IN THE NAME OF ST. GEORGE

Royal St. George’s first welcomed The Open in 1894, bringing the championship south of the Scottish border for the first time. Old Tom Morris joined a legion of Scottish pros for the long rail journey to England’s south coast although, aged 73, he did not intend to play. However, after four late withdrawals, Morris accepted an invitation to step in. Morris had won four of the first seven Opens but his last victory was back in 1867. After shooting a third round of 100, Morris added his name to the list of

W/Ds. He was not the first, and certainly not the last, to learn the hard way that Royal St. George’s takes no prisoners. It treats reputation with contempt; a foe so cold it made Ben Hogan look warm. J.H. Taylor, aged 23 at the time, won The Open in 1894, becoming the first English professional to do so. Taylor posted a 72-hole score of 326, setting the record for The Open’s highest winning score, which stands to this day. Taylor didn’t break 80 once in four rounds. As for Morris, he would play in one more Open, the following year on his home track, the Old Course, St Andrews.

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