Francis Ouimet – Heart and Soul of US Golf
Francis Ouimet 1913 US Open
Until last week, I knew who Francis Ouimet was – the amateur who won the 1913 US Open - but I didn’t really understand the influence he had on making the game popular in this country. That all changed after I watched the Bill Paxton film about Ouimet’s victory – Greatest Game Ever. If you’ve never seen this film and are a golf fanatic like this writer, then you are in for a treat. Go rent it or borrow it from your local library like I did and watch it over the Thanksgiving weekend. You’ll come away with a renewed appreciation for the game and the wisdom of his 10 year old caddy.
At the turn of the twentieth century, golf in Britain and the US was very much an upper class game. Golf pros were nothing more than hired hands who kept the members golf clubs in good working condition. They weren’t even allowed into the clubhouses in most cases. They were just more working class stiffs who were supposed to do the bidding of the rich. Even the great Harry Vardon, maybe the greatest golfer ever and the only person to win 6 British Opens, was treated as a second class citizen by the upper class in England.
The US was no different in this respect. Golf was a gentleman’s game, read rich man’s game, played at private clubs that only the wealthiest could join. The story of Francis Ouimet is the story of how the son of a very working class family could not only play in the US Open of 1913, but beat the two best golfers in the world at the time, Harry Vardon and his fellow Brit Ted Ray. I don’t want to give away the plot so I’m not going to tell you how this came to pass. However, it’s not overstatement to say that Francis Ouiment’s victory caught the imagination of the working class masses in the US and made it the game that it is today, much the way Tiger Wood’s emergence excited people of color around the world.
You’ll be amazed at how a kid who was only a caddy and a local Boston amateur could take on the world’s best golfers and forever change the game. It’s only right that Francis Ouimet was the first American to captain the Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St. Andrews. To find out more about Ouimet, click on the picture above to read his bio at the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Related posts:
- Asia Has It’s Own Francis Oiumet Now
- Walk The PGA Tour
- Golfing In Scotland During Hard Times
- PGA Championship – Golf Survives Nicely
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
I just so part of it – the most important part on TV. It seems it couldn’t have happened to a nicer person and his endearing tiny caddie. I’m not much into golf but I recognize it as in all sports – one which requires skill and above all patience.
Just wathced the movie. I’ve played this wonderful game for 57 years and still love it! And the movie……………………inspirational!
I’m halfway through the book, which is a great read so far! Mark Frost does an excellent job. Glad to hear that the movie is good, too. Will definitely check it out once I’m done with the book.