William McGowan was born in Prestwick, Ayrshire in 1886. He began his golfing career as a club maker with David Kinnell at Prestwick St Nicholas Golf Club, before moving south to become assistant professional to William McEwan at the Formby Club 1904-05. Exactly where he went after that is as yet unclear however, it is recorder that he became a member of The Professional Golfers' Association, Midland Section in 1906 so he must have moved further south by that time. William was apointed to the now defucnt Wednesbury Golf Club in 1911 before securing the post as professional at Radcliffe-on-Trent Golf Club in 1913. Although he enlisted in the Sherwood Foresters he was later assigned to the The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Sadly he would fall in action in October 1918 two weeks before the end of the war at the age of 32.

The Professional Golfers' Association