FRANCIS OUIMET,
American Golf's Greatest Hero
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There was much
debate over whether Francis should be among the inaugural inductees of the
Golf Ball Factory’s Hall of Club Champions. As one of the requirements
of the hall, is that the individual never have played professional golf.
And Francis had lost his amateur status. But did he play golf for money
during the time he lost his amateur status? Did he ever accept money for
winning? Well, it turns out that Francis was deemed professional because
he was part owner of a sporting goods store. Think about that. He sold
footballs, fishing lures, hunting gear, basketballs and hockey pucks...and
that made him a professional golfer? The truth is the closest that Francis
came to playing professional golf was his exhibition play for the U.S.
Army in WWI. So what’s up with the Untied States Golf Association
ruling? Let’s look at a couple of things that we found hiding under the
grill room rug, so to speak.
Francis, a great golfer came from a poor family; never finished high school and caddied to earn extra money to help support his family. Francis was invited to play in the 1913 US Open golf tournament because they needed one more player, Francis was a decent player and available. But to let you know how little thought the USGA gave this gesture: they didn’t have a caddy for him! He ended up with an 11 year old kid named Eddie Lowery toting the bag. |
All quite charming in the first couple rounds I'm sure. Then Francis not only made the cut but played his way into contention.
While in contention before the final round, Francis was asked to withdraw from the tournament! Can you imagine this? You’re in contention to winning the US Open Golf Tournament entering the final round, and somebody asks you to withdraw! Francis in his naiveté simply said, "Oh, no thank you. I’m really enjoying myself and would really like to finish the tournament." Well, finish it he did. Shooting a stunning 72 to force himself into a 3-way playoff with Harry Vardon and Ted Ray. In 2005 a parallel to this would be for Joe the Ranger Picker forcing himself into a 3-way playoff for US Open with Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh! Vardon and Ray were the number 1 and number 2 golfers in the world at the time.
The morning of the playoff, it was deemed that Francis should have a real caddy, now that all but three from the field had been eliminated and several caddies were available, rather than this young and somewhat brazen boy. Francis Ouimet, forever the gentleman, simply replied, "No thank you. I’ll stick with Eddie."
Well, be damned, then he goes out and wins the US Open, with an 11 year old caddy!
The stuffed shirts of the USGA and The Country Club of Brookline, Massachusetts must have been ready to explode. Some punk poor-boy, a gentleman, no less, accepts our token invitation to play in the US Open, and then goes out with that rascal of a caddie and wins the damned thing beating the two best golfers in the world in a 3-way playoff. Well vengeance had to be gotten somehow, thus the revoking of his amateur status.
Well bite me. To prove the utter nonsense of the USGA ruling and its purely political motivations, they had to reverse their decision in 1918 after Francis proved himself invaluable to his country during WWI, that along with public pressure and political pressure, caused the reversal to take place.
The Caddie Strikes Gold
With Francis not collecting any winner’s purse in the US Open, he had no money to pay Eddie Lowery, his caddy. Harry Vardon and Ted Ray passed the hat amongst those in the gallery to collect some tip money for Eddie Lowery. They ended up collecting more money than the entire winning purse of the US Open, giving Eddie a major financial jumpstart in his career. Eddie's life story turned out to quite interesting as he not only became a top businessman but a Massachusetts Amateur Golfing Champion as well.
The Francis Ouimet story is one of the best in American Golf. If you wish to learn more, we suggest you read "The Greatest Game Ever Played" or "A Game of Golf" written by Francis himself. The humbleness of this kind and thoughtful gentleman is refreshing in this day and age. A visit to the Francis Ouimet Museum in Norton, MA might also be worth your time. Some of the golf clubs used by Francis Ouimet in the 1913 open are on display at USGA Museum.
Francis is the first inductee into the Golf Ball Factory Hall of Champions.
If you'd like to
learn more about Francis Ouimet,
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