Background
Whitcombe was born in Berrow, Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset.
Whitcombe was born in Berrow, Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset.
He was runner-up in the 1924 Open Championship, carding rounds of 77-70-77-78=302, and finished just one shot behind Walter Hagen.
Over the course of his career he had nine wins in professional tournaments and was runner-up in the 1924 Open Championship. He was the eldest of the three Whitcombe brothers who were all successful English professional golfers in the 1920s and 1930s. The excellent 70 in round two was the best score in a single round by any competitor in the top 10.
His two younger brothers Charles and Regional were also professional golfers.
During he joined the Royal Field Artillery as a gunner attached to the 16th Division of Kitchener"s Army. Whitcombe saw combat at Hulluch, Guillemont, Messines and Ypres and suffered slight wounds from a machine-gun burst.
He was hit by a small piece of shrapnel which became lodged in his left eye—an injury which may have adversely affected his putting in later years. Whitcombe died on 14 July 1971 in Bury Street Edmunds, Suffolk, England.
He was one of the top English golfers in the period from 1924 through 1937.