In the 1913 U.S. Open, played at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, a local twenty-year old amateur (Francis Ouimet – “Met”) and his diminutive ten year old caddie (Eddie Lowery – “Wee”) took down two seasoned professionals (Harry Vardon age forty-three and Ted Ray age thirty-six) from the Bailwick of Jersey, Channel Islands, becoming the first American-born amateur to win the U.S. Open.
Fact:
- The 1913 U.S. Open, originally scheduled for June, was postponed until September to allow for Vardon and Ray to participate in the event.
Resume’s Entering the 1913 U.S. Open
Francis Ouimet: 5/8/1893-9/2/1967
• 1909 Boston Interscholastic
• 1910 Boston Interscholastic
• 1912 The Country Club Cup and Allston Golf Club Open Championship
Eddie Lowery: 10/14/1902-5/4/1984
• Truant extraordinaire
• Encourager
Harry Vardon: 5/9/1870-3/20/1937
• Forty-one professional wins
• 1896, 1898, 1899, 1903, 1911, 1914 Open Championship (a.k.a. British Open)
• 1900 U.S. Open Championship (Chicago Golf Club, Wheaton, Illinois)
Ted Ray: 4/6/1877-8/26/1943
• Six professional wins
• 1912 Open Championship (a.k.a. British Open)
Facts:
- In 1914, Vardon won the Open Championship for a sixth time, a record that stands to this day. Vardon won six championships on three different courses; Muirfield (1), Prestwick Golf Club (3), Royal St. George’s (2). Vardon finished his career with forty-nine wins.
- Ray won the 1920 U.S. Open Championship (The Inverness Club, Toledo, Ohio). Ray finished his career with fourteen wins.
Event Dates: September 18, 19 and 20, 1913
- Thursday: Two eighteen-hole rounds
- Friday: Two eighteen-hole rounds
- Saturday: One eighteen-hole playoff round
The Country Club, Brookline, Massachusetts:
Distance: 6,235 yards
Par: 73 (three par three’s)
Field: 66
Field (Post Cut): 54 (cut line +19/165)
Winning Regulation Score: +12/304; three-way tie between Ouimet, Vardon, Ray
Winning Playoff Score: -1/72 (Ouimet)
Ouimet won the playoff by five strokes over Vardon (shooting one under par with birdies on holes three, eight and seventeen and bogeys on holes five and seven) and six strokes over Ray.
Winning Purse: $300 (awarded to Vardon due to Ouimet’s amateur status).
Facts:
- It was reported that Ted Ray carried six clubs in his bag during the 1913 US Open.
- In the movie portrayal of the tournament (“Greatest Game Ever Played”), Ouimet won the tournament by one stroke, in dramatic fashion.
Francis Ouimet had an accomplished golfing (twenty-seven career wins) and business career (business owner, banker and stockbroker). He is widely regarded as the Father of Amateur Golf, remaining an amateur his entire career. Ouimet won the 1914 U.S. Amateur (6/5 match play) and the 1931 U.S. Amateur (6/5 match play). Additionally, he played on eight Walker Cup teams and captained four teams.
Facts:
- In 1916, the USGA stripped Ouimet of his amateur status, suggesting he used his celebrity status to aid in the success of his sporting goods business. The USGA reinstated his amateur status shortly after World War I.
- In 1951, Ouimet was the first non-Brit elected Captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club in Saint Andrews.
Part Two of the “Wee-Met” series focuses on Ouimet’s diminutive caddie Eddie Lowery (“Wee”). Part Three will share information on the history of The Country Club and document the changes to the course from the 1913 U.S. Open to the 1999 Ryder Cup Championship.
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