Who's who: Harold Hilton

  • Torrey Pines - South course, host of the Farmers Insurance Open
  • Prince's GC, England
  • Torrey Pines - South course, host of the Farmers Insurance Open
  • Terras da Comporta, Dunas
  • Monte Rei G&CC
  • Marco Simone GC (Italy); host of the Ryder Cup 2023
  • Pebble Beach host of the US Open; US Women's Open; Pebble Beach Pro-Am
  • Marco Simone GC

Who's who: Harold Hilton

  • Name:

    Harold Horsfall Hilton
  • Country:

    England
  • Lived:

    [1869-1942]. Born on Jan 12, 1869 in West Kirby, nr Hoylake, Wirral Peninsula. Died on May 5, 1942 in Westcote, Gloucestershire, aged 73.
  • Original/Home Club:

    Royal Liverpool GC, Hoylake.
  • Occupation:

    Professional golfer; golf course designer; golf writer.
  • Turned Pro:

    1923

Roll of Honour

MAJORS (2): The Open (1892, '97). British Amateur champion (1900, '01, '11, '13). US Amateur champion (1911). First player to win the Amateur Championship and US Amateur championship in the same year (1911). World Golf Hall of Fame (inducted in 1978).

Golf course design

Played a major part in the design of Ferndown GC (Old course) (1912).

Did you know?

Harold Hilton grew up in the slipstream of fellow club member John Ball, the leading amateur of the day. Seven years younger than Ball, Hilton was also born close to Hoylake, where both honed their golfing skills at Royal Liverpool Golf Club.

Hilton won four Amateur Championship titles (to Ball's eight). Whereas Ball was the first golfer to win both the Amateur Championship and Open Championship in the same year (1890), Hilton became the first golfer (and only ever British golfer), to win the Amateur Championship and US Amateur in the same year (1911).

Hilton was a two-time winner of the Open Championship. He lifted his first Claret Jug at Muirfield in 1892, the first year in which the Championship was contested over 72 holes. Hilton found himself two shots behind his clubmate John Ball going into the final round. At the days' end Ball was one of three runners-up who finishing three shots adrift. Hilton's second Claret Jug was secured on home soil at Royal Liverpool, where he just pipped Scotsman James Braid by one shot.

Top tournaments won by Harold Hilton

Category

Amateur

Winner (holder)

Hilton, Harold

Score

6 & 5

Prize money

n/a

Title sponsor

R&A

The Amateur Championship (29th). Hilton (Eng) beat Robert Harris (Scot) 6 and 5 in the final. This was the last of Hilton's four Amateur Championship wins. [The Old Course, St Andrews, Fife].

Category

Amateur

Winner (holder)

Hilton, Harold

Score

4 & 3

Prize money

n/a

Title sponsor

R&A

The Amateur Championship (27th). Hilton (Eng) beat E.A. Lassen (Eng) 4 and 3 in the final. This was the third of Hilton's four Amateur Championship wins. [Prestwick GC, Ayrshire, Scotland].

1911
Amateur
Apawamis Club
37th hole
amateur
USGA

Category

Amateur

Winner (holder)

Hilton, Harold

Venue

Apawamis Club

Score

37th hole

Prize money

amateur

Title sponsor

USGA

The US Amateur Championship (17th) (Sept 11-16). Harold Hilton (Eng) beat Fred Herreshoff (USA) at the 37th hole in the final. [The Apawamis Club, Rye, nr New York City, NY].

Category

Amateur

Winner (holder)

Hilton, Harold

Score

1 hole

Prize money

n/a

Title sponsor

R&A

The Amateur Championship (17th). Hilton (Eng) beat John Low (Scot) by 1 hole in the final to win this title for the second straight year. This was the second of Hilton's four Amateur Championship wins. [The Old Course, St Andrews, Fife].

Category

Amateur

Winner (holder)

Hilton, Harold

Score

8 & 7

Prize money

n/a

Title sponsor

R&A

The Amateur Championship (16th). Hilton (Eng) beat James Robb (Scot) 8 and 7 in the final. This was the first of Hilton's four Amateur Championship wins. [Royal St George's GC, Sandwich, Kent].

1897
Majors
314
amateur
R&A

Category

Majors

Winner (holder)

Hilton, Harold

Score

314

Prize money

amateur

Title sponsor

R&A

The Open Championship (37th) (May 19/20). Second-placed James Braid (Scot) finished 1 shot behind Hilton (Eng, amateur). First time for The Open at Royal Liverpool, and a second win in this Championship for the Club's own Harold Hilton. [Royal Liverpool GC, Hoylake, Wirral, Merseyside].

1892
Majors
305
amateur
R&A

Category

Majors

Winner (holder)

Hilton, Harold

Score

305

Prize money

amateur

Title sponsor

R&A

The Open Championship (32nd) (Sept 22/23; first time over 72 holes rather than 36). Second-placed John Ball Jr (Eng), Hugh Kirkaldy (Scot) and Alex Herd (Scot) finished 3 shots behind Harold Hilton (Eng, amateur). First time Open Championship was held at Muirfield, the course only being a year old at the time. [Muirfield - The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, East Lothian].

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Tournaments

Ryder Cup: Rome plays host to the first ever Ryder Cup to be staged in Italy, with the USA defending golf’s greatest team trophy at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club (Sept 29-Oct 1).

Solheim Cup: also in September, also in southern Europe, the 18th Solheim Cup will be contested at Finca Cortesin on the Costa del Sol, with Europe defending after their surprise win in Toledo, Inverness Club (Ohio) in 2021 (Sept 22-24). 

Who's Who

Céline Boutier: with many successes as both an amateur and professional golfer, Boutier added a major championship title to her impressive résumé at this year’s Evian Championship.

Alex Cejka: buffeted by rain and high winds, especially on the high-scoring final day, Čejka prevailed over Pádraig Harrington in a playoff at Royal Porthcawl, to scoop the Senior Open Championship title.

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.

Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.

Prince's Golf Club, Kent (UK)

Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.

Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available

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