Tim Holland?

[BruceMGF]

Anyone know anything about Tim Holland, who died this past March?

Holland is best known for being arguably the top backgammon player in that game's heyday in the 1960s-70s.

According to the interview done with Holland in Jon Bradshaw's 1975 book "Fast Company" (it's about gamblers) Holland was a top amateur golfer in the 1950s. His best buddy was Al Besselink and they had a standing bet that they could beat any other pair in the world, Hogan and Snead excluded, at better-ball on their home course (La Gorce), and did very well with these bets against the likes of Cary Middlecoff and Doug Sanders among others.

A bit of googling showed Holland making the late rounds of the US and British Amateurs in the late 50s.

Holland says in the interview he didn't turn pro because gambling in those days was more lucrative than the tour.

He also claims to have been kept off the Walker Cup team because of his gambling.

Does anyone know if he was really good enough to be regarded as a likely successful pro? And what was the story behind his Walker Cup exclusion (if it's true)?