Harry Vardon
Name:
Henry William "Harry" VardonCountry:
JerseyLived:
[1870-1937]. Born on May 9, 1870 in Grouville, Jersey, Channel Islands. Died on March 20, 1937 in Totteridge, Hertfordshire aged 66.Original/Home Club:
Royal Jersey GC, Grouville, Jersey.Occupation:
Professional golfer, course designer and golf writer.Turned Pro:
1890MAJORS (7). Multiple professional tournament wins in Britain, Europe and the USA. World Golf Hall of Fame (inducted in 1974).
Vardon became involved in golf course design as the popularity of golf took-off in the early 1900s. His designs include, but are not limited to: Copt Heath (1907); Ganton (1905, improvements); Kingussie (1908, redesign); Little Aston (1908); Royal County Down (early 1900s, modifications); Sandy Lodge (1910); Woodhall Spa (1903).
Vardon was a record six-time winner of the Open Championship (1896, '98, '99, 1903, '11, '14) and also a U.S. Open winner (1900). He was part of what became known as the "Great Triumverate," along with J.H. Taylor and James Braid. Together, these three legends of the game laid claim to 16 out of the 21 Open Championships played between 1894 and 1914. Vardon didn't start playing golf seriously until he was in his early 20s, but based on a demanding practice regime, he became a golfing sensation within a few years. His celebrity status grew during his 80-match tour of U.S. in 1900, which included winning the U.S. Open. In his last U.S. Open appearance in 1920, aged 50, he finished 1 shot behind winner Ted Ray, in a four-way tie for second place. The most popular method of gripping a golf club is known as the Vardon grip; this method of placing the hands on the club was used by Vardon, but actually invented some years before by Scottish amateur, Johnny Laidlay.
Majors
R&A
The Open Championship (54th) (June 18/19). Second-placed J.H. Taylor (Eng) finished 3 shots behind Vardon (Jersey). This was the last of Vardon's six Open Championship wins. [Prestwick GC, Ayrshire, Scotland].
Europe
News of the World
Played as the News of the World Match Play (Oct 1-4). Vardon (Jersey) beat Ted Ray (Jersey) by 1 hole in the 36-hole final. [Old course, Sunningdale GC, Sunningdale, Berks].
Europe
x
Played as the inaugural German Open. Europe's fourth oldest National Open Championship, behind The Open Championship (1860), French Open (1906) and Belgian Open (1910). Won by Harry Vardon (Eng). [Baden-Baden GC, nr Karlsruhe, Germany].
Majors
R&A
The Open Championship (51st) (June 26-29). Vardon (Eng) won a 36-hole stroke play playoff against Arnaud Massy (Fra). Massy, 5 shots behind at the time, conceded at the 35th hole. This was the fifth of Vardon's six Open Championship wins. [Royal St George's GC, Sandwich, Kent].
Majors
R&A
The Open Championship (43rd) (June 10/11). Second-placed Tom Vardon (Jersey) finished 6 shots behind his brother Harry Vardon (Jersey). This was the fourth of Vardon's six Open Championship wins. [Prestwick GC, Ayrshire, Scotland].
Majors
USGA
The US Open (6th) (Oct 4/5). Second-placed J.H. Taylor (Eng) finished 2 shots behind Vardon (Jersey). [Chicago GC, Wheaton, nr Chicago, IL].
Majors
R&A
The Open Championship (39th) (June 7/8). Second-placed Jack White (Scot) finished 5 shots behind defending champion Vardon (Jersey). This was the third of Vardon's six Open Championship wins. [Royal St George's GC, Sandwich, Kent].
Majors
R&A
The Open Championship (38th) (June 8/9). Second-placed Willie Park Jr (Scot) finished 1-shot behind Vardon (Jersey). This was the second of Vardon's six Open Championship wins. [Prestwick GC, Ayrshire, Scotland].
Majors
R&A
The Open Championship (36th) (June 10/11). Vardon (Jersey) beat J.H. Taylor (Eng) in a 36-hole playoff: Vardon 157, Taylor 161. This was the first of Vardon's six Open Championship wins. [Muirfield - The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, East Lothian].
Tournaments:
Solheim Cup: can Europe defend the most prestigious team trophy in women’s professional golf, when the 17th Solheim Cup is played out at the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio (Sept 4-6).
Italian Open: Nicolai Højgaard recorded his first European Tour win (Sept 5), just a week after his twin brother Rasmus landed the European Masters title (Aug 29); the first brothers to win back-to-back on the European Tour.
Who's Who:
Patrick Cantlay: moved into the world top 5, after winning the final two FedEx Cup playoff events and scooping the $15 million first prize.
Trish Johnson: kept the Senior LPGA Championship trophy in European hands, with her second win in this event in its four-year history.
The San Roque Club: "... how best to revitalise a course that had previously been fit to play regular host to the European Tour’s qualifying school finals..." by Toby Ingleton.
New 27-hole golf complex to be built in southern Belgium
A new golf complex in southern Belgium, close to the border with Luxembourg, will start construction in June 2021.
Marco Simone Golf & Country Club "makes its tournament debut with the hosting of the Italian Open on the European Tour" by Richard Humphreys
Gamble Sands opens short course:
David McLay Kidd’s 14-hole QuickSands short course has opened for play at Gamble Sands in Brewster, Washington.
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