PRE 1400: THE ORIGINS OF THE GAME

PRE 1400: THE ORIGINS OF THE GAME
Throughout recorded history, every civilisation has played a game with a club and a ball. Pangea for example, as described by Roman scribes, would appear to be the father both of modern hockey and the Celtic games of Shinty and Hurling.
In one form or another, the variant games of present day golf were clearly enjoyed throughout Europe in the Middle Ages. The game persisted over the centuries and the form that it took and rules that were applied varied as widely as the terrain the game was played over. In short, the game consisted of knocking a ball from one pre-designated place to another where the ball was to be struck off a predetermined object in the least number of blows. Games often extended from village to village.
That this game was ousted from the towns and onto the commons land beyond is one possible solution to the question of how it all began. Whatever the exact origins, it is known that by the 15th century, "kolf" as it was known in the Netherlands and "goff" as it was referred to in England, was a pastime enjoyed by Kings and Commoners alike. It's kinship to the Great Game however, remains entirely questionable.
So widespread was the game of "Gowf", as it was known in Scotland, that an Act of Parliament was passed to prevent the playing of the game on Sundays and thus preserve the skills of Archery. The citizens of Aberdeen, St. Andrews and Leith on Scotland's East Coast were the principal "gowfing" miscreants and it was no coincidence that rolling sandy links land was commonplace here. On this very terrain, a game that started with a cleek and a ball took on a form that started an evolutionary process that continues to this day.
The question of how it all began may be of pressing concern to some but to the Scot, it is sufficient to know that the game was born on the links land of eastern Scotland. Here, the game has been nurtured for over five hundred years and from here, it has been raised to the great game played and loved by millions throughout the world.

1750 - 1850 : THE ROBERTSONS OF ST ANDREWS
This was the period when golf as we know it today came to be. It was in this time that many of today's great golf clubs were founded and the leading players of the era started to gain renown. The great club-makers and ball-makers of the era began to emerge and the clubs produced by these skilled craftsmen were coveted to the extent that forgeries became commonplace.
Top players began to regularly gather for 'meetings' when medal and match-play rounds were organised, with distinctions made for the first time between amateur and professional players. Allan Robertson, of the famous ball-making family in St Andrews, is widely credited as being the first golf professional. But before Allan, his Grandfather Peter was described as a professional golfer and although history knows little of this man, his reputation survived him and his prowess was widely acknowledged. One epic contest in 1843 was between Allan Robertson and Willie Dunn, two of the best players of that time. The challenge was held over 20 rounds (2 rounds per day over 10 days) and it was Robertson who triumphed - two rounds up with one to play.
The Robertson dynasty in itself reflects the emergence of the great game. The family can be traced back to one Thomas Buddo, a ball-maker in St Andrews in 1610. His daughter married a Robertson and from this pair was bred the stock that led to Allan himself and along the line produced generations of ball-makers. At least four separate Robertson families employing over 25 hands were engaged in making balls in St Andrews during the mid 18th Century. Allan by the way, who died in 1859, became the first man to break 80 on what is now the Old Course in 1853.

1850 - 1890 : THE MORRIS AND PARK ERA
If golf as we know it had its birth in the dim and distant past of the 17th century and its upbringing under the Robertson family on the links of St Andrews, then its adolescence occurred abruptly between 1848 and 1852. Three highly significant events occurred in St Andrews that were to turn the game from the parochial into the global. The first of these events was the discovery of the "gutta percha" based ball, known as the "gutty" by James Patterson in 1848. More importantly, the durability of this new ball in turn encouraged the development of iron-faced clubs and so continued the process of evolution.
Then in 1852 the railway came to St Andrews and with it the progenitors of the millions who have made the pilgrimage since. Now the links was played by all and sundry throughout the year and not simply restricted to the busy spring and autumn meetings. The R&A erected it's now famous clubhouse in consequence of the railway, scores of ex-pat colonialists retired to the town and families took up residence so that their sons could attend the University, which was gradually assuming a stature comparable with Oxford and Cambridge. If the 'gutty' transformed the game, the railway certainly transformed the town of St Andrews.
The third event of this period, which comes in two parts, is surely one of the most important events in the long history of the game. Every individual who has made a living out of hitting a golf ball should hold April 20th 1851 as the nativity for that was the birth date of Young Tom Morris, one of the game's greatest early exponents. Similarly, every green-keeper, designer or administrator should express some word of gratitude on the 1st of July for it was on that day in 1851 that Old Tom Morris left for Prestwick to create the first purpose built golf course on the links of Monkton parish.
It was in 1860 that the first Open Championship was held at Prestwick and was contested by eight leading professionals. The first winner was Willie Park for which he received a red Morocco leather belt with silver clasps as the first prize. The Open continued to be held at Prestwick for 11 years and the Morris's dominated the early events. Old Tom had won the event four times by 1867 and Young Tom subsequently completed a quartet of wins, after which he was allowed to keep the Belt.
Young Tom Morris was raised on the links of Prestwick Golf Club and it was there that he honed a game that was as revolutionary as the new iron clubs that he had purpose made by Stewart in St Andrews. Irons that were previously resorted to for a bad lie were now used for driving, lofting, jiggering and putting.
Young Tom Morris also knew his worth and he demanded and obtained a good living from the flair that he brought to the game. In this sense he was the first true modern professional golfer. There may well have been greater players since Young Tom but if there has been, few have left a greater legacy to the game.
The Morris's accrued an incredible record, with Old Tom winning the Open in 1861, '62, '64 and '67, while Young Tom won in 1868, '69, '70 and 72. Across the Firth of Forth in Musselburgh another family came close to matching them when Willie Park Sr. and Jr. won the Open six times between them. Willie Sr. won the first Open in 1860 and again in '63, '66, '67 and '75. His brother Mungo Park won in 1874, while Willie Jr. won in '87 and '89. Old Tom and Willie Sr. won all but one Open (1865) prior to the emergence of Young Tom. Both were much-loved figures and were responsible for the standards of sportsmanship with which the game is synonymous today.

1890 - 1914: THE GREAT TRIUMVIRATE
This era will always be remembered for the mark left on the game of golf by John Henry Taylor, Harry Vardon and James Braid. Known as the great triumvirate, they collected sixteen Open Championships between them and have left an indelible impression on the game of golf.
Harry Vardon hailed from the Channel Island of Jersey and Henry Taylor from Devon in England. The emergence of Vardon and Taylor before the end of the 19th century attests to the rapid spread and widespread play of the game. Both had already established themselves as Open Champions before they were joined by James Braid. The three between them collected 16 Open titles and 13 second-place finishes and almost completely excluded a host of great Scots players from the records of the game during that particular period of time.
John Henry Taylor won the first of his five Open titles in 1894 at St George's in England, now Royal St George's, while Harry Vardon pipped Taylor in a play off in 1896 to land the first of a record six titles. James Braid won his first of five Open Championships in 1901 to join Vardon and Taylor as the dominant forces of the day. Though also winning the French Open, unlike Vardon and Taylor, Braid never made the transatlantic crossing to enjoy the spoils of the newly emerged golfing scene in the USA.
While Vardon won the US Open of 1900 during a tour of America where he played in approximately 80 matches and winning 70 of them, Braid's decision to remain at home was well rewarded as an exhibition match player. Braid also established himself in course design, building Gleneagles and Nairn to name but two of his many jewels.
What started as a trickle of Scots golfers to the US, became commonplace by the turn of the century when anyone who could swing a club on a Scots links was able to find a lucrative niche as a professional in the US. The early US Open Champions were all Scots born players who, as teachers and mentors produced players that would come to further transform the game. One notable such player was Willie Anderson from North Berwick in Scotland, who won the US Open four times including a present day record of three in a row from 1903 to 1905.

1920 - 1939 : BETWEEN THE GREAT WARS
The First World War decimated Scottish golf. Every village war memorial attests to the numbers who fell in France and few clubs are without a memorial to some rising star, who played out his last match on the fields of Flanders. Some great players survived but the consequence of terror gutted their game. Those that came through unscathed were few in number, determined never to see the like again and often took the decision to play in America - golf's promised land.
There was one notable exception in the mercurial George Duncan. Born near Aberdeen, George served his time as a carpenter before rejecting his trade and the offer of professional football with Aberdeen FC to become the professional at Stonehaven, before moving to the lucrative South and acclaim. He won the first post-war Open at Deal in 1920 when Sandy Herd at the age of 51 was runner-up. Duncan also played in the Ryder Cups of '27 and '29, captaining the side in 1931. Scottish golfers were sorely tried by the wave of first generation Americans that returned to assault the Championships after the War. These players transformed the game, bringing a flair and lifestyle that induced some disquiet in the home based players.
Though life in America did not suit all tastes, with the Dunne's and Willie Park Jr. among those who went and returned, there were many more who did not make the return journey. Alistair Mackenzie and Donald Ross from Dornoch were just two who left an indelible mark on America as course architects. The Smiths from Carnoustie, Ben Sayers from North Berwick, Tommy Armour from Edinburgh, the Simpsons from Elie and many others from St Andrews all left lasting impressions in the States and left Scotland bereft of its best and dearest.
Jock Hutchison was the last St Andrews born player to win the Open, while Paul Lawrie was the last native Scot when he won at Carnoustie in 1999. After Jock's win, the Open was dominated by the American, Walter Hagen who won the first of his four Open titles in 1922 at St George's and followed up with victories in '24, '28 and '29. Together with his compatriots Jim Barnes (1925), Gene Sarazen (1932) and the incomparable Bobby Jones who won in 1926 and '27, this was an unprecedented period of Open Championship domination by US players.
The year 1922 saw 20 years old Gene Sarazen burst onto the scene in dramatic fashion, landing both the US Open and US PGA Championship, retaining the latter the following year after a play off with Walter Hagen. Hagen bounced right back after this setback and won the next four PGA Championships from 1924 to 1927. 1923 witnessed the mercurial talent of Bobby Jones winning the first of his four US Open titles and Jones followed this with victory in the Open at Royal Lytham in 1926, retaining it at St Andrews in 1927. The Ryder Cup was held for the first time in 1927, when the United States, captained by Walter Hagen, took on and comprehensively defeated their counterparts from Great Britain & Ireland.

1946 - 1960 : THE EMERGENCE OF THE WORLD GAME
If the First World War decimated Scottish golf, the second came close to gutting it completely. The First War took the players - the Second War took the golf courses.
The Scottish links lands border long sandy beaches, usually in remote places of low population density. As a result, it did not take a brilliant military mind to reason that the links beaches would make for ideal disembarkation sites and the courses equally perfect places for airborne landings. The huge concrete blocks that were erected to stop the movement of tanks from the beaches can still be seen today. The hallowed fairways of the Old Course were staked with massive wooden poles to prevent aircraft landings and Turnberry made the ultimate sacrifice when it was turned into a runway. Few courses remained unscathed - golf was not only suspended for the duration of the War, it was very nearly extinguished.
US golf became pre-eminent and though the Americans may not have been entirely responsible for winning the war, they did win the battle of post-war golf. One could argue that not having experienced the social and economic upheaval of Europe or the long interruption of play, they were infinitely better prepared for the resumption of golfing hostilities. Equally, the sheer numbers that were now playing golf in the US made pre-eminence statistically inevitable. Whatever the reason however, American golfers certainly came to the fore, following the War years.
The US domination of the Open Championship itself however, did not occur after the war as it had in the pre-war era of Hagan and Jones. Sceptics argue that the Americans did not play because doing so would have resulted in loss of earnings at home but history tells a different story. Though Sam Snead won the first post-war Open at St Andrews in 1946 and Ben Hogan was victorious in his only visit to Carnoustie in 1953; every other major figure in US golf had come and gone with notably less success. English players were dominant in the immediate post-war years, with Cotton, Burton, Faulkner and Daly (Irish) all winning.
It was the Colonials however, who were to do the real damage as far as the Open was concerned. Bobby Locke from the Transvaal, a first generation South African Irishman and Peter Thomson, an Australian of solid Scots stock were about to take the golfing world by storm. These two overwhelmed golf in a period of a few years when Locke won in 1947 and '51 and Thomson in '54, '55, '56, '58 and again in '65. Indeed, Thomson never finished worse than second from 1952 to 1958. Their achievements, although less impressive in the US, were nevertheless significant. Thomson beat Hogan on his home turf to take the Texas Open, while Locke was the leading money winner on the US tour. Both these players found their spiritual home on the Scottish links where their best golf was played. Locke was a near resident visitor throughout his life and Thomson now has his home in St Andrews, only a wedge away from the R&A.

1961 - TODAY: THE TRULY GLOBAL GAME OF GOLF
The record books do not lie and Scottish Golf, though healthy at home, was faring ill abroad. The game had become truly global with players from Taiwan and Japan threatening for major honours. The Swedes were gathering amateur honours throughout Europe and there seemed no end to the talent emerging from Spain.
American Golf had come into maturity with a vengeance in the form of Arnold Palmer. Palmer played the game as it should be played - with verve and a swashbuckling style. Palmer was of course idolised in his own country but he found real appreciation in the discerning crowds that lined the links fairways of the Open Championship. Together with Tip Anderson, his St Andrews caddie, Palmer was lord of every links he surveyed.
In Palmers absence in 1964, Tip Anderson carried the bag of Tony Lema through the most testing gales on the Old Course. It was Lema's win more than any other event that put paid to the excuse that the game had changed and that the new form of golf required only an accurate lofted shot to a soft pulpy green - a shot at which the Americans were clearly adept. The leader board of the '64 Open showed that Jack Nicklaus and plenty more US stars could play the chip-and-run under the wind as well as any that had gone before and as well as any of the home bred players.
The reason for the Scottish golfing hiatus during this period may be simply statistical, as the game had grown to the extent that the numbers now playing in every developed country dwarfed the numbers playing in Scotland. There is no doubt that the game itself had changed with the new courses that were being built throughout the world. American architects led by Robert Trent Jones were building courses that were both long and difficult. Greens were soft and holding in contrast to the hard running greens of the links. The grassy fairways presented another type of problem as the ball sat up on the lush grasses and required club contact quite different to that on the tight lies of the links. Possibly of greater significance was the early adoption in the US of the 'big ball' - the 1.66-inch ball that required a different strike and made for greater control.
Great exponents of the game poured out of the US and the US Tour was becoming a multi-million dollar industry with even mediocre golfers, grossing millions of dollars not only through tournament play but also through commercial endorsements. Tip Anderson was still caddying at home in St Andrews when he attained celebrity status in the US without ever setting foot outside the British Isles, backing Palmer in a beer commercial. Television coverage ensured star-status for many players and the American College System, to their credit, acted as a virtual conveyor belt of talent.
Following the foundation of the European Tour and the opening of the Ryder Cup to European players, sponsorship grew and European golf blossomed into a money market comparable to that of the US tour. One final ingredient was required however - a star with the charisma of a Palmer and the appeal of a Nicklaus. And so as they say, a star was born. 1979 saw a smiling young genius becoming the first Spaniard to win the Open, with Jack Nicklaus coming second in the race for the Claret Jug for a record seventh time - Seve had arrived on the world scene.
The 1980's began with Seve Ballesteros becoming the first European to win the Masters and at 23 years old, the then youngest champion. Nicklaus however, continued his remarkable career with his fifth double-major year, winning his fourth US Open and fifth PGA title. Seve won his second Masters title in 1983 and the following season, he collected his second Open Championship when finishing two strokes ahead of Bernhard Langer and Tom Watson, who was attempting to equal Harry Vardon's record of six Open Championship successes.
Lee Trevino won his second US PGA Championship in 1984, made all the more special by the fact that only eight years previously, he was seriously injured having been struck by a lightning bolt. Germany's Bernhard Langer turned the tables on Ballesteros in 1985, beating him in the Masters and gaining revenge for his two-shot defeat in the Open the previous year. 1985 also witnessed the first European success in the Ryder Cup and two years later the US team tasted defeat again but this time on home soil. The Masters of 1986 was perhaps the most thrilling of all. A fantastic late surge from the Golden Bear saw him win his sixth Masters title at the age of 46 - his 21st major victory in an as of yet unparalleled career.
The glory days of Scottish golf briefly returned in 1985 when Sandy Lyle triumphed in the Open Championship at Royal St George's and the amiable Scot added a further major title at the Masters in 1988. Though Ballesteros won his third Open with a scintillating final round of 65, domination of the world game by Nick Faldo had already begun when he won his first major title at Muirfield in 1987, shooting par on every hole in his final round. Two years later, Faldo shot an amazing closing 65 to force a Masters play off with Scott Hoch, which he duly won on the second extra hole. Faldo's best year came in 1990 when he became the only player since Nicklaus to defend his Masters title. Just a few months later, Faldo played the most devastating golf of his life in winning his second Open title at St Andrews and he duly added his third Open two years later, again at Muirfield.
Greg Norman's second Open success came at Royal St George's in 1993. His two-stroke victory over Faldo prompted the late, great Gene Sarazen to comment that this was the greatest championship of all time. Major champions have come and gone over the years, with O' Meara, Olazabal, Stewart and Lawrie among those whose names are now etched on the most prized possessions in golf.
Not until 1994, did a player with the potential to match the greatness of past legends, come along. Speculation started when Tiger Woods won the US Amateur Championship, continued when he retained it the following year, grew when he became the youngest ever champion at the Masters and climaxed as he stormed to six wins out of six starts in the 1999/2000 season. Though Tiger may have a long way to go to be classed in the same league as Palmer and Nicklaus, there are not many who would bet against it.

Here is a brief write up about the history of the game of golf. The origin of the game of golf has never been clearly established. The Romans during the reign of Caesar played a game resembling golf by striking a feather-stuffed ball with club-shaped branches. Book illustrations show the Dutch playing a similar game on their frozen canals about the 15th century. Cross-country variations were popular in France and Belgium.In 1457 golf was banned in Scotland because it interfered with the practice of archery, which was vital to the defense effort. Nevertheless the Scots continued to brave the opposition of both Parliament and church by playing the game on seaside courses called links. Scotland is the home of the world's oldest golf course, St. Andrews, which was used as early as the 16th century. Golf became firmly established in Great Britain by the 17th century when James VI of Scotland, later James I of England, was attracted to the sport. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St. Andrews, the cradle of golf, was founded in 1754. During the 1800s the gutta-percha ball, or "gutty," replaced the feather-filled ball that had been used for centuries. In 1860 the first British Open was played at Prestwick, Scotland. The competition was opened to both professionals and amateurs the following year. The first permanent golf club in North America, Canada's Royal Montreal Club, was founded in 1873. St. Andrews, one of the oldest golf clubs in the United States, was established as a 3-hole layout in 1888 at Yonkers, N.Y. Its founders were known as the "Apple Tree Gang" because of the many apple trees on their course, which was extended to 6 holes on a cow pasture. During the next few years numerous 6-, 8-, 9-, and 12-hole courses were opened in the East. The first 18-hole course in the United States, the Chicago Golf Club, was founded near Wheaton, Ill., in 1893. ------------------------------------------------------------------------Individual coutries have argued for decades as to who invented the game of golf. The Scots and Brits have the best documentation and here is two links to help you learn more for yourself. The first is a timeline of golf from iGolf. The second is an article written by By Malcolm Campbell titled "Battles Lost But A Game Won , The Illustrious History of Scottish Golf" , this is brought to you by World Golf. To return to "Not Just Another Golf Page" use the back button on your browser when done reading these files. Tournament Golf and Champions The governing body of golf in the United States is the United States Golf Association (USGA), which was founded in 1894. The organization, whose headquarters are in Far Hills, New Jersey, rules on ball and club specifications and such regulations as hazards and scoring. It works with the Royal and Ancient Club of St. Andrews in reviewing international rules. The Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA) was founded in 1916, 15 years after the first Professional Golfers' Association was established in Great Britain. It conducts the PGA and PGA Senior tournaments and Ryder Cup competition between members of the American and British PGAs. Both amateurs and professionals compete in open tournaments. Among major tournaments that have the support of the PGA are the United States Open, United States Women's Open, PGA, Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), Masters, British Amateur, British Open , Canadian Open, and United States Amateur and United States Women's Amateur (also known as National Amateurs). Beginning in 1981, the name of the pro circuit was officially changed to the Tournament Players Association (TPA) Tour. Tournament golf became well established as a spectator sport in the United States during the 1920s. Such colorful professionals as Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen, and Tommy Armour added much to the game's public image and popularity. One of the most outstanding early amateurs was Robert T. Jones, Jr., of Atlanta, Ga., who between 1923 and 1930 won five United States Amateurs, four United States Opens, three British Opens, and a British Amateur four of these in 1930 for an unprecedented Grand Slam. Tournament golf suffered during the depression, but after World War II the circuit flourished with such players as Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Jimmy Demaret, and Lloyd Mangrum. Purses and gates increased steadily during the 1950s. With the emergence of Arnold Palmer in the late 1950s and Jack Nicklaus in the early 1960s, tournament golf once again captured the imagination of sports fans everywhere. Nicklaus became the first golfer to win more than 200,000 dollars in a single season (1971) and also the first to earn more than 300,000 (1972). Tom Watson was the first whose season's earnings topped 400,000 (1979) and 500,000 (1980). Curtis Strange was the first million-dollar-a-year player (1988). Tom Kite, the 1989 Player of the Year, set a single-season money-winning record with 1.4 million dollars. By the late 1960s only one player had earned more than one million dollars in his career. Palmer was the first golfer whose career earnings passed the million-dollar mark (1968). Nicklaus, the only golfer to be chosen five times as the PGA Player of the Year, was the first to earn more than 2 million (1973), 3 million (1977), 4 million (1983), and 5 million (1988) dollars. Kite reached 6 million dollars in 1990. Others whose career earnings had passed the 2-million mark by the mid-1980s were Lee Trevino, Watson, Tom Weiskopf, Hale Irwin, and Lanny Wadkins. Outstanding among the early woman golfers was Joyce Wethered, who won the British Ladies' Amateur four times between 1922 and 1929. The Women's Amateur Championship, originated in 1895, produced such champions as Beatrix Hoyt, Alexa Stirling, Margaret Curtis, and Virginia Van Wie all three-time winners and six-time winner Glenna Collett Vare. Winners since 1938 have included such diverse players as Patty Berg, Louise Suggs, Mildred (Babe) Zaharias, JoAnne Gunderson Carner, and Anne Quast. The first three later turned professional and formed the nucleus of the LPGA. Judy Rankin was the first woman golfer to earn more than 100,000 dollars in a season (1976); Beth Daniel, 200,000 (1980); Carner, 300,000 (1982); Nancy Lopez, 400,000 (1985); Betsy King, 500,000 (1989); and Daniel, 600,000 (1990). In 1981 Kathy Whitworth became the first woman golfer with career earnings of more than 1 million dollars. The 2-million mark was reached by Pat Bradley and then Carner in 1986 and by Amy Alcott in 1988. In 1990 Bradley topped 3 million. All of these women are Americans. Some Famous Players Anderson, Willie (1878-1910). An early golfing great from Scotland. Won U.S. Open four times (1901, 1903-05). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ballesteros, Severiano (born 1957). Spanish golfer who turned pro at age 17. Headed Sony World Rankings 1985 when he had five victories. Won six European tournaments in 1986, including his fifth win of the World Matchplay in Wentworth, England. Victories include British Open (1979, 1984, 1988), Masters (1980, 1983). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Berg, Patty (born 1918). Won U.S. Women's Amateur in 1938, U.S. Women's Open in 1946, and seven Women's Titleholders tournaments (1937-39, 1948, 1953, 1955, 1957). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Carner, JoAnne Gunderson (born 1939). Record five-time winner of U.S. Women's Amateur (1957, 1960, 1962, 1966, 1968). Twice won U.S. Women's Open (1971, 1976). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Curtis, Margaret (1883-1965). With sister, Harriot, launched biennial Curtis Cup matches between amateur U.S. and British women golfers. In 1907, when her sister was defending champion, won first of three U.S. Women's Amateur titles. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Evans, Charles (Chick) (1890-1979). First amateur to capture U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open in one year (1916). Played in 50 consecutive U.S. Amateurs, winning again in 1920. Founder of Evans Scholarship Foundation for caddies. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hagen, Walter (1892-1969). First full-time tournament pro, beginning in 1919. Won five PGA titles (1921, 1924-27). Took two U.S. Opens (1914, 1919) and four British Opens in 1920s. First American to hold French and British titles in same year (1922). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hogan, Ben (born 1912). Named greatest pro golfer of all time. Won U.S. Open (1948, 1950-51, 1953), PGA (1946, 1948), Masters (1951, 1953), and British Open (1953). Seen here with his friend Bing. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ JONES, Bobby (1902-71). Regarded as the greatest amateur golfer of modern times, Bobby Jones was the only player in the world to win the grand slam in golf. In one year, 1930, he won the four major tournaments of the time: the British Amateur, the British Open, the United States Amateur, and the United States Open. From 1923 through 1930, Jones won 13 championships in those four annual tournaments, a record that stood until it was surpassed by Jack Nicklaus, a professional, in 1973. During his career Jones won the British Open three times, the British Amateur once, the United States Open four times, and the United States Amateur five times. He played for the United States against Britain in the Walker Cup team matches in 1922, 1924, 1926, 1928, and 1930, winning nine of ten matches. Born on March 17, 1902, in Atlanta, Ga., Robert Tyre Jones, Jr., became a practicing lawyer in that city. After he completed his grand slam in 1930, he never became a professional golfer and rarely played in championship competition. He helped to organize the annual Masters Tournament, first held in 1934, at the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia. In 1958 Jones received the freedom of the burgh of St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland, home of the oldest golf course in the world. He was pronounced honorary burgess and guild brother of the city. He was the first American recipient of this award since Benjamin Franklin was so honored in 1759. Jones died in Atlanta on Dec. 18, 1971. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lopez, Nancy (born 1957). Won 1978 LPGA Player and Rookie of the Year. Won 9 of 24 tournaments in rookie year, and 8 of 19 in 1979. Won Season's Player of the Year award in 1985 by winning five tournaments. Victories include three LPGA tournaments (1978, 1985, 1989). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ NICKLAUS, Jack (born 1940). The only golfer to win all four of the top professional tournaments at least twice was Jack Nicklaus. At 21 he was the youngest player since Bobby Jones to win the United States Open, and at 46 he was the oldest to win the Masters. When he became golf's first 5-million-dollar man in 1988, no other player had amassed as many major titles. Jack William Nicklaus was born in Columbus, Ohio, on Jan. 21, 1940. His father, a pharmacist, took up golf as therapy for an ankle injury, and Jack tagged along on the greens. He played his first round when he was 10. In 1959, while a student at Ohio State University, he became the youngest golfer in 50 years to win the United States Amateur.During that year he was defeated only once in 30 matches. He won the Amateur again in 1961 before he turned professional at an exhibition on Dec. 30, 1961. Nicklaus won no tournaments during his first five months as a pro, but his legendary career took off in June 1962 when he defeated Arnold Palmer at the United States Open. He won that title again in 1967, 1972, and 1980. There were six lean years without a major victory and two years with no victory at all before Nicklaus won his sixth Masters in 1986 by shooting a final-round 65. (The five other Masters titles were gained in 1963, 1965, 1966, 1972, and 1975.) He is considered the greatest final-round player ever. Slow and deliberate, yet powerful, Nicklaus was called the Blond Bear for his sunlit blond hair and sturdy bearing. He won the Professional Golfers' Association (PGA) championship (1963, 1971, 1973, 1975, and 1980), the British Open (1966, 1970, and 1978), and six Australian Open titles. He has designed several golf courses and has written books on golf. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Nelson, Byron (born 1912). Earned prize money in 113 consecutive tournaments. Won Masters (1937, 1942), U.S. Open (1939), and PGA (1940, 1945). Holds record for tournament wins in a season 19 out of 31 in 1945. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ouimet, Francis (1893-1967). Famous "caddy champion." First amateur to win U.S. Open (1913). Won U.S. Amateur (1914, 1931) and French Amateur (1914). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ PALMER, Arnold (born 1929). Whenever Arnold Palmer appeared on a golf course, his hordes of fans dubbed "Arnie's Army" were sure to follow. Palmer was the first professional golfer to earn more than a million dollars a year in prize money, the first golfer to fly his own plane to tournaments, and the first to win the Masters four times in 1958, 1960, 1962, and 1964. From 1954, when he became a professional, through 1975 he won 61 tournaments sanctioned by the Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA). Palmer was born in Youngstown, Pa., on Sept. 10, 1929. His father was a golf professional at the Latrobe Country Club. Arnold was given cut-down clubs at the age of 3, and his father taught him a firm grip. By the time he entered high school he was already an excellent golfer. Palmer attended Wake Forest University on a golf scholarship from 1947 until 1954, with time out for service in the United States Coast Guard. He left college without a degree and worked briefly as a salesman. Palmer turned professional in 1954 after winning the United States Amateur championship. The next year he won his first professional tournament, the Canadian Open. In addition to his four Masters tournament victories, Palmer won the United States Open in 1960 and the British Open in 1961 and 1962. His total winnings were more than a million dollars by 1967. In 1970 Palmer was named athlete of the decade. By the late 1960s Palmer was gradually overtaken in PGA tour victories by a younger golfer named Jack Nicklaus. By the late 1970s Palmer was playing in professional golf's senior circuit. He won senior tournaments in 1980, 1981, and 1984. Much of his time is devoted to Arnold Palmer Enterprises, a division of the National Broadcasting Company. In 1982 he negotiated an agreement to build the first golf course in China. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ PEETE, Calvin (born 1943). First major black golfer. Highly ranked for driving accuracy. During 1982-85 won more money and more PGA events than any other golfer. In 1984 won Vardon Trophy for lowest stroke average on tour. Continued to win tournaments 1985, 1986. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ PLAYER, Gary (born 1935). South African winner of most major events worldwide. Won British Open (1959, 1968, 1974), Masters (1961, 1974, 1978), PGA (1962, 1972), U.S. Open (1965). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ RAWLS, Betsy (born 1928). Won four U.S. Women's Opens (1951, 1953, 1957, 1960). Won 55 tournaments, ten of them in 1959. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ SARAZEN, Gene (born 1902). One of the longest careers in golf history. Won U.S. Open in 1922 at age 20. Took U.S. and British Opens (1932) and PGA (1922-23, 1933). Scored record double eagle in winning Masters (1935). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ SNEAD, Sam (born 1912). Noted for perfect timing of swings. Won record 84 PGA tournaments. Victories included British Open (1946), Masters (1949, 1952, 1954). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ STRANGE, Curtis (born 1955).In 1987 set record for all-time highest earnings in one year ($925,941). Broke that record following year by earning $1,147,644. Won World Amateur Cup (1974), Canadian Open (1985, 1987), U.S. Open (1988, 1989). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ TREVINO, Lee (born 1939). First pro golfer to win U.S., British, and Canadian Opens in one year (1971). Won British (1972), PGA (1974, 1984), Canadian (1977, 1979). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ VARDON, Harry (1870-1937). Greatest of early English golfers. Six-time winner of British Open (1896, 1898-99, 1903, 1911, 1914). Won U.S. Open (1900). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ WATSON, Tom (born 1949). Leading PGA money winner (1977-80, 1984). Twice won Masters (1977, 1981). Five-time winner of British Open (1975, 1977, 1980, 1982-83). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ WHITWORTH, Kathy (born 1939). Set record of 88 career wins (1985). Leading LPGA winner (1965-68, 1970-73). First LPGA winner of 1 million dollars and eight-time LPGA money-winning champion. Won three LPGA Championships (1967, 1971, 1975). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ WRIGHT, Mickey (born 1935). Won four U.S. Women's Opens (1958-59, 1961, 1964) and four LPGA Championships (1958, 1960-61, 1963). Top LPGA money winner of early 1960s. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ZAHARIAS, Babe Didrikson (1914-56). The outstanding American woman athlete of the 20th century was Babe Didrikson Zaharias. She performed in basketball, track and field, and golf. She turned to golf as a form of relaxation in 1932, but in a few years she became the United States' leading woman golfer. Zaharias was born Mildred Ella Didrikson in Port Arthur, Tex., on June 26, 1914. She became an all-American basketball player in 1930 and 1931 while still in high school. In 1932, at the women's annual track and field tournament sponsored by the Amateur Athletic Union, she entered eight events and won five. In the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles she won gold medals for the javelin throw and the 80-meter high hurdles, in both of which she set records. She was deprived of a gold medal in the high jump because of a technicality.She also excelled in softball, baseball, swimming, figure skating, billiards, and even football. After the 1932 Olympic Games she turned professional and took part in exhibitions throughout the country. Didrikson began to play golf casually in 1932, but after 1934 she played the game exclusively. She soon became the leading amateur woman golfer in the United States. In 1946 she won the United States Women's Amateur tournament.In 1947 she won 17 straight golf championships and became the first American winner of the British Ladies' Amateur. She became a professional golfer in 1948, and in 1950 she won the United States Women's Open.In 1954, after a seemingly successful operation for cancer the previous year, she won the Open again as well as the All-American Open. From 1948 through 1951 Didrikson was the leading money winner among women golfers.Didrikson married professional wrestler George Zaharias in 1938. The 1953 cancer surgery proved to have been unsuccessful and had to be repeated in 1956. She died that year on September 27, in Galveston, Tex. Her autobiography, 'This Life I've Led', was published in 1955. A television movie of her life entitled 'Babe' was made in 1975.