Harry Vardon

Harry Vardon

Harry Vardon (May 9, 1870 – March 20, 1937) was an English golfer and member of the fabled Great Triumvirate of the sport in his day, along with John Henry Taylor and James Braid. His natural talent, mental strength, and technichcal skill, gave him the tools to help him win 62 tournaments during his career. Among his wins are six Open Championships victories, and one U.S Open title, he was the first British golfer to win the U.S Open.

Early History

Harry Vardon was born in Grouville, Jersey, Channel Islands to his parents Philippe George Vardon and Elizabeth Augustine. He grew up with five brothers and two sisters, and was the fourth oldest of the boys. Harry did not grow up in a privliged background, and was a thin, frail youngster as a child. From a very young age, he loved sports and suceeded at Cricket, Football, and Golf. Although Harry would eventually be a golf star, his first ambition was to become a professional cricket player.

Grouville Golf

When Harry was at the age of seven, a group of golf enthusiasts found a placeo fland in Grouville, and developed a golf course. After facing some opposition from rafmers, the group got a permit and named the course the Golf Inn, now the Royal Jersey Golf Club. Shortly after the introduction of the course, golfers from all over England came to play on the new links, and the people of his home town started to become interested in the sport. Harry became a caddie for the course, and soon after picked up the sport for himself. Since the course was off limit to caddys , Vardon and his friends found some vacnt land and made a minature course with four holes totaling around 50 yards each in distance. Not only did they make their own course, but because they lacked equipment, they made their own. They used big white marbles for balls, which were about half the size of a regulation golf ball. For clubs they cut branches off oak trees and trimmed the branch down so it looked like head of a driver.

After practice, the kids became talented at making the golf clubs. When the oak heads began to wear and tear, they would use tin headed clubs, nown as brassies. While the new invention enlongated the life of the club, the rough sruface producted calouses on the palms of the golfers hands. One theory in the book, Golf: It's history, people, and events says that Vardon" says that Harry invented his famous grip during this time to avoid the pain caused by the tin. To make time to play at their course, the group had to play after at night, and had heated stroke play match competitons under the stars.

Later on, the youngsters found used golf balls to use on the course, and took damaged clubs from golf members for hom they caddied for duirng work. After repair, they would use the clubs for as long as they lasted, but they usually broke after a short amount of time. When the group got lucky, they were rewarded by their hard work with a un-damaged club by a member of the club.

Working Boy, Early Golf Sucess

At the age of 12, Harry was un-happy with school and wanted to help his family's limited means so he left to work for a local farmer. He was a gardener for the man, and sometimes got the chance to play golf with him after his employer gave him a set of old clubs.

When Harry was 16, he joined a working-men's club and won the first prize at the event the same year. Even though his interest in golf was starting to intensify, the main reason he became so enthaled by the game was because of the succes of his younger brother Tom. His brother finished second in a golf tournament in muselburgh, and entrered a club-making shop at St. Anne's on the sea. propelling his older brother's interest.

At the age of 20, Harry got a job as a greenskeeper at a new nine hole golf course in Ripton. Although he was content to say in Jersey, his brothers influence led to him leaving home for the employment opportunity. After some time in Ripton, he moved on to another courseI in Bury, where he started to build his reputaiton as a good golfer. At the new course, several top golfers were members that could spread the word of the young Vardon's talent. Because of this Vardon arranged a match with Alexander Herd of Huddersfield, a 36-hole competition where 18 holes would be played on each man's home course. Harry was very nervous for his first professional match, and coudl hardly hold the clubs when he attmepted a swing, resulting in a blowout loss. After defeat, the young golfer was upset at his in-ablity to stay calm during the match, and it forever changed his demanor on the links.

Professional Career

Although his first professonal match was two years prior, Vardon's career really took off at 23 when he enteretd the 1893 Open Championship at Preswick Golf Club in Scotland. He finished the tournament well off the leaderboard, but it was at his first Open Championship where he met many professional golfers and some of his closest friends.

Shortly after the Open, he entered a small event at Ilkley Golf Club, the third oldest club in Yorkshire. After the event in Yorkshire, he played in a 36-hole competition at Kilmacolm Golf Club, Scotland, where he won his first tournament. His score of 162 strokes over 36 holes allowed him to take home first prize of £5.

The following year in the 1894 Open at Royal St Georges Golf Club, in Sandwich, Vardon finished in fifth place.

In 1895, the Open is played at the world renouned [[St Andrew’s Golf Club] in Scotland. While Vardon achieved the lowest score in the first round, he ended up only tying for 9th place along with his brother Tom after its completion. For the second year in a row, the title went to Vardon's friend J.H Taylor. After the tourament, Vardon went with his brother to Royal Port Rush Golf Club. It was here the young golfer played in the first professional tournament in Ireland, and almost took home the victory before being beaten by Sandy Herd in the final round.

First Open Championship Victory

After watching J.H Taylor take home two consecutive titles, Vardon realized that he had to step up his game if he were to defeat the established professional. Early in 1896, he left his work in Bury to take a job at Gaton Golf Club. After his arrival, his new club arranged for a match between Vardon and the Open Championships winner, J.H Taylor, a match Harry would win 8 and 6 (leading by eight strokes with six to play).

Vardon took this momemtum, and his play from the two previous at the Open, to win the the his first of six Open Championships titles at the 1896 tournament inMuirfield, Scotland. He shot a 316 during his four rounds of play, and won the title after a playoff against none other than J H Taylor. Vardon clamied the reason for the win was because of his great appraoch shots that allowed him to avoid three-putting a single green during the tournament.

Hardon's Hot Streak

Soon after his major championship, Vardon became a role model for the game of Golf. His influence no longer was felt in just his hometown, but all over the golfing community as he won three Open Championships and the 1900 U.S Open over the next seven years.

In 1897, he would finished sixth at the Open Championships at Hoylake but took home first at several events including tournaments at Carnoustie Golf Club, Ely Golf Club, Windermere Golf Club

The next two years, Vardon would win the 1898, and 1899 [The Open Championship|Open Championships]] at Preswick, and Royal St Georges. After this win in 1899, G Spalding, a famous manufacturer of golf equipment, named its new ball the ‘Vardon Flyer’.

In 1900, Harry made the decision to golf inAmerica, and sailed over to the United States in January. While in the states, he played in more than 80 exhibition matches all over the country. During his trip he was paid to endorse E Spaling products for $5,000, and also made a side profit advertising golf goats and muscle balm. Vardon returned to England for two weeks to play in the Open finishing in second to JH Taylor. He then traveled back to America to compete in and win the [[U.S Open (Golf)| U.S Open] at the Wheaton Golf Club in Illnios. The victory made him the first Englishman to win both tournaments.

The next year, he became one of the founding members of the PGA Tour, and finished second to James Braid in the 1902 [[The Open Championship|Open Championship] in Muirfield, Scotland. In the same year he contracted the rare disease Tuberculosis.

After bouncing back from his second place finish the year before to win the 1903 [[The Open Championship|Open Championship], the brilliant golfer entered a dreadful slump.

Vardon's Slump

Some of his biggest critics said that Vardon entered his slump because he left his game in America, but the truth behind the slump was because of something else- putting jitters. While for a period of time there were many rumblings for the reason of the slump, Vardon eventually admitted that it was endeed his nerves on the putting surface that effected his game: "His confidence on the green was shaken...He got to the point that he felt a cold chill everytime he walked up to a short putt. He did not mind the 5- and 6- footers. He dreaded putts of 2- and 3-feet. Even in his later years, Vardon said he lost little or none of his power off the tee and none of this steadiness with his irons. Yet his confidence on the green was shattered, resulting in failure after failure"

Bouncing Back, Later Golf Years

The phenonmal golfer bounced back to win his country's open in 1911 at Sanwhich and again in 1914 at Preswick, when he beat [J.H Taylor]] during the latter victory by three strokes.

He also returned to the states to compete in the 1913 [U.S Open (Golf)|U.S Open], tying for first with Francis Ouimet and Ted Ray. Although he ended up losing to Ouimet, an American ex-caddy, it was a brilliant effort by the "Grand Old Man" of British Golf.

Vardon won his last major in 1914, but continued to play the game until he retired from the game after the 1926 Open. Over the last 12 years of his career, he had a large number of impressive recolades including: a 2nd place finish at the U.S Open during his 3rd trip to the states in 1920 and winning the Prince of Wales, News of the World metals.

After his final trip to America, he returned home to warn his fellow Britains that America was starting to become a golf powerhouse. "The yanks were a zestful, enthusiastic lot and John Bull would be wise to keep his trophy cabinet tightly locked."

Harry Vardon passes away on the March 20, 1937 and is laid to rest at St Andrews Church, in Totteridge, Hertfordshire, England. Totteridge, Hertfordshire, England

Legacy

Harry Vardon had a great effect on the game of golf from all areas. He won six Open Championships| on his own soil, and became the first british golfer to win the [U.S Open (Golf)|U.S Open] when he took the title in 1900. After his death, the PGA of America created the Vardon Trophy. It is awarded annually to the player on the PGA Tour with the year's lowest adjusted scoring average. Vardon was also a great teacher of the game, as he went on to write books on the game's strategy up until his death in 1937. He was a great champion and a gentleman who despite his fame, always had a passion for helping others. Harry Vardon was a private and modest individual. A biography of Harry Vardon, published in 1991 and authored by his daughter-in-law, Audrey Howell, provides much intimate detail about the life of this champion.

Major Championships

Wins (7)

Year	Championship	54 Holes	Winning Score	Margin	Runners Up
1896	The Open Championship		(316)	Playoff 1	J.H. Taylor
1898	The Open Championship (2)	2 shot deficit	(307)	1 stroke	Willie Park, Jnr.
1899	The Open Championship (3)	11 shot lead	(76-76-81-77=310)	5 strokes	Jack White
1900	U.S. Open	4 shot lead	(79-78-76-80=313)	2 strokes	J.H. Taylor
1903	The Open Championship (4)	7 shot lead	(73-77-72-78=300)	6 strokes	Tom Vardon
1911	The Open Championship (5)		(303)	Playoff 2	Arnaud Massy
1914	The Open Championship (6)	2 shot deficit	(73-77-78-78=306)	3 strokes	J.H. Taylor

¹ Defeated J.H. Taylor in 36-hole playoff by 4 strokes
² Defeated Arnaud Massy in 36-hole playoff: Massy conceded after 35 holes

See also

• Golfers with most major championship wins
• Most wins in one PGA Tour event

References and Notes

</references>

• Wind, H, and Sarazen, G. 1990. "Thirty Years of Championship Golf: The Life and Times of Gene Sarazen". A & C Black. ISBN-10: 0713632372.
• [www.harrvardon.com]
• Vardon,H. 1905. [2001]. "The Complete Golfer". Fredonia Books. ISBN 1589635825.

External links

• Harry Vardon profile at golf legends

Adapted from the article Harry Vardon, from Wikinfo, licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.

U.S. Open champions

The Open champions

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