Considered "The Father of American Golf," Francis Ouimet has been named to every Golf Hall of
Fame, and has a room named after him in the USGA Museum.
And now the USGA
Museum has acquired four of the irons Ouimet used for his Open victory in 1913.
Ouimet won the 1913 U.S. Open as a
20-year-old amateur playing at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts,
where he used to caddie, playing against Britons Harry Vardon and Ted Ray.
Ouimet claimed the victory after an 18-hole playoff against the two Brits.
He also won the U.S. Amateur Championship twice,
in 1914 and 1931. He played on the first eight Walker Cup Teams and was Captain
of the next four for a team record of 11-1. In 1951 he became the first
American elected Captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews and
in 1955 was the first-ever winner of the Bob Jones Award, the highest honor
given by the United States Golf Association in recognition of distinguished
sportsmanship in golf.
According to the USGA Museum, Ouimet gifted
these clubs to Eddie Lowery, the 10-year-old caddie who had carried his bag
during the championship.
Lowery held on to the clubs for several years, but concerns about their
security prompted him to sell them to a good friend. This past January, the
USGA was fortunate to acquire these clubs from a Connecticut couple who had
obtained the clubs from Lowery’s friend and subsequently cared for them for
some 25 years.
The four irons acquired by the museum include
Ouimet’s mid iron, mashie, mashie niblick, and jigger (the equivalents of the
modern 2-iron, 5-iron, 7-iron, and utility/chipping club).
Ouimet’s story, along with
his clubs, will be featured in the USGA’s new Arnold Palmer Center for Golf
History, scheduled to open in 2008. For photos and more information about the
USGA Museum and Francis Ouimet’s golf clubs, visit The USGA Web site at
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