Willie Smith (golfer)
Willie Smith | |
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Personal information | |
Full name | William Smith |
Born | Dundee, Scotland | 8 October 1876
Died | 26 December 1916 Mexico City, Mexico | (aged 40)
Sporting nationality | ![]() |
Career | |
Status | Professional |
Professional wins | 3 |
Best results in major championships (wins: 1) | |
Masters Tournament | DNP |
PGA Championship | DNP |
U.S. Open | Won: 1899 |
The Open Championship | T5: 1910 |
Willie Smith (8 October 1876 – 26 December 1916) was a Scottish golfer. He won the 1899 U.S. Open.
Early life
Willie Smith was born in Dundee, Scotland on 8 October 1876.[1] He learned to play golf in Carnoustie. His brothers Alex and Macdonald were also expert golfers.
Golf career
1899 U.S. Open
Smith worked as a club professional at Midlothian Country Club, near Chicago, in his early adulthood. During this time he won the 1899 U.S. Open, played at Baltimore Country Club's Roland Park Course.[2] He won by a margin of eleven shots. This record wasn't broken during the entire 20th century and wasn't surpassed until Tiger Woods won the 2000 championship by fifteen shots. Smith's prize was $150. He played in nine U.S. Opens in total, and made the top-10 in eight of them, but he did not win again.
Western Open and California State Open
In 1899, Smith won the first Western Open in a playoff against Laurie Auchterlonie. He also won the 1900 California State Open.
Later life
In 1904, Smith moved to
Death
He died of pneumonia on 26 December 1916.[6][7] His body was returned to Scotland for burial in the family plot.
Major championships
Wins (1)
Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runners-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1899 | U.S. Open | 4 shot lead | 77-82-79-77=315 | 11 strokes | George Low,
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Results timeline
Smith played in only the U.S. Open and The Open Championship.
Tournament | 1895 | 1896 | 1897 | 1898 | 1899 | 1900 | 1901 | 1902 | 1903 | 1904 | 1905 | 1906 | 1907 | 1908 | 1909 | 1910 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
U.S. Open | 5 | 1 | 5[8] | 3 | 4[9] | T9 | T13 | 2 | 2 | |||||||
The Open Championship | WD | T5 |
WD = withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place
References
- ScotlandsPeople. Archived from the originalon 21 November 2008. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
- ISBN 978-0-7864-3360-5.
- ^ Kelly, Bill (4 August 2011). "Kelly's Golf History". kellysgolfhistory.blogspot.com. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
- ^ "Chapultepec – Mexico". Top 100 Golf Courses. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
- ^ Ralph, Pat (19 February 2019). "Five things to know about Club de Golf Chapultepec". Golf.com. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
- ^ "Willie Smith is Dead" (PDF). The New York Times. 27 December 1916.
- ^ "Willie Smith, Golf Pro., Dies in Mexico City". Trenton Evening Times. New Jersey. 27 December 1916.
- ^ "Vardon Was the Winner – Took the Open Golf Championship at Wheaton Yesterday". The Saint Paul Globe. Minnesota. 6 October 1900. Retrieved 9 April 2015 – via Minnesota Historical Society.
- ^ "Open Golf Champion". The Saint Paul Globe. Minnesota. 12 October 1902. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
External links
- Article on early Scottish golfers in the U.S. (including the Smith brothers)