Frank Eyre

Eyre was the son of Edward "Happy" Eyre, a life-saver at Manly beach and rugby union player.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article114226875 |title="Happy" Eyre |newspaper=Evening News |issue=12094 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=15 March 1906 |access-date=6 January 2021 |page=7 |via=National Library of Australia}} Frank Eyre himself was also a rugby union player in the early 1920s. He became the professional at Long Reef Golf Club, Collaroy, New South Wales in 1922.

Eyre's first big success came in 1926 when he won the Sun-Herald Tournament at The Australian Golf Club, beat Arthur Le Fevre 6&5 in the final. He won the first prize of £195 and a gold medal valued at £5.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article224122507 |title=Frank Eyre |newspaper=The Sun|issue=4980 |location=Sydney |date=22 October 1926 |access-date=19 May 2017 |page=11 (Final extra) |via=National Library of Australia}} The event was widely regarded as the professional championship of Australia.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article128102074 |title="Auld Reekie's" golf |newspaper=The Referee |issue=2068 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=27 October 1926 |access-date=6 January 2021 |page=20 |via=National Library of Australia}} Eyre had qualified for the final stages in 1925 at Royal Melbourne Golf Club, losing to Tom Howard, the eventual winner, in the quarter-finals.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article155808325 |title=Professional golf |newspaper=The Age |issue=21,924 |location=Victoria, Australia |date=10 July 1925 |access-date=19 May 2017 |page=6 |via=National Library of Australia}}

Eyre won the 1930 Queensland Open, beating Harry Sinclair in playoff at Royal Queensland.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article184437957 |title=Championship golf |newspaper=The Telegraph (Brisbane) |issue=17929 |location=Queensland, Australia |date=23 May 1930 |access-date=25 December 2020 |page=14 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article184434322 |title=Golf title |newspaper=The Telegraph (Brisbane) |issue=17930 |location=Queensland, Australia |date=24 May 1930 |access-date=25 December 2020 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}} He had been runner-up in the event in 1926.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article179079787 |title=Open golf championship |newspaper=The Telegraph (Brisbane) |issue=16730 |location=Queensland, Australia |date=16 July 1926 |access-date=25 December 2020 |page=15 |via=National Library of Australia}} Eyre won the 1930 Australian Open, finishing 7 strokes ahead of the runners-up, amateur George Fawcett and Rufus Stewart.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article242758749 |title=Eyre (N.S.W.) wins Open golf title |newspaper=The Herald |issue=16639 |location=Victoria, Australia |date=13 September 1930 |accessdate=17 November 2020 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}} It was the first to be held at the Metropolitan Golf Club and Eyre was the first to be presented with the Stonehaven Cup, presented by Lord Stonehaven, the Governor-General of Australia from 1925 to 1930.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4093010 |title=Championships meeting |newspaper=The Argus (Melbourne) |issue=26155 |location=Victoria, Australia |date=12 June 1930 |accessdate=18 November 2020 |page=14 |via=National Library of Australia}} Eyre had been runner-up in 1929.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article204103218 |title=Golf Championship |newspaper=The Age |issue=23207 |location=Victoria, Australia |date=24 August 1929 |accessdate=17 November 2020 |page=23 |via=National Library of Australia}}

Eyre won the 1933 New South Wales Dunlop Cup, beating Tom Heard in the final.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16999395 |title=Dunlop Cup |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |issue=29836 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=18 August 1933 |access-date=12 January 2021 |page=15 |via=National Library of Australia}}

In 1963, Eyre retired as professional at Long Reef Golf Club, having been the professional there for over 40 years.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jKApAAAAIBAJ&pg=5892%2C162627 |title=Frank Eyre |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |location=Sydney, Australia |date=15 September 1963 |access-date=6 January 2021 |page=68 |via=Google News Archive}} He died on 1 September 1974, aged 76.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OtRYAAAAIBAJ&pg=552%2C1163044 |title=Deaths – Eyre Frank Patrick |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |location=Sydney, Australia |date=4 September 1974 |access-date=6 January 2021 |page=58 |via=Google News Archive}}{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67035022/the-sydney-morning-herald/ |title=Fairways |first=Terry |last=Smith |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |location=Sydney, Australia |date=8 September 1974 |access-date=6 January 2021 |page=91 |via=Newspapers.com}}

• 1926 Sun-Herald Tournament
• 1930 Queensland Open, Australian Open
• 1933 Dunlop Cup (New South Wales)

• Vicars Shield (representing New South Wales): 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933 (winners)

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Category:Australian male golfers

Category:Golfers from Sydney

Category:Australian rugby union players

Category:New South Wales rugby union team players

Category:Sportsmen from New South Wales

Category:1890s births

Category:1974 deaths

Category:20th-century Australian sportsmen