Sweeny, winner of the 1937 British Amateur, was born in California, raised in New York, and followed his older brother Charles to Oxford. With his combination of golfing genius, easy charm and movie-star looks he became a fixture in British society.
Sweeny, a slender 6-foot-3 with dark, wavy hair, was among the last of the game’s Great Gatsbys. He was a cool socialite with a mother-of-pearl swing, shuttling between homes in London, Long Island and Palm Beach, squiring the most beautiful women, and playing the most beautiful golf.
Sweeny had an epic match in the 1954 U.S. Amateur final against Arnold Palmer which eventually ended on the 36th hole where Sweeny lost his tee ball in the tall grass off the fairway at Detroit Country Club and conceded the hole. Given Sweeny’s lifestyle and genealogy, it couldn’t have been more of a contrasting match against the blue-collar Palmer.
Sweeny lived his life of golf at the posh clubs such as Seminole in Florida where he played Nassaus against the likes of Ben Hogan.
