James Robb

James Robb, Jr. (1878 – 24 July 1949) was a Scottish amateur golfer who played in the late 19th and early 20th century. He won the Amateur Championship in 1906, finished runner-up in 1897 and 1900 and was a losing semi-finalist in 1898 and 1902. Early life and family Robb was born in Dunfermline, Scotland, in 1878, the son of Agnes (née Wilson) and James Robb. His father was a shipper of potatoes for a London firm. He had an older brother, Tom, who was also an amateur golfer. Golf career James and Tom Robb won the Glasgow Evening Times foursomes tournament in September 1895, representing St Andrews Thistle. James was still a teenager while Tom was just 21. In 1896 he won the Dundee Evening Telegraph Cup, the unofficial Scottish Amateur Championship. In 1906 the golf writer Ernest Lehmann said of Robb, “Mr. Robb is one of those natural players of whom one says, the moment he takes club in hand, '"this man is a good player'". He has not got quite the length of some players with his wooden clubs, but any small deficiency in this respect is more than redressed by the deadly sureness of his short game. He hits the ball absolutely truly, and it runs to the hole in that smooth manner which terrifies the opponent and delights the striker, for each knows that the ball is going to have a good chance of going into the hole.” Robb's style of play was further described as one that employed "a great deal of supple wrist work in the address, a quick round swing, and a fine finish."