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George Duncan

Scotland · born , Methlick, Scotland · died

1major championship

Summary

  • First major 1920 The Open
  • Ryder Cup 3 Cups · 2-3-0 · 2 points (40.0%)
  • Ryder Cup captain 1929
  • Runner-up in majors 1 time

Wins

  1. 1920 The Open Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club · 303 · by 2 strokes from Sandy Herd

Near misses

  1. 1906 The Open Muirfield · finished T8 · 312
  2. 1907 The Open Royal Liverpool Golf Club · finished T7 · 319
  3. 1910 The Open Old Course, St Andrews · finished 3 · 304
  4. 1911 The Open Royal St George's Golf Club · finished 8 · 306
  5. 1912 The Open Muirfield · finished 4 · 305
  6. 1914 The Open Prestwick Golf Club · finished T10 · 316
  7. 1921 The Open Old Course, St Andrews · finished 5 · 301
  8. 1922 The Open Royal St George's Golf Club · runner-up to Walter Hagen · 301
  9. 1923 The Open Troon Golf Club (Old Course) · finished T6 · 302
  10. 1924 The Open Royal Liverpool Golf Club · finished T6 · 308

Ryder Cup

3 Cups, 5 matches: 2 won, 3 lost, 0 halved, 2 points. Foursomes 0-3-0, four-ball 0-0-0, singles 2-0-0.

  1. 1927 Worcester Country Club GB · USA won 9.5–2.5 · 1-1-0, 1 point
  2. 1929 Moortown Golf Club GB · GB won 7–5 · 1-1-0, 1 point
  3. 1931 Scioto Country Club GB · USA won 9–3 · 0-1-0, 0 points
  4. 1929 Captain GB · won 7–5

Rivals

Beat him

Ryder Cup partners

Ryder Cup opponents

Next in the chain: Walter Hagen's rivals →

Moments

  1. 1920 Open Thirteen behind at halfway after two 80s, Duncan bought a new driver in the Exhibition Tent and shot 71 and 72 to win.
  2. 1920 Open Barred from the clubhouse as a professional, Walter Hagen parked a Daimler outside and changed his shoes in it.
  3. 1927 Ryder Cup Johnny Farrell and Joe Turnesa beat George Duncan and Archie Compston 8 & 6, the biggest foursomes margin of the first Cup.
  4. 1927 Ryder Cup George Duncan beat Joe Turnesa 1 up for GB's only singles win; Charles Whitcombe halved with Gene Sarazen for GB's only other singles half-point.
  5. 1929 Ryder Cup George Duncan beat opposing captain Walter Hagen 10 & 8 in the singles, the largest margin in Ryder Cup history.
  6. 1931 Ryder Cup Walter Hagen and Denny Shute beat George Duncan and Arthur Havers 10 & 9 in foursomes, a record foursomes margin.

Records and firsts

  1. 1920 Open largest 36-hole comeback · 13 behind
  2. 1929 Ryder Cup Biggest Ryder Cup winning margin: Singles (36-hole) · George Duncan beat Walter Hagen 10&8 (George Duncan beat Walter Hagen 10&8)

Results by championship

    Best day

    1920 The Open

    Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club · 303 · by 2 strokes from Sandy Herd

    Thirteen behind at halfway after two 80s, Duncan bought a new driver in the Exhibition Tent and shot 71 and 72 to win.

    Barred from the clubhouse as a professional, Walter Hagen parked a Daimler outside and changed his shoes in it.

    Record: largest 36-hole comeback · 13 behind

    Chosen by rule: the major win our record tables single out. Year page: 1920.

    Career line, 1906–1931

    The Open
    1906 The Open: finished T81907 The Open: finished T71910 The Open: finished 31911 The Open: finished 81912 The Open: finished 41914 The Open: finished T101920 The Open: won1921 The Open: finished 51922 The Open: runner-up to Walter Hagen1923 The Open: finished T61924 The Open: finished T6
    Ryder Cup
    1927 Ryder Cup (GB): 1-1-01929 Ryder Cup (GB): 1-1-01931 Ryder Cup (GB): 0-1-0
    191019201930

    14 results. Hover or tap a mark; click it for the year.

    • Major win
    • Runner-up
    • Top 10
    • Ryder Cup, GB / Europe

    George Duncan was born on September 16, 1883, in Methlick, Scotland. Duncan won one major championship: the 1920 Open. Duncan played in 3 Ryder Cups for GB (1927, 1929, 1931), winning 2, losing 3 and halving 0 of 5 matches for 2 points, and captained the side in 1929.

    See George Duncan in our rooms: The Open and Every Ground.

    Cards you pull this visit stack here. Tap one to go back to it.

    The record

    Wins in the majors (1)

    1. 1920 The Open Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club · 303 · by 2 strokes from Sandy Herd

    Near misses

    Top-10 finishes are listed for The Open, the one championship with a full top 10 every year.

    1. 1906 The Open Muirfield · finished T8 · 312
    2. 1907 The Open Royal Liverpool Golf Club · finished T7 · 319
    3. 1910 The Open Old Course, St Andrews · finished 3 · 304
    4. 1911 The Open Royal St George's Golf Club · finished 8 · 306
    5. 1912 The Open Muirfield · finished 4 · 305
    6. 1914 The Open Prestwick Golf Club · finished T10 · 316
    7. 1921 The Open Old Course, St Andrews · finished 5 · 301
    8. 1922 The Open Royal St George's Golf Club · runner-up to Walter Hagen · 301
    9. 1923 The Open Troon Golf Club (Old Course) · finished T6 · 302
    10. 1924 The Open Royal Liverpool Golf Club · finished T6 · 308

    Ryder Cup

    Duncan played 3 Ryder Cups for GB: 5 matches, 2 won, 3 lost, 0 halved, 2 points (40.0% of those available). By format: foursomes 0-3-0, four-ball 0-0-0, singles 2-0-0 (won-lost-halved).

    1. 1927 Worcester Country Club GB · USA won 9.5–2.5 · 1-1-0, 1 point
    2. 1929 Moortown Golf Club GB · GB won 7–5 · 1-1-0, 1 point
    3. 1931 Scioto Country Club GB · USA won 9–3 · 0-1-0, 0 points
    4. 1929 Captain GB · won 7–5

    Partners, with matches played together: Archie Compston (1), Aubrey Boomer (1), Arthur Havers (1).

    Records and firsts

    Rows from our record tables that name this player, worded as the tables word them.

    1. 1920 Open largest 36-hole comeback · 13 behind
    2. 1929 Ryder Cup Biggest Ryder Cup winning margin: Singles (36-hole) · George Duncan beat Walter Hagen 10&8 (George Duncan beat Walter Hagen 10&8)

    Sources

    Every fact on this page comes from Golf Network News data sets compiled in October 2026 (Masters, PGA Championship, The Open, U.S. Women's Open, Ryder Cup, PGA Tour 2024–2026, major host sites, Champions Dinner menus, and the U.S. Open and state rooms). These are the sources those rows cite.

    1. where2golf
    2. WP: List of European Ryder Cup golfers
    3. Wikipedia: George Duncan (golfer)
    4. R&A 1920
    5. GC 1920
    6. Golf Compendium 1906
    7. R&A 1907
    8. R&A 1910
    9. R&A 1911
    10. R&A 1912
    11. R&A 1914
    12. R&A 1921
    13. R&A 1923
    14. R&A 1924
    15. GC: 1927 ryder cup
    16. Wikipedia: 1927 Ryder Cup
    17. GC: 1929 ryder cup
    18. Wikipedia: 1929 Ryder Cup
    19. GC: 1931 ryder cup
    20. Wikipedia: 1931 Ryder Cup
    21. WP Ryder Cup
    22. R&A comebacks
    23. Wikipedia: List of Ryder Cup records