I did. It was 2 pints vodka and one pint orange juice, incredibly strong and one mouthful was enough for me. He shot 69 that day and missed every putt. If I had putted for him he would've shot 61 and completely pissed. He had his troubles off the course but what a man he was, a great talent and a wonderful character to be around. They don't make em like Brian anymore and beating Nicklaus twice in a day at The Ryder Cup just sums this great man up. RIP BB you Legend.
He wasnt overweight he was a bull
Bouncer/ProGolfer
Must've been John Daly's hero!
Hell of a player.
He was a character alright.Seen him play at the Carroll's Irish Open many times he had a pint of Guinness every couple of holes what a player and a gentleman.!!!
Is that Ed Rooney?
Using a squashed beer can as a ball marker is legendary. He was the people’s player, and he could play.
Hell of a player, did it his way and stayed true to it.
8:22 So that WAS him with his grip 18 inches off the ground on his putting stroke.. I’ve seen it lower than this in an Open Championship
He used to live just up the road from my cousin in West Chiltington in Sussex. Lovely chap. Good commentator too. He never changed. Never gave a flying fig about what people thought of him.
Should be a legend! He was a true ball striker, a real treat to watch in person.
I love the game. Wish we could eliminate all the golden diaper twinks that run the show.
Thanks for this
Brian was under comytact with my company Ram Golf Uk on early 90s, my golf club (pyecombe golf club) at the time neededa speaker for the mens dinner. Brian agreed his fee being "pay my bar bill and get me a taxi home.