William Horne (golfer)

Last updated

William Horne
Personal information
Full nameWilliam Henry Horne
Born1880
Dover, Kent, England
Sporting nationalityFlag of England.svg  England
Career
StatusProfessional
Professional wins2
Best results in major championships
Masters Tournament DNP
PGA Championship DNP
U.S. Open DNP
The Open Championship 7th: 1909

William Henry Horne (born 1880) was an English professional golfer. He finished in the top 10 in the Open Championship in 1909 and 1920 and was South African Open champion in 1919. He was a well-travelled professional and was also renowned for his long hitting.

Contents

Golf career

Horne was first professional at Royal Guernsey Golf Club in 1905. [1] He then became the first professional at Carlsbad Golf Club in 1906. Carlsbad is a spa town that was then part of Austria but is now in the Czech Republic. [2] He was then at Beckenham Golf Club in 1907 and 1908 and at Chertsey Golf Club from 1909 to early 1912, when he resigned. [3] He then moved to Greatstone Golf Club at Littlestone-on-Sea [4] which he was representing when finishing third in the 1912 Baden-Baden Open Championship of Germany. [5]

Later in 1912 he travelled to New York and worked for a stunt as a "masked golfer" at the public golf course in Van Cortlandt Park, New York. [6] [7] [8] In early 1914, he became professional at Durban Golf Club in South Africa. In 1919, he won the South African Open by 9 strokes. [9]

He returned to England in late 1919 and played in a few tournaments in 1919 and 1920. In 1922, he became professional at Rye Country Club in New York.

At the North Berwick Tournament in 1909, Horne set a record for the longest drive in a competition at 388 yards. At the 13th hole, played to a temporary green, Horne reached the green on the downhill sloping hole 12 yards short of the pin. There were initial reports that the drive was as much as 469 yards, but this seems to have been due to confusion about the tee used or the use of the temporary green. The distance was later measured. [10] [11]

Professional wins

Results in major championships

Tournament19071908190919101911191219131914191519161917191819191920
The Open Championship T257WDT35T20NTNTNTNTNTT9

Note: Horne only played in The Open Championship.

  Top 10
  Did not play

NT = No tournament
WD = withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place

Family life

Horne was married to Hilda Barker, who was born on Guernsey. She left England in 1923 to join her husband. William and Hilda are both recorded in the 1940 US census living in Harrison, New York. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Henry Taylor</span> English professional golfer (1871–1963)

John Henry "J.H." Taylor was an English professional golfer and one of the pioneers of the modern game of golf. Taylor is considered to be one of the best golfers of all time. He was a significant golf course architect. Taylor helped to found the British PGA, the world's first, and became respected for his administrative work. He also wrote two notable golf books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Barnes</span> English professional golfer (1886–1966)

James Martin Barnes was an English golfer and a leading figure in the early years of professional golf in the United States. He is one of three native Britons to win three different modern major professional championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Vardon</span> Jersey professional golfer (1870–1937)

Henry William Vardon was a professional golfer from Jersey. He was a member of the Great Triumvirate with John Henry Taylor and James Braid. Vardon won The Open Championship six times, and also won the 1900 U.S. Open.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arnaud Massy</span>

Arnaud George Watson Massy was one of France's most successful professional golfers, most notable for winning the 1907 Open Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fred McLeod (golfer)</span> Scottish-American golfer

Frederick Robertson McLeod was a Scottish-American professional golfer who had a distinguished career in the United States, which included victory in the 1908 U.S. Open. He was born in Kirk Ports, North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ted Ray (golfer)</span> English professional golfer (1877–1943)

Edward Rivers John Ray was a British professional golfer, one of the leading players of the first quarter of the 20th century. He won two major championships, the Open Championship in 1912 and the U.S. Open in 1920, and contended in many others. He was captain of the British team in the inaugural Ryder Cup, in 1927.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Sayers</span> Scottish professional golfer, golf architect and manufacturer

Bernard "Ben" Sayers was a Scottish professional golfer, who later became a distinguished golf teacher, golf course designer and manufacturer of golf clubs and equipment. Sayers had a reputation for making good quality gutta-percha golf balls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Duncan (golfer)</span> Scottish professional golfer (1883–1964)

George Duncan was a Scottish professional golfer. He was also a golf course designer. His much sought-after professional teaching and swing analysis skills lead to him being referred to as "the pro's pro." He won the 1920 Open Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack White (golfer)</span> Scottish golfer

John White was a Scottish professional golfer. He posted six top-10 finishes in the Open Championship, including a victory in 1904.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toronto Golf Club</span> Private golf club in Mississauga, Ontario

The Toronto Golf Club is a private golf club in Mississauga, Ontario, a suburban municipality to the west of Toronto. Established in Toronto in 1876, it is the third-oldest golf club in North America, after the Royal Montreal Golf Club and the Royal Quebec Golf Club. The Toronto Golf Club adopted its current name in 1909 and moved to its present location in 1913. The club has hosted the Canadian Open five times and the Canadian Amateur Championship nine times, more than any other club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Hobens</span> Scottish-American golfer

John Owen "Jack" Hobens was a Scottish-American professional golfer. He was born in Dunbar, Scotland, to Thomas Hoben and Elizabeth (Annie) Owen. He learned the game of golf by starting out as a caddie. Jack had five brothers and a sister.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Gullane</span> Scottish golfer

Henry Gullane was a Scottish professional golfer. Gullane finished in eighth place in the 1899 U.S. Open, held 14–15 September 1899, at Baltimore Country Club in Baltimore, Maryland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Mayo (golfer)</span> English professional golfer (1884–1977)

Charles Henry Mayo was an English professional golfer of the early 20th century. Mayo won the 1911 Belgian Open held at the Royal Golf Club of Belgium. Frenchman Arnaud Massy finished in second place. He had seven starts in the Open Championship, his best finish being T11 in 1912. He finished runner-up in the 1908 French Open and had five international appearances representing England against Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Fotheringham</span> Scottish-American golfer

George Lyall Fotheringham was a Scottish-American professional golfer who played in the early 20th century. He won the South African Open five times and was a founding member of the PGA of America.

William Martin Watt was a Scottish professional golfer. He won the Scottish Professional Championship in 1912 and tied for 8th place in the 1923 Open Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Thomson (golfer)</span> Scottish golfer

Robert Thomson was a Scottish professional golfer who played in the late 19th century into the early 20th century. Thomson had two career top-10 finishes in the Open Championship. In 1903 he finished tied for 6th place and in 1905 finished 7th.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Hepburn (golfer)</span> Scottish professional golfer

James Melville Dron Hepburn was a professional golfer from Scotland who played in the late 19th century into the early 20th century. He once served as the secretary of the British PGA and later became one of the founding members of the PGA of America. As a player, he posted two top-10 finishes in the Open Championship, a T8 result in 1909 and a T10 finish in 1911.

James Benjamin Batley (1876–1964) was an English professional golfer. His main successes came in foursomes events, winning the 1909 London Professional Foursomes Tournament and the 1914 Sphere and Tatler Foursomes Tournament. He played for England in the 1912 England–Scotland Professional Match.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mungo Park Jr.</span> Scottish golfer and golf course architect

Mungo Park Jr. was a pioneer in South American golf and golf clubmaking. Park was also a successful golfer and golf course architect. He won the Argentine Open three times, including the inaugural championship in 1905. He was part of the famous Park family from Musselburgh that won a total seven Open Championships in the 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Livingstone (golfer)</span> Golfer and clubmaker(1880–1968)

George Wylie Alexander Livingstone was a Scottish golf professional who emigrated to the U.S. in 1912. He is best known for breaking Bobby Jones' world record for 36 consecutive holes of tournament play in 1926 at the Southeastern PGA Tournament with a 67–66. Livingstone left his home in North Berwick, Scotland, at age 31 (1912) to come to the United States, hoping to capitalize on golf's explosive popularity there. He was undoubtedly influenced by the success of several of his boyhood golfing companions from North Berwick, including Willie Anderson and Fred McLeod, who had each won the U.S. Open.

References

  1. "William H Horne". Antique Golf Clubs from Scotland.
  2. "Scots and Carlsbad". Antique Golf Clubs from Scotland.
  3. "Professional appointment". The Times. 13 May 1912. p. 16.
  4. "Greatstone Golf Club, Littleston-on-Sea. (1906 - 1929)".
  5. "Golf – Open Championship of Germany – Victory of J.H. Taylor". The Times. 22 August 1912. p. 9.
  6. "Canvassing Late Returns" (PDF). The American Golfer. 11 March 1922. p. 36 via LA84 Foundation.
  7. "Disguided may be W H Horne - Man Acquainted with Most Foreign Players Believes He Has Identified Him" (PDF). The New York Times. 1 November 1912.
  8. Dethier, Dylan (29 September 2020). "This story of a big-betting masked golfer is almost too good to believe". Golf. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  9. "South African Golf Association – SA Amateur & Open Championship" . Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  10. "Golf – North Berwick Professional Tournament". The Times. 6 July 1909. p. 17.
  11. "Record Drives" (PDF). The American Golfer. May 1912. p. 16 via LA84 Foundation.
  12. "FamilySearch: Sign In" . Retrieved 14 July 2023.