The improbable 2004 Open Championship winner Todd Hamilton was born on this date in 1965. My claim to fame with him is that I covered him in high school golf for the Pantagraph in Bloomington, Illinois, when Hamilton played for Biggsville Union High School. And before Bubba Watson came along, there were two notable Watsons on tour. Most well known was Tom, but known as “The Other Watson” was Denis Watson, a South African golfer who was born on this date in 1955 in Zimbabwe. Denis Watson won three times on the PGA Tour and otherwise was remembered for his runner-up finish in the 1985 U.S. Open.
The first Open Championship was played on this date in 1860 with eight players competing at Prestwick. Willie Park, Sr., was the winner by two shots over the iconic figure In second place, Tom Morris, Sr., who would become known as Old Tom in the history books. The match, which was three rounds of 12 holes, was played to simply determine who the best player in the land was, now that the recognized No. 1, Alan Robertson, had died the previous year.
The 1983 Ryder Cup, the 25th playing, ended on this date at PGA National with the U.S. winning, 14½-13½. Bernard Gallacher's missed short putt on 17 to lose to Tom Watson, 2 & 1, ended up being the U.S.’s winning point, but also key was Lanny Wadkins’ par-5 18th hole wedge shot that gave him a win on the hole and a halve of his match with Jose Maria Canizares. The close battle was a refreshing change to what had often been total U.S. dominance.
On this date in 1961, the LPGA Championship, at Stardust C.C., was won by the greatest female player in history, Mickey Wright, in dominant fashion, by nine strokes over Louise Suggs.
The 1881 Open Championship, the 21st, was won by Bob Ferguson on this date when he shot a 170 at Prestwick Golf Club. And the inaugural PGA Championship concluded on this date in 1916 with “Long” Jim Barnes defeating Jock Hutchison, 1 up, in a 36-hole final at Siwanoy C.C. in Bronxville, New York. 32 players were in the field, and Barnes won $500.
The 1963 Ryder Cup ended on this date at East Lake Golf Club with the U.S. beating Great Britain, 23-9. There was a format change with the addition of 4-ball (better ball) matches on a third day of action. The U.S. was led by player-captain Arnold Palmer.
LPGA great Amy Alcott won the 1980 Inamori Golf Classic on this date at Almaden C.C. in San Jose, California. She shot 12 under par and won by four over Patty Hayes and Beth Daniel. On this date in 2008, D.A. Weibring won the Senior Players Championship by one shot over Fred Funk at the Baltimore Country Club for his only major victory on either the regular or senior tour.
On this date in 1902, the U.S. Open concluded at Garden City Golf Club on Long Island, New York, with winner Laurie Auchterlonie winning with a scoring record of 307 that was six strokes ahead of Stewart Gardner and standout amateur Walter Travis.
Australian golfer Bruce Devlin was born on this date in 1937. He won eight times on the PGA Tour and was famous for making a double eagle on the eighth hole at the Masters in 1967, one of four players to make a double eagle at the Masters. And Mark O’Meara won the Senior Players Championship on this date in 2010 at the TPC Potomac, winning a playoff with Michael Allen on the first hole.
The 1965 Ryder Cup ended on this date at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England. The U.S. team, captained by Byron Nelson, beat Great Britain, 19½-12½; GB was captained by Harry Weetman. On the final day of singles, Arnold Palmer, Tony Lema, Julius Boros and Dave Marr each won two matches for the U.S. and Peter Alliss won two for GB.
On this date in 1888, the 28th Open Championship was played, at the Old Course at St. Andrews, with Jack Burns winning with a 171 total, to finish one shot ahead of two others, Ben Sayers and David Anderson Jr.
The 31st Open Championship, held in 1891, ended on this date with Hugh Kirkaldy totaling 166 at St. Andrews to win by two shots over Willie Fernie and Hugh’s brother Andrew. It was the last time the championship was held on a single day of 36 holes.
Eleven-time major championship winner Walter Hagen died on this date in 1969 in Traverse City, Michigan, having been afflicted for five years with throat cancer. He was 76. Arnold Palmer was deeply moved by The Haig’s passing. Arnold had long admired someone who was a kindred spirit when it came to bold play and a personality for the people. Arnie had met Hagen when he was a young boy, and as he grew into being a golf icon himself was a good friend. Examples of their friendship included when Palmer won the 1961 Open Championship, he said, “The first phone call I had after I won the Open was from Walter Hagen.” And Palmer was a close enough friend that he was a pallbearer at Hagen’s funeral. Also the 1928 PGA Championship ended on this date. It was the 11th playing. Leo Diegel defeated Al Espinosa, 6 and 5, at the Five Farms Course of the Baltimore C.C. in Lutherville, Md. It was the first of two consecutive PGA titles for Diegel.
The 12th Ryder Cup Match ended on this date in 1957 at Lindrick Golf Club in England. The Great Britain team, led by captain Dai Rees, defeated the American squad, 7½ to 4½, winning for the first time since 1933. And the English great Harry Vardon won his only non-Open Championship major when he won the 1900 U.S. Open on this date at Chicago Golf Club. He defeated his fellow English star J.H. Taylor by two shots.
On this date in 1895, the inaugural U.S. Open was held at Newport Country Club, in Rhode Island, with Englishman Horace Rawlins winning by two shots over Scot Willie Dunn. There were just 36 holes played by the small field of 11 players. Also, a couple of Open Championships finished on this date. In 1873 on the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotsman Tom Kidd defeated fellow Scot Jamie Anderson by one stroke. In 1878 at Prestwick, Anderson won his second of three straight by beating Bob Kirk by two strokes.
The 1884 and 1885 Open Championships ended on this date. In 1884, at Prestwick GC, Jack Simpson won in windy conditions by four strokes from fellow Scots Douglas Rolland and Willie Fernie. In 1885, Bob Martin won by one shot over Archie Simpson at the Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland.
The 1876 Open Golf Championship, held at The Old Course at St. Andrews, was played on this date, with Scotsman Bob Martin ruled the champion golfer when fellow Scotsman Davie Strath refused to take part in a playoff after the two of them finished with a 176 total. The entire affair is worth reading in more detail from a golf history book. Strath decided against playing the playoff because of a dispute with the Royal & Ancient.
On this date in 1921, The Haig—Walter Hagen—won the 4th PGA Championship at Inwood Country Club on Long Island, New York. Hagen defeated two-time champion Jim Barnes of England, 3 & 2, to capture his third major championship. And the 1950 U.S. Women’s Open concluded on September 30 at Rolling Hills C.C., in Wichita, Kansas, so I’m taking the liberty of using it on October 1 to mention it. The USGA didn’t start conducting the Women’s Open until 1953, so the 1950 edition was run by the LPGA. Babe Zaharias tied the tournament scoring record, 291, to beat amateur Betsy Rawls by 9 shots.
The 1882 Open Championship, the 22nd Open, was held on this date at the Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland. Bob Ferguson won for the third straight time, with a 171 total, by three strokes over Willie Fernie, who would win in 1883. Also, the European team won two of three Ryder Cup matches that ended on this date. The American team won in 1937 in an away match at Southport & Ainsdale Golf Club, 8-4, the first time the home team had lost in the Ryder Cup. In 2012, Europe beat an uninspired American team, 14½-13½, at Medinah to retain the cup by overcoming a 10-6 Day 2 lead. And in 2018, at Le Golf National, Europe crushed the Americans, 17½–10½, as Spain’s Sergio Garcia became the highest point scorer in RC history with 25½.
The 1879 Open Championship was the 19th Open, and was held on September 27 and 29 at the Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland. Jamie Anderson won by three strokes over Jamie Allan and Andrew Kirkaldy. The championship was held on the 27th, but the final day was the 29th when Allan and Kirkaldy had an 18-hole playoff to decide second- and third-place position, with Kirkaldy winning 91-92. And one of the most contentious Ryder Cups concluded on this date in 1991 when the “War by the Shore” at Kiawah Island ended in a 14½-13½ U.S. victory. Bernhard Langer missed a 6-foot par putt on the final hole in a Singles match with Hale Irwin that would have ended the team match in a 14-14 tie. The American team celebration caused an uproar.