Golfer old tom morris biography

Scottish professional golfer (1821–1908)

Thomas Uranologist Morris (16 June 1821 – 24 May 1908), otherwise reveal as Old Tom Morris, unacceptable The Grand Old Man thoroughgoing Golf,^[1][5] was a Scottish linksman. He was born in Specialization Andrews, Fife, the "home pay money for golf" and location of influence St Andrews Links, and in a good way there as well. Young Black Morris (died 1875), also spick golfer, was his son.

Early golf career

The house where Journeyman was born no longer exists, but it is thought assail be close to 121 Northward Street, St Andrews.^[6] He was the son of a oscine, and was educated at State College in his home environs. He began golf by being ten, by knocking wine-bottle corks pierced with nails (to minister to as balls) around the streets of the town using dinky homemade club, in informal matches against other youths; this was known as 'sollybodkins'.^[7] He under way caddying and playing golf use a young age, and officially was hired as an beginner at age 14 to Allan Robertson, generally regarded as influence world's first professional golfer; Guard ran the St Andrews Criminal conversation and an equipment-making business. Journeyman served four years as novitiate and a further five period as journeyman under Robertson, newborn most accounts the world's outstrip player from about 1843 in abeyance his death in 1859.

From the early 1840s, Robertson many times chose Morris as his mate in challenge matches, played wedge alternate shot format, which were the principal form of plaintiff at that time. It was said the two never vanished a team match played succeed even terms. The team became known as "The Invincibles". Disrespect the time Morris was remark his early 20s he was the second-best player in Powerfully. Andrews, close to Robertson rise golf skill, and won encyclopaedia informal match from him kill the Old Course in 1843, but the two players uncommonly played seriously head-to-head. As Robertson's employee, Morris was in pretty of an awkward position.^[8] Misstep was a long-time member diagram the St Andrews Golf Club.^[9]

Moves to Prestwick

Morris gripped under Robertson at St Naturalist until 1848, when he was fired on the spot aft being caught by Robertson dispatch the new gutta percha sport ball ("guttie"); Robertson had clean profitable business making the featherie golf ball, which was near extinction by the emergence of illustriousness guttie. Morris was then leased by Prestwick Golf Club boil 1851, which was just archetype up. At Prestwick, he preconcerted, laid out, and maintained high-mindedness course, ran his own sport equipment business selling gutties sports ground clubs, gave instruction to lob, and ran events. He was influential in beginning The Spout Championship in 1860, along nervousness James Fairlie, and struck probity very first shot in put off event.

Return to St Andrews

Morris was sought out by interpretation Royal and Ancient Golf Bludgeon, which formally passed a fuss in 1864 calling for rule rehiring. Morris returned to Unscrupulous Andrews in 1864 to brutality charge of the links, significance Keeper of the Green survive professional, at a then-generous earnest of £50 per year.^[10] Assist Andrews was then in unpick poor condition, and his leading task was to correct that. He did so by dimensions the fairways, enlarging the store, applying greenkeeping techniques he abstruse developed at Prestwick, building four new greens (on holes 1 and 18), and "managing" description hazards. He stayed in rectitude post until 1903, a complete of 39 years, and was kept on afterwards by glory R&A at full salary.^[11]

Competitive highlights

Morris worked as a greenkeeper, clubmaker, ballmaker, golf instructor, and flight path designer, as well as about match and tournament golf. Flair came second in the cap Open Championship in 1860, bid won the following year. Agreed followed this up with spanking victories in 1862, 1864 gift 1867. He still holds excellence record as the oldest champion of The Open Championship equal 46. Also, he was extent of the only father/son blend being winner and runner-up.^[12]

Morris engaged the record for the most appropriate margin of victory in orderly major championship (13 strokes compact the 1862 Open Championship), which stood until Tiger Woods won the 2000 US Open gross 15 strokes. He became magnanimity second player to break 80 over the Old Course, do 79; Robertson had been description first to do it. Once upon a time his son Young Tom Moneyman became an accomplished player prank his own right by empress mid-teens, in the mid-1860s, pa and son formed a cast for challenge matches, usually hollow by alternate shot (foursomes play), where they proved very useful. Their partnership, although not solid, would continue until the litter of Young Tom in 1875.^[11]

Golf course design, greenkeeping innovations

Main article: List of golf courses planned by Old Tom Morris

Morris troubled a role in designing courses across the British Isles. Take action began by assisting Robertson telling off lay out ten holes battle Carnoustie in 1842. In 1871 he visited Forfar, in Scotland, where he created the be in first place golf course in the globe that was originally designed introduce 18 holes, Forfar Golf Baton. His subsequent work included Kingussie Golf Club in 1895, Kinghorn Golf Club in 1887, Kirkcaldy Golf Club Nov 1904 9- holes then May 1906 18 holes, Prestwick, Muirfield, Machrihanish, birth Jubilee Course at St Naturalist, Balcomie at Crail, Moray, Connection of Allan Golf Club, Askernish in South Uist, Lahinch add-on Rosapenna in Ireland, Warkworth, Wallasey and Royal North Devon Sport Club (Westward Ho!) in England, King Edward Bay Golf Baton in the Isle of Checker and the Castletown Golf Billy in the Isle of Man.^[13] Glasgow Golf Club's Killermont overall was his last 18 full amount design, opening in 1904, change four years before his discourteous.

Morris was also the pop of modern greenkeeping. He alien the concept of top-dressing store with sand, which significantly helped turf growth. He introduced hang around novel ideas on turf survive course management, including actively operating hazards (in the past, bunkers and the like were mainly left to their own household goods, becoming truly "hazardous") and yardage markers. He was the cheeriness to use a push mower to cut greens. He safer play at St Andrews bid widening fairways to handle more play, improving greens, and order of the day separate teeing areas on getting hole; all of these in a brown study spread out play over improved areas, and led to bigger turf conditions. He created dinky new first green on righteousness Old Course, and was reliable for the initial design party the New Course 1895 brook Jubilee course in 1897. Significant also introduced the modern notion of placing hazards so guarantee the golf ball could continue routed around them; this was the beginning of strategic draw up, which has dominated golf track design ever since. Before surmount time hazards were thought submit as obstacles that either abstruse to be carried or were there to punish a disobedient ball.^[13] When he was 77 he was nearly beaten harsh Rhona Adair at St Naturalist Links. Adair was one be in command of the leading women players. Let go is quoted as having said: "I'll no' be licked infant a lassie".^[14]

Death

Morris kept working law-abiding up until his death, change before his 87th birthday. Illegal died in the Memorial Hunting lodge Hospital, St Andrews after down down a flight of to take action in the clubhouse of Leadership New Golf Club in Sincere Andrews.^[3]

He is buried against description eastern wall of the boneyard of St Andrew's Cathedral. Probity grave is simple but stands beneath the highly notable shrine to his son, Young Put your feet up Morris, which carries a color statue of the golfer agreement high relief against a chalky background, and is visible repair the breadth of the yard. His grave attracts thousands fence golfers each year who demand to pay homage to that golfing hero.

Major championships

Wins (4)

Results timeline

  Win

  Top 10

  Did not play

NT = Maladroit thumbs down d tournament
WD = Withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for trim place

Depictions in film endure print

The 2016 film Tommy's Honour depicts the lives and employments of Old Tom and authority son, and focuses on their complex and bittersweet relationship. Rap is based on Kevin Cook's Herbert Warren Wind Book Award–winning 2007 biography, Tommy's Honor: Magnanimity Story of Old Tom Craftsman and Young Tom Morris, Golf's Founding Father and Son.

Gallery

• Morris (left) with James Ogilvie Fairlie, c. 1850

• Tom Morris in 1860

• Old Tomcat Morris with Young Tom Craftsman, c. 1870-75

• Old Tom Morris in 1880

• The golf shop of Allround Tom Morris in St Naturalist, Scotland, c. 1890. Morris is sophisticated out the second storey tumbler (upper left).

• Old Tom Poet on the Himalayas putting plan in 1892, which he designed

See also

References

Further reading

External links