O. Gordon Brewer Jr.

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Oliver Gordon Brewer Jr. (born December 8, 1936) is an American amateur golfer and former business executive. In his golf career, Brewer reached the fourth round of the 1976 U.S. Amateur and was runner-up at the 1985 U.S. Mid-Amateur. He won the U.S. Senior Amateur in 1994 and 1996. He was the captain for the American team that finished in first at the 2002 Eisenhower Trophy. He held executive positions for Pine Valley Golf Club, United States Golf Association and PGA of America.

Contents

As an business executive, Brewer worked the Philadelphia National Bank during the 1960s. He then worked for Alco Standard Corporation from 1970 to the 1990s. The USGA gave Brewer an Ike Grainger Award during 2006. He was also given their 2009 Bob Jones Award.

Early life and education

Brewer was born on December 8, 1936, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. [1] [2] He played basketball and golf at Guilford College before he finished his studies in 1960. [3] [4] Brewer went to Dartmouth College for his postgraduate education during the late 1960s. [5]

Career

Business

During 1960, Brewer started his finance career with the Philadelphia National Bank. [6] He became an assistant cashier there in 1963. [7] Throughout the late 1960s, Brewer was assistant vice president before becoming one of their vice presidents. [8] [9]

He joined the Alco Standard Corporation as a treasurer in 1970. [10] Brewer held his position leading up to the late 1980s. [11] [12] While there, Brewer was a vice president during the 1970s. [13] [14] He became their vice president of finance during 1986. [11] Brewer continued to hold this position in the 1990s. [15] [16]

Golf

Playing career

Brewer reached the fourth round of the 1975 North and South Amateur and 1976 U.S. Amateur. [17] [18] He won the 1984 Pennsylvania Amateur. [19] He was the runner-up at the U.S. Mid-Amateur the following year. [20] As a U.S. Senior Amateur player, Brewer won the event in 1994 and 1996. [21] [1] Leading up to 2002, he did not qualify at the U.S. Senior Open during his multiple attempts. [22] [23]

Outside of the United States, Brewer reached the fourth round of the 1974 British Amateur. [24] He missed the cut at the 1995 British Senior Open. [25] At the 2002 Eisenhower Trophy, he was the captain for the winning American team. [26] Brewer was continuing his golfing experience in 2024. [2]

Executive career

Brewer was the president of the Pennsylvania Golf Association in 1975. [27] He briefly led the Huntingdon Valley Country Club during the 1980s. [28] [29] Brewer joined Pine Valley Golf Club as their president during 1998. [30] Brewer held his position until 2010. [31]

Brewer was selected to join the Executive Committee for the United States Golf Association during 1996. [32] After becoming their Implements and Balls chair during 1998, Brewer held these positions until 2001. [33] He was also on their championship committee during the late 1990s. [34] [35] Brewer became a director for the PGA of America in 2001. [36] His position remained until 2003. [37]

Honors and personal life

As a member of the Golf Association of Philadelphia, Brewer was the 1997 Senior Player of the Year. [38] He received an Arnold Palmer Lifetime Service Award in 2001 and joined their hall of fame in 2011. [39] [40] Following "the creation of the Brewer Cup" during 2007, the event was first played in 2008. [41] [42]

The United States Golf Association gave Brewer an Ike Grainger Award during 2006. [43] This was for "25 years with the USGA as a volunteer". [44] He was also given their 2009 Bob Jones Award. [45] Brewer has a wife and two children. [2]

References

  1. 1 2 McDonough, Bob (September 13, 1996). "Brewer wins 2nd U.S. Sr. golf title". The Berkshire Eagle. p. C1.
  2. 1 2 3 Bamberger, Michael (August 28, 2024). "This secret golf legend's legacy runs deep in the game. Ask Callaway's boss". Golf Magazine. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
  3. Juliano, Joe (September 8, 1996). "Letting nothing bar his way". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. C17.
  4. Graff, Todd (March 14, 2002). "Captain's Choice". Greensboro News & Record. p. C6.
  5. Cushman, Tom (April 5, 1968). "City Champ Gordon Brewer Looking to Bigger Things". Philadelphia Daily News. p. A4.
  6. "Business Day". Twin City Sentinel. January 24, 1969. p. 5.
  7. "Potts Made PNB Chairman; Dorrance Becomes President". The Philadelphia Inquirer. December 18, 1963. p. 39.
  8. "Valley Personnel". The Philadelphia Inquirer. June 27, 1966. p. 19.
  9. "Business Day". Twin City Sentinel. January 24, 1969. p. 5.
  10. "Brewer Elected Alco Treasurer". The Plain Dealer. June 19, 1970. p. 8—C.
  11. 1 2 "At The Top". Philadelphia Daily News. November 4, 1986. p. 26.
  12. Lin, Jennifer (August 14, 1988). "Business isn't daunted by rise in interest rates". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 5-E.
  13. "The Executive Scene". The Plain Dealer. October 22, 1973. p. 6—B.
  14. Greenday, Joe (June 7, 1979). "Veteran Golfers Brewing Up Trouble". Philadelphia Daily News. p. 57.
  15. Juliano, Joe (September 29, 1994). "Rain? Not on Brewer's parade to title". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. D3.
  16. Logan, Joe (January 2, 1997). "Tiger". Mobile Press Register. p. 7-C.
  17. "North-South Golf". The Durham Sun. Associated Press. May 8, 1975. p. 2-D.
  18. "No ex-champions remain". Redding Record Searchlight. Associated Press. September 4, 1976. p. 17.
  19. "Amateur Championship". Pennsylvania Golf Association. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
  20. Ettinger, Warren (November 15, 1985). "Sigel defeats his friend 3 and 2 in Mid-Amateur". The Desert Sun. p. D-1.
  21. "Newcomer wins Senior Amateur". The San Bernardino County Sun. September 25, 1994. p. C9.
  22. Juliano, Joe (June 27, 2002). "Brewer Optimistic". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. D2.
  23. Juliano, Joe (June 29, 2002). "Local struggles". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. E3.
  24. "4 Yanks advance in British Amateur". Press-Telegram. Associated Press. June 6, 1974. p. C-7.
  25. "British Senior Open". Lexington Herald-Leader. July 29, 1995. p. B2.
  26. "Former Clemson star Trahan earns World Amateur title for U.S.". Florence Morning News. October 28, 2002. p. 3-B.
  27. "Past Presidents". Pennsylvania Golf Association. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
  28. Brandschain, Mayer (July 18, 1983). "Giroso takes Hall tourney". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 6-C.
  29. "Brewer Cops Pa. Amateur Golf Title". Tyrone Daily Herald. United Press International. July 26, 1984. p. 5.
  30. Hoffman, Red (May 1, 1998). "N.J. tumbles again in Compher Cup". The Star-Ledger. p. 67.
  31. Emeno Jr., Martin D. (Fall 2011). "O. Gordon Brewer, Jr" (PDF). Golf Association of Philadelphia Magazine. Vol. 5, no. 3. p. 18. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  32. Hoffman, Red (January 14, 1996). "Huge crowd expected to attend meeting and merchandise show". The Star-Ledger. p. 9 (section Five).
  33. Logan, Joe (February 11, 2001). "An insider tees up thoughts on the game". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. D14.
  34. Richards, Phil (May 29, 1997). "Crooked Stick making pitch to secure future U.S. Open". The Indianapolis Star. p. C6.
  35. Logan, Joe (January 4, 1998). "Venerable Merion under scrutiny". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. E12.
  36. Juliano, Joe (November 25, 2001). "Local representatives". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. C18.
  37. "Brewer to receive USGA's 2009 Bob Jones Award". The Golf Association of Philadelphia. October 3, 2008. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
  38. "Players of the Year". The Golf Association of Philadelphia. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
  39. Logan, Joe (March 18, 2001). "Two from the area are honored for their lifetime efforts". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. D16.
  40. "Hall of Fame". The Golf Association of Philadelphia. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
  41. Juliano, Joe (October 29, 2007). "Honoring Brewer". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. E7.
  42. "Brewer Cup – History". The Golf Association of Philadelphia. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  43. "Ike Grainger Award Recipients" (PDF). United States Golf Association. 2025. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  44. "Ike Grainger Award". United States Golf Association. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  45. Juliano, Joe (July 23, 2009). "For Brewer, afterglow still burns". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. D7.