Old Tom Morris

Early golf career

The house where Morris was born no longer exists, but it is thought to be close to 121 North Street, St Andrews. He was the son of a weaver, and was educated at Madras College in his home town. He began golf by age ten, by knocking wine-bottle corks pierced with nails (to serve as balls) around the streets of the town using a homemade club, in informal matches against other youths; this was known as 'sollybodkins'. He started caddying and playing golf from a young age, and formally was hired as an apprentice at age 14 to Allan Robertson, generally regarded as the world's first professional golfer; Robertson ran the St Andrews Links and an equipment-making business. Morris served four years as apprentice and a further five years as journeyman under Robertson, by most accounts the world's top player from about 1843 until his death in 1859.

From the early 1840s, Robertson often chose Morris as his partner in challenge matches, played by alternate shot format, which were the principal form of competition at that time. It was said the two never lost a team match played on even terms. The team became known as "The Invincibles". By the time Morris was in his early 20s he was the second-best player in St. Andrews, close to Robertson in golf skill, and won an informal match from him over the Old Course in 1843, but the two players rarely played seriously head-to-head. As Robertson's employee, Morris was in somewhat of an awkward position. He was a long-time member of the St Andrews Golf Club.

Moves to Prestwick

Morris worked under Robertson at St Andrews until 1848, when he was fired on the spot after being caught by Robertson playing the new gutta percha golf ball ("guttie"); Robertson had a profitable business making the featherie golf ball, which was threatened by the emergence of the guttie. Morris was then hired by Prestwick Golf Club in 1851, which was just starting up. At Prestwick, he designed, laid out, and maintained the course, ran his own golf equipment business selling gutties and clubs, gave instruction to players, and ran events. He was influential in beginning The Open Championship in 1860, along with James Fairlie, and struck the very first shot in that event.

Return to St Andrews

Morris was sought out by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, which formally passed a motion in 1864 calling for his rehiring. Morris returned to St Andrews in 1864 to take charge of the links, as Keeper of the Green and professional, at a then-generous salary of £50 per year. St Andrews was then in very poor condition, and his first task was to correct this. He did so by widening the fairways, enlarging the greens, applying greenkeeping techniques he had developed at Prestwick, building two new greens (on holes 1 and 18), and "managing" the hazards. He stayed in the post until 1903, a total of 39 years, and was kept on afterwards by the R&A at full salary.Tommy's Honor, by Kevin Cook, New York 2005, Gotham Books

Competitive highlights

Morris worked as a greenkeeper, clubmaker, ballmaker, golf instructor, and course designer, as well as playing match and tournament golf. He came second in the first Open Championship in 1860, and won the event in 1861, the first year that was open to amateurs. He followed this up with further victories in 1862, 1864 and 1867. He still holds the record as the oldest winner of The Open Championship at 46. Also, he was part of the only father/son couple being winner and runner-up.

Morris held the record for the largest margin of victory in a major championship (13 strokes in the 1862 Open Championship), which stood until Tiger Woods won the 2000 US Open by 15 strokes. He became the second player to break 80 over the Old Course, scoring 79; Robertson had been the first to do it. Once his son Young Tom Morris became an accomplished player in his own right by his mid-teens, in the mid-1860s, father and son formed a team for challenge matches, usually played by alternate shot (foursomes play), where they proved very successful. Their partnership, although not exclusive, would continue until the death of Young Tom in 1875.

Golf course design, greenkeeping innovations

Main article: List of golf courses designed by Old Tom Morris

Morris played a role in designing courses across the British Isles. He began by assisting Robertson to lay out ten holes at Carnoustie in 1842. In 1871 he visited Forfar, in Scotland, where he created the first golf course in the world that was originally designed with 18 holes, Forfar Golf Club. His subsequent work included Kingussie Golf Club in 1895, Kinghorn Golf Club in 1887, Kirkcaldy Golf Club Nov 1904 9- holes then May 1906 18 holes, Prestwick, Muirfield, Machrihanish, the Jubilee Course at St Andrews, Balcomie at Crail, Moray, Bridge of Allan Golf Club, Askernish in South Uist, Lahinch and Rosapenna in Ireland, Warkworth, Wallasey and Royal North Devon Golf Club (Westward Ho!) in England, King Edward Bay Golf Club in the Isle of Man and the Castletown Golf Club in the Isle of Man. Glasgow Golf Club's Killermont course was his last 18 hole design, opening in 1904, just four years before his death.

Morris was also the father of modern greenkeeping. He introduced the concept of top-dressing greens with sand, which significantly helped turf growth. He introduced many novel ideas on turf and course management, including actively managing hazards (in the past, bunkers and the like were largely left to their own devices, becoming truly "hazardous") and yardage markers. He was the first to use a push mower to cut greens. He improved play at St Andrews by widening fairways to handle increased play, improving greens, and establishing separate teeing areas on each hole; all of these measures spread out play over larger areas, and led to better turf conditions. He created a new first green on the Old Course, and was responsible for the initial design of the New Course 1895 and Jubilee course in 1897. He also introduced the modern idea of placing hazards so that the golf ball could be routed around them; this was the beginning of strategic design, which has dominated golf course design ever since. Before his time hazards were thought of as obstacles that either had to be carried or were there to punish a wayward ball. When he was 77 he was nearly beaten by Rhona Adair at St Andrews Links. Adair was one of the leading women players. He is quoted as having said: "I'll no' be licked by a lassie".

Death

Morris kept working right up until his death, just before his 87th birthday. He died in the Memorial Cottage Hospital, St Andrews after falling down a flight of stairs in the clubhouse of The New Golf Club in St Andrews.

He is buried against the eastern wall of the churchyard of St Andrew's Cathedral. The grave is simple but stands beneath the highly notable monument to his son, Young Tom Morris, which carries a bronze statue of the golfer in high relief against a white background, and is visible across the breadth of the churchyard. His grave attracts thousands of golfers each year who wish to pay homage to this golfing hero.

Awards and honors

In 1976, Morris was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Professional wins (4)

• 1861 Open Championship
• 1862 Open Championship
• 1864 Open Championship
• 1867 Open Championship

Major championships

Wins (4)

Results timeline

NT = No tournament

WD = Withdrew

"T" indicates a tie for a place

Depictions in film and print

The 2016 film Tommy's Honour depicts the lives and careers of Old Tom and his son, and focuses on their complex and bittersweet relationship. It is based on Kevin Cook's Herbert Warren Wind Book Award–winning 2007 biography, Tommy's Honor: The Story of Old Tom Morris and Young Tom Morris, Golf's Founding Father and Son.

Gallery

James Ogilvie Fairlie (left) and Old Tom Morris (right).PNG|Morris (left) with James Ogilvie Fairlie, Old Tom Morris 1860.png|Tom Morris in 1860 Old and Young Tom Morris.jpg|Old Tom Morris with Young Tom Morris, Old Tom Morris 1880.jpg|Old Tom Morris in 1880 Old Tom Morris golf shop, St Andrews, Scotland.PNG|The golf shop of Old Tom Morris in St Andrews, Scotland, . Morris is looking out the second storey window (upper left). Old Tom Morris on the Himalayas in 1892.jpg| Old Tom Morris on the Himalayas putting course in 1892, which he designed

References

References

1. "Old Tom 200-Celebrating the Grand Old Man of Golf". [[St Andrews Links]].
2. "Old Tom Morris (1821-1908)". [[National Records of Scotland]].
3. "Old Tom Morris and Young Tom Morris". [[National Records of Scotland]].
4. "Tom Morris Sr". The Open.
5. (16 June 2021). "Old Tom at 200 / A Life and Legacy". R&A Championships.
6. "15 Things to do in St Andrews when you are not playing Golf".
7. Herd, Alexander. (1923). "My Golfing Life". Chapman & Hall, Limited.
8. ''Tommy's Honor'', by Kevin Cook, Gotham Books, New York 2007, {{ISBN. 978-1-59240-342-4, pp. 23–33
9. "7 and 8 The Links, Tom Morris House and Golf Shop". [[Historic Environment Scotland]].
10. "Tom Morris – The Grand Old Man of Golf". [[R&A World Golf Museum]].
11. "Old Tom Morris". Lorrin Golf.
12. "Old Tom Morris". Undiscovered Scotland.
13. Gilleece, Dermot. (23 June 2001). "Old Tom had plenty to be worried about". The Irish Times.