The invention of golf has been debated forever. But the general knowledge is that it definitely originated in Scotland. Golf didn’t come popular in America until the late 19th century. And in 1894 the USGA (United States Golf Accusation) was founded because of the increasing popularity of golf in America. Francis Ouimet is one of winners of the U.S. Open, the USGA’s premiere event. Ouimet is one of the few men in history to win this prestigious event. He also did it as an amateur, more people have been on the moon than people that won the Open as an amateur.
Francis grew up in Brookline, Massachusetts. His father was a French-Canadian immigrant and his mother was also an immigrant from Ireland. His family was working-class and it was unusual for a boy of his background to take up golf. Golf was a game passed down from father to son and played by the wealthy. But Ouimet’s father had no connection to the game. The only reason Francis came to know the game was because his family owned a home on the 17th hole of The Country Club of Brookline. Francis, being from a family that all pulled their weight got a job as a caddie at The Country Club. Francis soon fell in love with the game and became the best high school golfer in the state. http://www.ouimet.org/about/about-francis.html
Harry Vardon, an Englishman, was the greatest golfer of the era. He won six British Open Championships, which is a record that still stands today. Growing up Ouimet idolized Vardon and even skipped school while Vardon was in Massachusetts to see him give a clinic in a local sporting goods store. Vardon and another English golfer, Ted Ray who had one the British Open the previous year, made the trip to America in 1913 to win the U.S. Open. The two Englishmen were determined to take to title from the Americas and claim it for England.
The USGA offered Ouimet a spot into the 1913 U.S. Open because of his victory in the Massachusetts State Amateur Championship. This was an incredible achievement because he was only twenty-years-old and the U.S. Open is the biggest tournament in America, if not the world. That year’s open was also coincidentally being held at the Country Club where Ouimet still lived across the street. The USGA wanted to add a local storyline to hype up the tournament and sell more tickets. After three rounds were played Harry Vardon, Ted Ray, and Francis Ouimet were tied atop the leader board headed into the final round. Ouimet struggled on the front nine and fell behind the leaders, but then made a charge on the back nine. Helped by Vardon and Ray’s stumble to the finish, Ouimet made birdie on seventeen to join the eighteen hole playoff the next day with the two Englishmen. Now just so you can get a feel for how improbable this was, to compare it to football, this would be like having Randolph play the super bowl champions and Randolph force overtime against them. The first fourteen holes saw little lead change with no one player having more than a one-shot-lead at anytime. Ray was the first to lose his nerve, he made double-bogey on fifteen which took him out of the tournament. It was just Ouimet versus Vardon, David versus Goliath. Walking to the 17th tee box Ouimet had a one-shot-lead, Vardon chose to take a risk to try and gain an edge on Ouimet… This proved costly, Ouimet made birdie and Vardon carded a bogey, a two shot swing! Ouimet would stroll up the eighteenth hole with a comfortable three-shot-lead, and would make par and win the championship. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/82231-francis-ouimet-the-father-of-american-golf
Ouimet is now considered to be the “father of American golf.” Ouimet was no fluke however, he went on to win 25 more significant tournaments including two U.S. Amateurs. Francis also became the first American captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews. This governed the rules of golf throughout the world with the exception of America. He also was in the first class on inductees into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. http://www.worldgolfhalloffame.org/hof/member.php?member=1089 Ouimet never made a dollar from playing golf, he committed his life to running his sporting goods store. Ouimet used his popularity from the Open and his other victories to promote his store. It is believed that without Ouimet beating the Englishmen in the Open golf in America would never have grown into what it is today.
The New York Times has Ouimet on the front page.
Garrett, as a person who likes to watch golf i found it very interesting to learn that Francis won the US open as an amateur. I also found it interesting that he did not make any money from playing golf. This was a great article. Keep up the good work :)
ReplyDeleteHey garrett its me James. I read your blog and it was super interesting. I could not put down my computer. I had no idea who Francis oimet was but now I do and I'm happy about it. The flow of your paper is very nice and well organized. Hope to see more work If this quality from you as the year goes on. Good work my son. I'll be seeing you.
ReplyDeleteI loved reading this interesting blog on the history of golf. This day in society, its shadowed so much as the typical "retired man" sport, but you have the ability to show us that theres much more to the sport. Great Job!
ReplyDeleteGarrett, i really liked your story but you need to step up your blog game. The golf section is really intesting and i like how only the elites plaied it.
ReplyDeleteLove Ross