Robert Sweeny was a leading Anglo-American amateur player and a completely cosmopolitan figure. In 1935 he reached the semi finals of the British Amateur and two years later won the title at Royal St. George's in a match described by Bernard Darwin as....."the most entirely enjoyable final of its kind I ever saw". After the war he continued his career as a leading amateur and in 1954 was prevented from winning the U.S. amateur by Arnold Palmer who was making his last appearance as an amateur.