| Tom Morris, Jr. | |
 Young Tom Morris wearing the Championship Belt |
|
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Tom Morris, Jr. |
| Nickname | Young Tom |
| Born | 20 April 1851 St Andrews, Fife |
| Died | 25 December 1875 (aged 24) St Andrews, Fife |
| Nationality |  Scotland |
| Career | |
| Status | Professional |
| Best results in Major Championships (Wins: 4) |
|
| Open Championship | Won: 1868, 1869, 1870, 1872 |
| Achievements and awards | |
| World Golf Hall of Fame | 1975 (member page) |
Tom Morris, Jr. (20 April 1851 – 25 December 1875), known as "Young Tom Morris", was one of the pioneers of professional golf.
He was born in "The Home of Golf", St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, and died there on Christmas Day, 1875 at the age of twenty-four. His father, Old Tom Morris, was the greenskeeper of the St Andrews Links and had won four of the first eight Open Championships.
For many years it was thought on the basis of a baptismal certificate that Morris was born on 10 May, 1851, but in 2006 his birth certificate was discovered in Edinburgh, Scotland.[1]
"Young Tom" won the Open Championship in 1868, 1869, 1870, and 1872; all four championships were played at Prestwick Golf Club, the course where he had learned golf as a youth. There was no Open Championship in 1871. In 1868, he scored the first recorded hole in one of the Open Championships on the 8th hole at Prestwick. [1] In 1869 his father finished second to him, a unique family occurrence in the Championship. Young Tom was allowed to keep the original Championship Belt after his hat-trick of victories, so the famous Claret Jug was purchased for the next tournament in 1872, and his became the first name to be engraved on it. During his 1870 win, he scored a 3 on the first hole of 578 yards, using hickory shafts and a gutty ball, holing a long fairway shot; given the distances which were possible at that time, this may have been the first-ever albatross (double eagle), assuming a par of 6 for that hole.[2] A monument at Prestwick marks the feat.
The Tom Morrises, father and son, frequently competed as partners against all challengers for match stakes, and it is said that they never lost a match. He toured Scotland and parts of England with fellow golfer David Strath playing exhibition matches.[2]
In a match play in September 1875 between Old and Young Tom and Willie and Mungo Park, Young Tom received a telegram that his pregnant wife, Margaret Drinnen, had suddenly got very sick. Old Tom and Young Tom hurried home but when Young Tom got there his wife and newborn baby were dead. Young Tom was broken hearted and died three months later on Christmas Day.
Open Championship wins (4)
| Year | Championship | 36 Holes | Winning Score | Margin | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1868 | The Open Championship | 2 shot deficit | (51-54-49=154) | 3 strokes | Tom Morris, Sr. |
| 1869 | The Open Championship (2) | 4 shot lead | (50-55-52=157) | 11 strokes |  Bob Kirk |
| 1870 | The Open Championship (3) | 5 shot lead | (47-51-51=149) | 12 strokes | Davie Strath, Bob Kirk |
| 1872 | The Open Championship (4) | 5 shot deficit | (57-56-53=166) | 3 strokes | Davie Strath |
 Old Tom Morris with Young Tom Morris ca. 1870-75 |
Apr2006.jpg) Grave memorial, St Andrews, Fife |
References
- ^ Notes: Young Tom Morris gets 20 days older, pgatour.com, 1 August, 2006.
- ^ http://www.prestwickgc.co.uk/history.html
External links
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