John Henry Taylor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids J.H. Taylor |
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Taylor in 1908
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| Personal information | |
| Full name | John Henry Taylor |
| Born | 19 March 1871 Northam, Devon, England |
| Died | 10 February 1963 (aged 91) Northam, Devon, England |
| Nationality |  England |
| Career | |
| Turned professional | 1890 |
| Professional wins | 19 |
| Best results in Major Championships (Wins: 5) |
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| U.S. Open | 2nd: 1900 |
| The Open Championship | Won: 1894, 1895, 1900, 1909, 1913 |
| Achievements and awards | |
| World Golf Hall of Fame | 1975 |
John Henry "J.H." Taylor (born March 19, 1871 – died February 10, 1963) was an English professional golfer. He was one of the first people to help shape the modern game of golf. Many people think Taylor was one of the greatest golfers ever. He also designed many golf courses. Taylor helped start the British PGA. This was the first group for professional golfers in the world. He was respected for his work in managing golf. He also wrote two famous books about golf.
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About J.H. Taylor
Taylor was born in Northam, Devon, England. He was part of a famous group of golfers called the Great Triumvirate. The other two golfers were Harry Vardon and James Braid. Taylor won The Open Championship five times.
He grew up in a family that worked hard for a living. He became an orphan when he was a boy. At age eleven, he started working as a caddie at the Royal North Devon Golf Club. A caddie carries golf clubs for players. He also did other jobs there. He became a professional golfer when he was 19. He worked at several golf clubs, including Burnham & Berrow Golf Club and Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club. He stayed at Royal Mid-Surrey until he retired in 1946.
In 1901, Taylor helped create the British Professional Golfers' Association. He was also its first chairman. This was the very first organization for professional golfers anywhere. A famous writer named Bernard Darwin said that Taylor helped turn golfers into a respected group of people.
Taylor was a strong player in The Open Championship for a long time. He started playing in 1893 when he was 22. He even tied for 11th place in 1926 when he was 55. All five of his Open Championship wins happened before the First World War.
Here are his five wins at The Open Championship:
- 1894 – Royal St George's
- 1895 – St Andrews
- 1900 – St Andrews
- 1909 – Royal Cinque Ports
- 1913 – Royal Liverpool Golf Club
Taylor was the captain of the Great Britain Ryder Cup team in 1933. His team won against the United States. He is the only captain from either team who never actually played in any of the matches.
Taylor also designed many golf courses across England. Some of these include York Golf Club in 1903 and Hindhead Golf Club in 1904. He is sometimes given credit for inventing the 'dogleg' hole. A 'dogleg' is a golf hole that bends sharply like a dog's leg. However, some holes like this existed before he started designing courses. In 1949, he became an honorary member of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews. In 1957, he was the president of Royal Birkdale, a course he had designed.
A street in his hometown of Northam was named after him: JH Taylor Drive.
Major Tournament Wins
Taylor won many golf tournaments throughout his career. Here are some of his most important wins, including his five major championships:
- 1891 Challenge Match Play (England)
- 1894 The Open Championship
- 1895 The Open Championship
- 1900 The Open Championship
- 1901 Tooting Bec Cup
- 1904 News of the World Match Play
- 1908 French Open
- 1909 The Open Championship
- 1912 German Open
- 1913 The Open Championship
- 1919 St Annes Old Links Tournament
Major championships are shown in bold.
How J.H. Taylor Won His Major Championships
Taylor won The Open Championship five times. Here is a look at how he won each of those major titles:
| Year | Championship | Score after 54 holes | Winning score | How much he won by | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1894 | The Open Championship | 3 shots ahead | 84-80-81-81=326 | 5 strokes |  Douglas Rolland |
| 1895 | The Open Championship (2) | 3 shots behind | 86-78-80-78=322 | 4 strokes | Sandy Herd |
| 1900 | The Open Championship (3) | 6 shots ahead | 79-77-78-75=309 | 8 strokes |  Harry Vardon |
| 1909 | The Open Championship (4) | 4 shots ahead | 74-73-74-74=295 | 6 strokes |  Tom Ball, James Braid |
| 1913 | The Open Championship (5) | 3 shots ahead | 73-75-77-79=304 | 8 strokes | Ted Ray |
Team Golf Appearances
J.H. Taylor also played in and captained several team golf events:
- England–Scotland Professional Match (representing England): He played in this match many times, and his team won several times, including in 1906, 1907, 1909, and 1913.
- France vs Great Britain (representing Great Britain): His team won in 1908.
- Coronation Match (representing the Professionals): His team won in 1911.
- Great Britain vs USA (representing Great Britain): His team won in 1921.
- Seniors vs Juniors (representing the Seniors): His team won in 1928.
- Ryder Cup (representing Great Britain): He was the non-playing captain in 1933, and his team won.
Books Written by J.H. Taylor
J.H. Taylor wrote two important books about golf:
- Taylor on Golf: Impressions, Comments and Hints, published in 1902.
- Golf: My Life's Work, published in 1953.
See also
- List of men's major championships winning golfers
- List of golfers with most wins in one PGA Tour event
