Willie Park Jr.
Willie Park Jr. | |||
---|---|---|---|
Personal information | |||
Full name | William Park Jr. | ||
Born | Musselburgh, Scotland | 4 February 1864||
Died | 22 May 1925 Edinburgh, Scotland | (aged 61)||
Sporting nationality | ![]() | ||
Career | |||
Status | Professional | ||
Best results in major championships (wins: 2) | |||
Masters Tournament | NYF | ||
PGA Championship | DNP | ||
U.S. Open | CUT: 1919 | ||
The Open Championship | Won: 1887, 1889 | ||
Achievements and awards | |||
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William Park Jr. (4 February 1864 – 22 May 1925) was a Scottish
Early years
This section needs additional citations for verification. (July 2023) |
Park was born in Musselburgh, Scotland, on 4 February 1864.[3] His father, Willie Park Sr., was one of Scotland's top golfers, winning the first Open Championship in 1860,[4] and three further Open Championship titles. Park Jr. learned golf from childhood. His father also ran a successful golf equipment business, producing clubs and balls to order. Park Sr. also played challenge matches for stakes, and competed in professional tournaments.
The
Open champion
Park caddied and played golf professionally, in stakes matches and tournaments, from his mid-teens. He developed his golf skills and played in his first Open Championship in 1880, at age 16, at which time he was already one of Scotland's best players. He worked in the family golf equipment business. Park won the Open in 1887 and 1889. In the latter year he was taken to a playoff by Andrew Kirkaldy. During his competitive career, Park placed in the top ten 12 times at the Open, and was out of the top eight only twice between 1881 and 1892. He was notable for his excellent short game, which compensated for a sometimes unreliable long game. He is famous for the saying: "A man who can putt is a match for anyone."
Businessman
At the time, it was very difficult, if not impossible, for a golfer to make a living from prize money alone. Park often played challenge matches. He took over the family ball and club making business, establishing an export business just when golf was beginning to spread internationally. He patented several golf club designs.
Golf writer
Park's The Game of Golf (1896) was the first book about golf written by a professional golfer. It was well received, and has proven continuously popular since, being available in a modern, unabridged edition from Arcturus Publishers (2010). Park's second book, The Art of Putting, was published in 1920.
Golf course architect
He also worked as a
United Kingdom designs
Park's first well-known design was the Old Course of the
Park designed Temple Links, now Temple Golf Club, in Hurley, Berkshire, in 1909. He routed the course over rolling chalk downs, giving wide views of the surrounding countryside. Donald Steel described it as "challenging enough to keep good players at full stretch without diminishing the enjoyment of the rank and file".[6]
Canadian designs
Park's highly regarded course designs in Canada include
United States designs
Park's well-known United States courses include the Hot Springs Country Club in Hot Springs, Arkansas, the Rolling Road Golf Club in Catonsville, Maryland, the
Park designed Moonbrook Country Club in Jamestown NY as well as the Castine Golf Club in Castine, Maine in 1921. However, his final design would be a nine-hole course, St. Johnsbury Country Club in 1923 located in St. Johnsbury Vermont. His brother Mungo Park had to go to Vermont to finish the construction after Willie Park Jr. became ill and returned to Scotland.
Family
Park's daughter, golfer Doris Park, was runner-up in the 1937
Death
Overwork on his design business led to a decline in health and his eventual death, at age 61 on 22 May 1925.[11] His health had been in decline for some time; Park knew he was dying, and traveled home from the United States to Scotland, in order to die in his home country.[5] He died in Edinburgh, although his "usual residence" was given as Musselburgh.[11]
Major championships
Wins (2)
Year | Championship | 18 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1887 | The Open Championship | 5 shot deficit | 82-79=161 | 1 stroke | ![]() |
1889 | The Open Championship (2) | 1 shot deficit | 39-38-39-39=155 | Playoff 1 | ![]() |
1 Park defeated Kirkaldy by five strokes in a 36-hole playoff.
Results timeline
Tournament | 1880 | 1881 | 1882 | 1883 | 1884 | 1885 | 1886 | 1887 | 1888 | 1889 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Open Championship | 16 | T5 | T18 | 8 | T4 | T4 | T4 | 1 | T11 | 1 |
Tournament | 1890 | 1891 | 1892 | 1893 | 1894 | 1895 | 1896 | 1897 | 1898 | 1899 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Open Championship | T4 | 6 | 7 | T19 | 12 | T14 | T22 | 2 | 14 |
Tournament | 1900 | 1901 | 1902 | 1903 | 1904 | 1905 | 1906 | 1907 | 1908 | 1909 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Open Championship | 6 | T18 | T23 | T15 | T12 | T13 | WD |
Tournament | 1910 | 1911 | 1912 | 1913 | 1914 | 1915 | 1916 | 1917 | 1918 | 1919 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
U.S. Open | NT | NT | CUT | |||||||
The Open Championship | T38 | CUT | NT | NT | NT | NT | NT |
Note: Park only played in The Open Championship and the U.S. Open.
NT = No tournament
WD = Withdrew
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Team appearances
- England–Scotland Professional Match (representing Scotland): 1903 (winners), 1904 (tie), 1905 (tie), 1907, 1910
References
- ^ "1887 Willie Park Jr". The Open. Archived from the original on 26 November 2011. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
- ^ "Willie Park Jr. selected for World Golf Hall of Fame". PGA Tour. 15 November 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
- ScotlandsPeople. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
- ^ Duncan, George (1951). Golf At The Gallop. p. 7.
- ^ ISBN 978-0004900308.
- ^ Lorne Smith (2009), "Temple", Fine Golf
- ^ "Golf Course - Sylvania Country Club".
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ "A History Of The Penn State Golf Courses". Onward State. 31 August 2015.
- ^ "Jessie Valentine: queen of golf 1958". BBC. 17 October 2014.
- ^ ScotlandsPeople. Retrieved 15 February 2015.