John Shippen | |
---|---|
Personal information | |
Full name | John Matthew Shippen |
Born | [1] Washington, D.C. | December 2, 1879
Died | May 20, 1968 88) Newark, New Jersey | (aged
Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) |
Weight | 158 lb (72 kg) |
Sporting nationality | United States |
Career | |
Status | Professional |
Best results in major championships | |
Masters Tournament | DNP |
U.S. Open | T5: 1896, 1902 |
The Open Championship | DNP |
John Matthew Shippen Jr. (December 2, 1879 – May 20, 1968) was an American golfer who competed in several of the early U.S. Opens. Born in Washington, D.C., he was the son of a former slave and Presbyterian minister, John Shippen Sr. and Eliza Spotswood Shippen, [2] and is believed to be the first American-born golf professional. [3]
Shippen, was of African American and Native American descent. At the age of 16, Shippen earned an assistant professional post at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club where he began giving lessons to some of the club members and became an accomplished player in his own right. [3] Shippen's best finishes came at the 1896 U.S. Open held at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York, and the 1902 U.S. Open held at Garden City Golf Club in Garden City, New York, where he tied for fifth place at both. [2]
When he was nine his father was sent to serve as minister on the Shinnecock Indian Reservation—close to Shinnecock Hills—one of America's earliest golf clubs. John Jr. worked as a caddie at the course and was taught to play by the club's Scottish professional, Willie Dunn Jr.
The Shinnecock Hills course was chosen to host the second U.S. Open in 1896. Shippen played superb golf, finishing in fifth place. [4] Prior to the start of the tournament, some club members had been so impressed with Shippen's talent for the game that they decided to pay his entry fee for the tournament, along with that of his close friend, Oscar Bunn, a Shinnecock Indian.
When the professional entrants for the competition found out a racial controversy had begun, they threatened to boycott the event, [2] but they backed down after USGA president Theodore Havemeyer stated that the tournament would proceed even if only Shippen and Dunn took part. Shippen was paired with Charles B. Macdonald, winner of the first U.S. Amateur in 1895. He was tied for second place after the first of the two rounds, and remained in contention until he drove his ball onto a sandy road at the 13th hole and scored an eleven. If he had made par on that hole, he would have made a playoff for the championship, but he still finished in a tie for fifth and won $10 as the fourth-placed non-amateur. Scottish-born James Foulis won the $150 first prize.
Shippen played in five more U.S. Opens, and his best finish was a tie for fifth in 1902. [5] He made his career in golf and served as professional at several clubs, the last of which was Shady Rest Golf and Country Club in New Jersey, where he worked from 1932 until the club was acceded to the township of Scotch Plains in 1964. [2] As a professional, Shippen made and sold his own clubs which bore a stamp reading "J. M. Shippen". [6]
No other African-American played in the Open until Ted Rhodes took part in 1948.
In 2009, the PGA of America granted posthumous membership to Shippen, Rhodes, and Bill Spiller who were denied the opportunity to become PGA members during their professional careers. The PGA also granted posthumous honorary membership to boxer Joe Louis. [7]
He died on May 20, 1968, at a nursing home in Newark, New Jersey. [8] He is buried at the Rosedale Cemetery in Linden, New Jersey. [9]
When the U.S. Open was played at Shinnecock Hills in 1986, Shippen was remembered during the ABC television broadcast. For many members of the former Shady Rest club, it was the first time they had learned of his accomplishments. [10] The John Shippen Museum is located in the clubhouse of the Shady Rest Golf and Country Club in Scotch Plains. [11] The John Shippen National Invitational Golf Tournament for Black Golfers was established by Intersport in 2021. [12]
Tournament | 1896 | 1899 | 1900 | 1902 | 1908 | 1913 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
U.S. Open | T5 | T25 | T27 | T5 | CUT | T41 |
Note: Shippen played only in the U.S. Open Championship.
"T" indicates a tie for a place
? = Unknown
Yellow background for top-10
Horace Thomas Rawlins was an English professional golfer who won the first U.S. Open Championship in 1895.
Shinnecock Hills Golf Club is a links-style golf club located in an unincorporated area of the Town of Southampton on Long Island, New York, situated between the Peconic Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.
James Foulis, also known as James Foulis Jr., was a Scottish professional golfer who won the second U.S. Open in 1896. He also finished tied for third in the inaugural 1895 U.S. Open held at Newport Golf Club in Newport, Rhode Island.
Craig Ralph Wood was an American professional golfer in the 1930s and 1940s, the winner of 21 PGA Tour titles including two major championships and a member of three Ryder Cup teams (1931, 1933, 1935).
The 2004 United States Open Championship was the 104th U.S. Open, held June 17–20 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Shinnecock Hills, New York. Retief Goosen won his second U.S. Open title, two strokes ahead of runner-up Phil Mickelson, the reigning Masters champion. The purse was $6.25 million with a winner's share of $1.125 million.
The 1986 U.S. Open was the 86th U.S. Open, held June 12–15 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Shinnecock Hills, New York. Raymond Floyd won his fourth and final major, two strokes ahead of runners-up Chip Beck and Lanny Wadkins. It was Floyd's only U.S. Open title and he became its oldest winner, a record he held for four years.
Henry James Whigham was a Scottish writer and amateur golfer. He won the U.S. Amateur golf tournament in 1896 and 1897. Following his first win in the U.S. Amateur, he wrote a golf instruction book. In 1896 he finished fifth in the U.S. Open held at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Southampton, New York.
The 1896 U.S. Open was the second U.S. Open, held July 18 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York. James Foulis won his only major title, three strokes ahead of runner-up Horace Rawlins, the defending champion. Like the first Open, it was a sideshow to the U.S. Amateur. However, there were 35 entrants and 28 finished the 36 holes.
Alfred John Mengert was an American professional golfer.
William Dunn, Jr. was an English professional golfer and golf course designer of Scottish descent. Dunn was born in Blackheath, London, England in about 1864. His best U.S. Open finish was second in the 1895 U.S. Open. He took home $100 as his share of the purse. His best known golf course designs are those found at the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club and the Apawamis Club.
George Douglas was a Scottish professional golfer. Douglas tied for third place in the 1896 U.S. Open, held 18 July 1896 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York.
Andrew Whyte Smith was a Canadian amateur golfer. He finished tied for third place in the 1895 U.S. Open played at Newport Golf Club in Rhode Island and had an identical result in the 1896 U.S. Open, held July 18, 1896, at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York.
William Henry Tucker, Sr. was an American professional golfer and golf course architect of English birth. Tucker placed seventh in the 1896 U.S. Open, held 18 July at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York.
Robert Black "Buff" Wilson was a Scottish professional golfer who played in the late 19th and early 20th century. Wilson placed ninth in the 1896 U.S. Open, held 18 July at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York. He played in the 1897 U.S. Open and finished T11. He had two starts in the Open Championship, in 1890 and 1893, and finished in 22nd and 33rd place, respectively.
William Frederick Davis (1861–1902) was a Scottish professional golfer who designed two of the five charter clubs of the United States Golf Association (USGA) including Shinnecock Hills Golf Club and Newport Country Club. At the time of his death in 1902, Davis was credited as being the first individual to have come to America to make a professional living as a golfer. He was also remembered as leading the movement to establish a championship tournament for professionals.
Isaac S. Mackie was a Scottish-American professional golfer who played in the late 19th and early 20th century. He apprenticed as a club maker under George Forrester. Following his brother Jack—who had emigrated to the United States in 1899—Mackie also made the trans-Atlantic journey in 1901. He took a job as professional at Fox Hills Golf Club on Staten Island soon after his arrival and remained in that post until 1914. In 1916, he was appointed the head professional at Canoe Brook Country Club, replacing Louis Tellier. In 1953 he was the head professional at Netherwood Golf Club in North Plainfield, New Jersey.
Peter Joseph O'Hara was an Irish-American professional golfer who played in the early-to-mid 20th century. His best major championship finishes were a fifth place tie in the 1920 PGA Championship, a T7 finish in the 1924 U.S. Open, and a T8 result in the 1929 U.S. Open.
The 2018 United States Open Championship was the 118th U.S. Open, held June 14–17 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Shinnecock Hills, New York, about eighty miles (130 km) east of New York City on Long Island; it was the fifth time the U.S. Open was held at this course.
The Shady Rest Golf and Country Club is located at 820 Jerusalem Road in the Township of Scotch Plains in Union County, New Jersey. Established in 1921, it was one of the first, if not the first, African American country clubs in the United States. From 1931 to 1964, it was the home of John Shippen (1879–1968), the first American golf professional and the first African American to compete in the U.S. Open. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 7, 2022, for its significance in entertainment, ethnic heritage, recreation, and social history from 1921 to 1964. The township acquired the property in 1938 and converted it to a public golf course in 1964.
Luis Gerardo Gagne is a Costa Rican professional golfer who is best known for finishing low amateur at the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills.