Willie Park Jr.
Willie Park Jr. | |||
---|---|---|---|
Personal information | |||
Full name | William Park Jr. | ||
Born | (1864-02-04)4 February 1864 Musselburgh, Scotland | ||
Died | 22 May 1925(1925-05-22) (aged 61) Edinburgh, Scotland | ||
Sporting nationality | ![]() | ||
Career | |||
Status | Professional | ||
Best results in major championships (wins: 2) | |||
Masters Tournament | NYF | ||
PGA Championship | DNP | ||
U.S. Open | CUT: 1919 | ||
The Open Championship | Won: 1887, 1889 | ||
Achievements and awards | |||
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William Park Jr. (4 February 1864 – 22 May 1925) was a Scottish professional golfer. He won The Open Championship twice.[1] Park was also a successful golf equipment maker and golf writer. In his later years, Park built a significant career as one of the world's best golf course architects, with a worldwide business. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2013.[2]
Early years
Park was born in Musselburgh, Scotland, on 4 February 1864.[3] His father, Willie Park Sr., was one of Scotland's top golfers, winning the first Open Championship in 1860,[4] and three further Open Championship titles. Park Jr. learned golf from childhood. His father also ran a successful golf equipment business, producing clubs and balls to order. Park Sr. also played challenge matches for stakes, and competed in professional tournaments.
The Musselburgh Links course in the family's home town was one of the main centres of golf at the time, and was on the rota for The Open Championship from 1873 to 1891. In 1892 it was removed from the rota in favor of Muirfield, a new course which became the home of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers. Mungo Park, younger brother of Park Sr., also won the Open in 1874. The Park family had a deep and fierce golf rivalry, both in competition and in business, with the Morris family (led by Old Tom Morris and Young Tom Morris) of St. Andrews during most of the 19th century.
Open champion
Park caddied and played golf professionally, in stakes matches and tournaments, from his mid-teens. He developed his golf skills and played in his first Open Championship in 1880, at age 16, at which time he was already one of Scotland's best players. He worked in the family golf equipment business. Park won the Open in 1887 and 1889. In the latter year he was taken to a playoff by Andrew Kirkaldy. During his competitive career, Park placed in the top ten 12 times at the Open, and was out of the top eight only twice between 1881 and 1892. He was notable for his excellent short game, which compensated for a sometimes unreliable long game. He is famous for the saying: "A man who can putt is a match for anyone."
Businessman
At the time, it was very difficult, if not impossible, for a golfer to make a living from prize money alone. Park often played challenge matches. He took over the family ball and club making business, establishing an export business just when golf was beginning to spread internationally. He patented several golf club designs.
Golf writer
Park's The Game of Golf (1896) was the first book about golf written by a professional golfer. It was well received, and has proven continuously popular since, being available in a modern, unabridged edition from Arcturus Publishers (2010). Park's second book, The Art of Putting, was published in 1920.
Golf course architect
He also worked as a golf course designer, with 170 designs to his credit in the British Isles, Europe, the US and Canada. Park entered this profession, while winding down his competitive play, in his mid-30s, just as golf was beginning an enormous increase in popularity, in both the British Isles and especially North America. New golfers needed new courses to play, and Park took advantage of the opportunities. His services were much in demand, and he became one of the first people, along with fellow Scot Donald Ross, to become a full-time golf course architect.
United Kingdom designs
Park's first well-known design was the Old Course of the Sunningdale Golf Club near London, just at the turn of the 20th century. This club's brilliant success on heathland property, which earlier had been thought unsuitable for golf, brought him worldwide fame.[5] Sunningdale Old has frequently been ranked among the world's top courses.
Park designed Temple Links, now Temple Golf Club, in Hurley, Berkshire, in 1909. He routed the course over rolling chalk downs, giving wide views of the surrounding countryside. Donald Steel described it as "challenging enough to keep good players at full stretch without diminishing the enjoyment of the rank and file".[6]
Canadian designs
Park's highly regarded course designs in Canada include Weston Golf and Country Club in Toronto (host of the 1955 Canadian Open, Arnold Palmer's first professional victory), the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club in Ottawa, Ontario (host of the 1994, 2008, and 2017 Canadian Women's Opens), the Calgary Golf and Country Club in Calgary, the Mount Bruno Golf Club in suburban Montreal, and Le Club Laval-sur-le-Lac in Laval, Quebec. Weston G&CC hosts an annual elite amateur men's Willie Park Jr. Memorial tournament, held over 36 holes in one day in late summer; it was started in 1925 to memorialize Park's passing.
United States designs
Park's well-known United States courses include the Hot Springs Country Club in Hot Springs, Arkansas, the Rolling Road Golf Club in Catonsville, Maryland, the Maidstone Golf Club on Long Island, Country Club of New Canaan in New Canaan, Connecticut, Woodway Country Club in Darien, Connecticut, the New Haven Country Club in Hamden, Connecticut, Madison Country Club, Madison, Connecticut, Sylvania Country Club in Sylvania, Ohio[7] Shorehaven Golf Club in Norwalk, Connecticut, TumbleBrook Country Club in Bloomfield, Connecticut, Red Run Golf Club in Royal Oak, Michigan, Shuttle Meadow Country Club in Kensington, Connecticut, the North Course of the Olympia Fields Country Club near Chicago (host of two U.S. Open (golf) events (1928 and 2003), as well as the 1961 PGA Championship), Berkshire Country Club in Reading, Pennsylvania and Glen Ridge Country Club in Glen Ridge, New Jersey. Massachusetts, The Milton Hoosic Club. Bellefonte Country Club in Ashland, Kentucky (Home of the longest continuously played AJGA event). Battle Creek Country Club (Battle Creek, Michigan) holds an annual Symetra Tour event, and Dustin Johnson qualified for his first US Open there. Philmont Country Club in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania, which hosted a Nike Tour event. He also laid out the original six holes [8] of The Sadaquada Club (1895) in Whitestown, NY, which were later improved to a full nine by Horace Rawlins, the first winner of the U.S. Open. He also made a stop in State College, Pennsylvania in 1922 laying out plans for the schools White Course which reopened in 1926. The only remaining holes are 6-14. Six was originally a par3 now plays as a dog leg par-5.[9]
Park designed Moonbrook Country Club in Jamestown NY as well as the Castine Golf Club in Castine, Maine in 1921. However, his final design would be a nine-hole course, St. Johnsbury Country Club in 1923 located in St. Johnsbury Vermont. His brother Mungo Park had to go to Vermont to finish the construction after Willie Park Jr. became ill and returned to Scotland.
Family
Park's daughter, golfer Doris Park, was runner-up in the 1937 British Ladies Amateur Championship.[10]
Death
Overwork on his design business led to a decline in health and his eventual death, at age 61 on 22 May 1925.[11] His health had been in decline for some time; Park knew he was dying, and traveled home from the United States to Scotland, in order to die in his home country.[5] He died in Edinburgh, although his "usual residence" was given as Musselburgh.[11]
Major championships
Wins (2)
Year | Championship | 18 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
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1887 | The Open Championship | 5 shot deficit | 82-79=161 | 1 stroke | ![]() |
1889 | The Open Championship (2) | 1 shot deficit | 39-38-39-39=155 | Playoff 1 | ![]() |
1 Park defeated Kirkaldy by five strokes in a 36-hole playoff.
Results timeline
Tournament | 1880 | 1881 | 1882 | 1883 | 1884 | 1885 | 1886 | 1887 | 1888 | 1889 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Open Championship | 16 | T5 | T18 | 8 | T4 | T4 | T4 | 1 | T11 | 1 |
Tournament | 1890 | 1891 | 1892 | 1893 | 1894 | 1895 | 1896 | 1897 | 1898 | 1899 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Open Championship | T4 | 6 | 7 | T19 | 12 | T14 | T22 | 2 | 14 |
Tournament | 1900 | 1901 | 1902 | 1903 | 1904 | 1905 | 1906 | 1907 | 1908 | 1909 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Open Championship | 6 | T18 | T23 | T15 | T12 | T13 | WD |
Tournament | 1910 | 1911 | 1912 | 1913 | 1914 | 1915 | 1916 | 1917 | 1918 | 1919 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
U.S. Open | NT | NT | CUT | |||||||
The Open Championship | T38 | CUT | NT | NT | NT | NT | NT |
Note: Park only played in The Open Championship and the U.S. Open.
NT = No tournament
WD = Withdrew
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Team appearances
- England–Scotland Professional Match (representing Scotland): 1903 (winners), 1904 (tie), 1905 (tie), 1907, 1910
References
- ^ "1887 Willie Park Jr". The Open. Archived from the original on 26 November 2011. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
- ^ "Willie Park Jr. selected for World Golf Hall of Fame". PGA Tour. 15 November 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
- ^ "Births in the District of Inveresk and Musselburgh in the County of Edinburgh". Statutory Births 689/00 0051. ScotlandsPeople. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
- ^ Duncan, George (1951). Golf At The Gallop. p. 7.
- ^ a b Whitten, Ronald; Cornish, Geoffrey (1981). The Golf Course. Rutledge Press. ISBN 978-0004900308.
- ^ Lorne Smith (2009), "Temple", Fine Golf
- ^ "Golf Course - Sylvania Country Club".
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ "A History Of The Penn State Golf Courses". Onward State. 31 August 2015.
- ^ "Jessie Valentine: queen of golf 1958". BBC. 17 October 2014.
- ^ a b "Deaths in the District of Morningside in the City of Edinburgh". Statutory Deaths 689/00 0124. ScotlandsPeople. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
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- t
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- 1860 Willie Park Sr.
- 1861 Tom Morris Sr.
- 1862 Tom Morris Sr.
- 1863 Willie Park Sr.
- 1864 Tom Morris Sr.
- 1865 Andrew Strath
- 1866 Willie Park Sr.
- 1867 Tom Morris Sr.
- 1868 Tom Morris Jr.
- 1869 Tom Morris Jr.
- 1870 Tom Morris Jr.
- 1872 Tom Morris Jr.
- 1873 Tom Kidd
- 1874 Mungo Park
- 1875 Willie Park Sr.
- 1876 Bob Martin†
- 1877 Jamie Anderson
- 1878 Jamie Anderson
- 1879 Jamie Anderson
- 1880 Bob Ferguson
- 1881 Bob Ferguson
- 1882 Bob Ferguson
- 1883 Willie Fernie†
- 1884 Jack Simpson
- 1885 Bob Martin
- 1886 David Brown
- 1887 Willie Park Jr.
- 1888 Jack Burns
- 1889 Willie Park Jr.†
- 1890 John Ball#
- 1891 Hugh Kirkaldy
- 1892 Harold Hilton#
- 1893 William Auchterlonie
- 1894 John Henry Taylor
- 1895 John Henry Taylor
- 1896 Harry Vardon†
- 1897 Harold Hilton#
- 1898 Harry Vardon
- 1899 Harry Vardon
- 1900 John Henry Taylor
- 1901 James Braid
- 1902 Sandy Herd
- 1903 Harry Vardon
- 1904 Jack White
- 1905 James Braid
- 1906 James Braid
- 1907 Arnaud Massy
- 1908 James Braid
- 1909 John Henry Taylor
- 1910 James Braid
- 1911 Harry Vardon†
- 1912‡ Edward Ray
- 1913 John Henry Taylor
- 1914 Harry Vardon
- 1920 George Duncan
- 1921 Jock Hutchison†
- 1922 Walter Hagen
- 1923 Arthur Havers
- 1924 Walter Hagen
- 1925 Jim Barnes
- 1926 Bobby Jones#
- 1927‡ Bobby Jones#
- 1928 Walter Hagen
- 1929 Walter Hagen
- 1930 Bobby Jones#
- 1931 Tommy Armour
- 1932‡ Gene Sarazen
- 1933 Denny Shute†
- 1934‡ Henry Cotton
- 1935 Alf Perry
- 1936 Alf Padgham
- 1937 Henry Cotton
- 1938 Reg Whitcombe
- 1939 Dick Burton
- 1946 Sam Snead
- 1947 Fred Daly
- 1948 Henry Cotton
- 1949 Bobby Locke†
- 1950 Bobby Locke
- 1951 Max Faulkner
- 1952 Bobby Locke
- 1953 Ben Hogan
- 1954 Peter Thomson
- 1955 Peter Thomson
- 1956 Peter Thomson
- 1957 Bobby Locke
- 1958 Peter Thomson†
- 1959 Gary Player
- 1960 Kel Nagle
- 1961 Arnold Palmer
- 1962 Arnold Palmer
- 1963 Bob Charles†
- 1964 Tony Lema
- 1965 Peter Thomson
- 1966 Jack Nicklaus
- 1967 Roberto De Vicenzo
- 1968 Gary Player
- 1969 Tony Jacklin
- 1970 Jack Nicklaus†
- 1971 Lee Trevino
- 1972 Lee Trevino
- 1973‡ Tom Weiskopf
- 1974 Gary Player
- 1975 Tom Watson†
- 1976 Johnny Miller
- 1977 Tom Watson
- 1978 Jack Nicklaus
- 1979 Seve Ballesteros
- 1980 Tom Watson
- 1981 Bill Rogers
- 1982 Tom Watson
- 1983 Tom Watson
- 1984 Seve Ballesteros
- 1985 Sandy Lyle
- 1986 Greg Norman
- 1987 Nick Faldo
- 1988 Seve Ballesteros
- 1989 Mark Calcavecchia†
- 1990 Nick Faldo
- 1991 Ian Baker-Finch
- 1992 Nick Faldo
- 1993 Greg Norman
- 1994 Nick Price
- 1995 John Daly†
- 1996 Tom Lehman
- 1997 Justin Leonard
- 1998 Mark O'Meara†
- 1999 Paul Lawrie†
- 2000 Tiger Woods
- 2001 David Duval
- 2002 Ernie Els†
- 2003 Ben Curtis
- 2004 Todd Hamilton†
- 2005‡ Tiger Woods
- 2006 Tiger Woods
- 2007 Pádraig Harrington†
- 2008 Pádraig Harrington
- 2009 Stewart Cink†
- 2010 Louis Oosthuizen
- 2011 Darren Clarke
- 2012 Ernie Els
- 2013 Phil Mickelson
- 2014‡ Rory McIlroy
- 2015 Zach Johnson†
- 2016 Henrik Stenson
- 2017 Jordan Spieth
- 2018 Francesco Molinari
- 2019 Shane Lowry
- 2021 Collin Morikawa
- 2022 Cameron Smith
- 2023 Brian Harman
- 2024 Xander Schauffele
1871 No championship; 1915–1919 cancelled due to World War I; 1940–1945 cancelled due to World War II; 2020 cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic