Harry Vardon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Harry Vardon
Vardon, circa 1908–1914
Personal information
Full name	Henry William Vardon
Nickname	Harry, The Stylist
Born	(1870-05-09)9 May 1870 Grouville, Jersey, Channel Islands
Died	20 March 1937(1937-03-20) (aged 66) Whetstone, London
Height	5 ft 9 in
Weight	11 st 7 lb
Nationality	Jersey
Spouse	Jessie Bryant (d. 1946)
Career
Turned professional	1890
Professional wins	49
Best results in Major Championships (Wins: 7)
U.S. Open	Won: 1900
The Open Championship	Won: 1896, 1898, 1899, 1903, 1911, 1914
Achievements and awards
World Golf Hall of Fame	1974

Fred McLeod and Vardon at the 1913 U.S. Open

Henry William Vardon (born May 9, 1870 – died March 20, 1937) was a famous professional golfer from Jersey. He was one of the "Great Triumvirate" of golf, along with John Henry Taylor and James Braid. Vardon won The Open Championship a record six times. He also won the 1900 U.S. Open.

Becoming a Golf Star

Harry Vardon was born in Grouville, Jersey, one of the Channel Islands. His mother was French and his father was English. He didn't play much golf when he was very young. However, he showed a natural talent for the sport as a teenage caddie.

Harry and his younger brother, Tom Vardon, were very close. Their family wasn't wealthy, and their father didn't support their interest in golf. Tom moved to England first to start a golf career. Harry followed him in 1890, at age 20. He got a job as a greenkeeper at Studley Royal Golf Club. A year later, he became the club professional at Bury Golf Club. By 1896, he was the professional at Ganton Golf Club in Yorkshire.

In his early 20s, Harry started a very tough practice routine. No other golfer had trained so hard before. He was also the first professional golfer to wear knickerbockers. This was different from the usual formal clothes worn by Englishmen.

Winning Championships and Rivalries

In 1896, Vardon won his first of six Open Championships. This record still stands today. He had big rivalries with James Braid and J.H. Taylor. Each of them won five Open Championships. Together, these three golfers were known as the 'Great Triumvirate'. They were the best golfers in the world from the mid-1890s to the mid-1910s. Their exciting rivalries made more people interested in golf.

A Famous Challenge Match

In 1898, Harry Vardon won his second Open Championship. He beat Willie Park, Jnr by just one stroke. Park was upset and challenged Vardon to a special 72-hole match. They would play 36 holes at Park's home course and 36 holes at a course Vardon chose. There was a large bet of £100 per side. Vardon first said no, as he didn't want to play at Park's course where fans might be unfair.

Eventually, Park agreed to play at North Berwick Golf Club instead. Vardon chose his home course, Ganton, Yorkshire. A magazine helped organize the match, which happened in July 1899. By then, Vardon had already won his third Open Championship. The British newspapers called it the biggest golf competition ever. About 10,000 Scottish fans came to watch the match at North Berwick. Special trains brought fans from other towns.

The game was played as match play. After the first 36 holes at North Berwick, Vardon was leading by two holes. Two weeks later, they played at Ganton. Vardon won easily, finishing 11 holes ahead with ten holes still to play. He won the £200 prize and a lot of fame.

Tours in North America

Harry Vardon visited North America three times: in 1900, 1913, and 1920. Each time, he played in the U.S. Open. He finished first once, and tied for second twice.

In 1900, he became golf's first international celebrity when he toured the United States and Canada. He played in over 90 matches. He won the U.S. Open that year, with John Henry Taylor finishing second. Vardon wrote that he only lost two head-to-head matches on this tour. Both losses were against Bernard Nicholls, a professional golfer from Boston.

In 1913, Vardon toured with Ted Ray. They played in 45 exhibition matches, winning 36 of them. In 1920, at age 50, he toured again with Ray. They played nearly 100 matches against famous golfers like Walter Hagen, Jim Barnes, Francis Ouimet, and Bobby Jones.

U.S. Open Runner-up Finishes

Vardon was the runner-up at the 1913 U.S. Open. He lost in a playoff to 20-year-old Francis Ouimet. This event was shown in the movie The Greatest Game Ever Played. He toured North America with Ted Ray that year. At 50 years old, Vardon tied for runner-up in his last U.S. Open in 1920. He was even leading with only a few holes left to play.

Amazing Career Achievements

During his career, Vardon won 48 tournaments and 21 team events. This was the most titles won by any golfer at that time. He won the German Open in 1911 and the British PGA Matchplay Championship in 1912. Between 1898 and 1899, Vardon played in 17 tournaments. He won 14 of them and finished second in the other three.

Vardon made the "overlapping grip" very popular. This grip is still used by over 90 percent of golfers today. It was actually first used by Johnny Laidlay a few years before Vardon adopted it. Later in his life, Vardon also designed golf courses. Some of his notable designs include Llandrindod Wells Golf Club and Woodhall Spa.

Health Challenges and Legacy

After getting tuberculosis in 1903, Vardon had health problems for many years. He then focused on coaching and writing golf instruction books. After recovering, he had trouble with his short putting. This was due to nerve damage in his right hand. Some people believe he would have won even more major titles if not for this problem.

Vardon and James Braid worked together on several golf instruction books.

Harry Vardon passed away in 1937 at age 66. He is buried in St. Andrew's Church cemetery in Totteridge. That same year, the PGA of America created the Vardon Trophy. This award is given each year to the player on the PGA Tour with the lowest average score. The British PGA also created the Harry Vardon Trophy. This award goes to the winner of the European Tour's Race to Dubai.

In 1974, Vardon was one of the first people chosen for the World Golf Hall of Fame. His most important medals, including those from his six British Open wins, are displayed at the Jersey Museum. He is known as one of the greatest golfers ever. In 2000, Golf Digest magazine ranked him as the 13th best golfer of all time.

Vardon was often called "The Stylist," "Mr. Golf," and "The Icon of Golfing." Another nickname for him was "Greyhound."

The Vardon Grip

Statue of Vardon at the Royal Jersey Golf Club
on the Island of Jersey

Vardon is famous for the Vardon grip, also called the overlapping grip. This is the most popular grip among professional golfers. To use the Vardon grip, you place the little finger of your lower hand (the one further down the club) between the index and middle finger of your upper hand. For a right-handed player, this means the little finger of your right hand goes between the index and middle finger of your left hand. The thumb of your upper hand should fit into the palm line of your lower hand. Even though Vardon made it famous, Johnny Laidlay, a Scottish amateur player, actually invented this grip first.

The logo of South Herts Golf Club, where Vardon was the professional from 1902 until his death, shows a picture of the Vardon Grip.

Harry Vardon in Media

• A book about Vardon was published in 1991 by his daughter-in-law, Audrey Howell. It shares many personal details about his life.
• English actor Stephen Dillane played Vardon in the 2005 movie The Greatest Game Ever Played. The book of the same name, by Mark Frost, also tells a lot about Vardon's life.
• Irish-American actor Aidan Quinn played Vardon in the 2004 film Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius.
• Harry Vardon wrote a golf instruction book called The Gist of Golf.
• Bill Williams wrote a book in 2015 that lists all the tournaments Vardon played in.
• Bill Williams also wrote a second book in 2016 about Vardon's three trips to North America. This book talks about how golf started in America and Vardon's role in making the game popular. It also mentions his part in creating the Ryder Cup.

Major Championship Wins

Year	Championship	54 holes	Winning score	Margin	Runner-up
1896	The Open Championship	4 shot deficit	83-78-78-77=316	Playoff 1	J.H. Taylor
1898	The Open Championship (2)	2 shot deficit	79-75-77-76=307	1 stroke	Willie Park, Jr.
1899	The Open Championship (3)	3 shot lead	76-76-81-77=310	5 strokes	Jack White
1900	U.S. Open	4 shot lead	79-78-76-80=313	2 strokes	J.H. Taylor
1903	The Open Championship (4)	7 shot lead	73-77-72-78=300	6 strokes	Tom Vardon
1911	The Open Championship (5)	3 shot lead	74-74-75-80=303	Playoff 2	Arnaud Massy
1914	The Open Championship (6)	2 shot deficit	73-77-78-78=306	3 strokes	J.H. Taylor

¹ Defeated J.H. Taylor in 36-hole playoff by 4 strokes
² Defeated Arnaud Massy in 36-hole playoff: Massy gave up on the 35th hole

Major Championship Timeline

Note: Vardon only played in The Open Championship and the U.S. Open.
     Win      Top 10      Did not play NYF = Tournament not yet founded
NT = No tournament
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place

Images for kids

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  Harry Vardon in 1899

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  Vardon and James Braid around 1907

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  A display image of Harry Vardon

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  A commemorative stone at Royal Jersey Golf Club

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  Bobby Jones and Vardon at the 1920 US Open

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  Ted Ray and Harry Vardon in 1920

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  The British Team in 1921 at Gleneagles

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  Vardon, Willie Anderson, and J.H. Taylor, winners of the 1900 US Open

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  Harry Vardon at Poland Springs in 1900

See also

In Spanish: Harry Vardon para niños

• List of men's major championships winning golfers
• List of golfers with most wins in one PGA Tour event
• Mundesley Golf Course