Young Tom Morris facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Young Tom Morris |
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Young Tom Morris wearing the Challenge Belt
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| Personal information | |
| Full name | Thomas Morris |
| Nickname | Young Tom |
| Born | 20 April 1851 St Andrews, Fife, Scotland |
| Died | 25 December 1875 (aged 24) St Andrews, Fife, Scotland |
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) |
| Nationality |  Scotland |
| Spouse | Margaret Drinnen (or Drennan) |
| Career | |
| Status | Professional |
| Best results in Major Championships (Wins: 4) |
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| The Open Championship | Won: 1868, 1869, 1870, 1872 |
| Achievements and awards | |
| World Golf Hall of Fame | 1975 |
Thomas Morris (born April 20, 1851 – died December 25, 1875), known as Young Tom Morris, was a Scottish professional golfer. He is seen as one of the first great professional golfers. He was also the first young golf star, winning four straight Open Championship titles by the age of 21.
Morris was born in St Andrews, Scotland, often called the "Home of Golf." He passed away there on Christmas Day, 1875, when he was only 24 years old. His father, Old Tom Morris, was also a famous golfer and won four Open Championships himself. Young Tom's first Open Championship win was in 1868 when he was just 17. This made him the youngest major champion in golf history, a record that still stands today!
Contents
Early Life and School
For a long time, people thought Young Tom was born on May 10, 1851. But in 2006, his real birth certificate was found. It showed he was born on April 20, 1851. When he was a baby, his family moved from St Andrews to Prestwick. His father got a new job there as a golf professional and greenkeeper.
Young Tom went to Ayr Academy until his early teenage years. His family was doing well, so they could pay for the expensive private school. At the Academy, Young Tom studied with the children of rich and important families. He used his education to help his golf game and make friends.
Learning to Play Golf
Morris started learning golf at a very young age at the Prestwick Golf Club. His father had designed the course in 1851. Unlike most young golfers back then, Young Tom did not have to work as a caddie or make golf clubs. He was the first top player to skip these usual starting jobs.
Young Tom beat his father for the first time in 1864 when he was 13. This was in a friendly game at St Andrews. At that time, his father was the Open Champion! Just before his 13th birthday, Young Tom went with his father to a tournament in Perth. This was at the King James VI Golf Club in April 1864. He was too young to play in the main professional or amateur parts.
Instead, the organizers set up a match for him against a local youth champion. Young Tom won this match easily. He received a prize of five pounds, which was a lot of money back then. Many people watched the two young stars play. His score in that match would have been good enough to win the professional tournament.
Becoming a Champion
Young Tom played in his first Open Championship in 1865 when he was 14. He played well but did not finish the event. In 1866, he placed 9th. In 1867, Young Tom finished fourth in the Open Championship.
Also in 1867, Young Tom and his father went to Carnoustie Golf Links for a big tournament. It had 32 players, which was the most ever seen at that time. Young Tom, at 16, tied for first place. He then won a playoff against Willie Park Sr. and Robert "Bob" Andrew. After this win, people started to notice his amazing talent.
Winning the Open Championship
Young Tom won the Open Championship in 1868, 1869, 1870, and 1872. There was no Open Championship in 1871. No other golfer has ever won four Open Championships in a row! All four of these wins happened at Prestwick Golf Club, the course where he learned to play.
His 1868 win, at age 17, made him the youngest major champion in golf history. This record still stands today. In that same year, his father finished second to him. This was the only time a father and son finished first and second in the Championship.
In 1869, Young Tom made the tournament's first-ever hole-in-one. He did this on the 166-yard 8th hole. The scorecard from this amazing shot is still shown at Prestwick's clubhouse. Because he won three times in a row, Young Tom was allowed to keep the original Challenge Belt. This belt was made of red leather with a silver buckle showing a golf scene.
The famous Claret Jug was bought for the tournament in 1873. Young Tom's name was the first to be carved on it, because he had won the Open Championship in 1872.
During his 1870 win, he started the tournament with a score of 3 on the first hole, which was 578 yards long. He used old-style hickory clubs and a guttie ball. He hit a long shot of about 200 yards right into the hole! This might have been the first-ever albatross (or double eagle).
Young Tom and his father often played together as partners against other golfers. They usually won these matches. Young Tom also traveled around Scotland and England with another golfer, Davie Strath. They played special exhibition matches. This was the first time golfers did this on their own. They also were the first to ask for money before a match. This was the start of "appearance money" in sports.
Breaking Records at Old Course
Young Tom broke the course record at the Old Course at St Andrews by two strokes. He scored a 77 to win a playoff in the 1869 St Andrews Professional Tournament. This score was the course record for 20 years! The old record of 79 was set by Allan Robertson and Old Tom Morris.
How He Played Golf
Morris was about 5 feet 8 inches tall and had a strong, lean body. He had very powerful wrists. He held the club with an interlocking grip, which you can see in his famous photo with his father. He swung the club with a long backswing and hit most of his long shots very hard.
His long shots usually flew low or medium high. They would then roll a long way. This helped him keep the ball in play and fight against the wind. He was one of the first players to intentionally curve his shots in the air. He also found a new use for the "rut iron." This club was made to get balls out of wagon wheel tracks on the course. Morris used it like a modern sand wedge to hit high shots over obstacles. These shots sometimes even landed with backspin, which was another new idea!
Morris was also excellent at putting and chipping. He almost always gave the hole a chance. He won many games with his great short shots. One golf historian said that Morris missed fewer short putts than any player he had ever seen. His putting style was unique: he stood with his body open and played the ball very close to his back foot.
Morris was smart about his game. He usually chose safe shots over risky ones, like his father. But he was also brave enough to take a calculated risk when needed. When the pressure was on, Morris often played even better. When he was playing his best, his game had no weaknesses. He was the first golfer like this, and one of only a few in golf history.
His Later Life and Passing
On September 11, 1875, Young Tom was playing in a team match at North Berwick. He received a message saying he needed to come home right away. His wife, Margaret Drinnen, was having a very difficult time giving birth. There were only two holes left in the match. Old Tom and Young Tom finished the game, won, and rushed home by ship. But when Young Tom arrived, both his wife and their new baby had passed away.
Young Tom was heartbroken. Less than four months later, on Christmas Day, he passed away at the age of 24. The official reason for his passing was a serious lung issue. Young Tom had played and won a very long match in bad weather a few weeks earlier. This might have made him weaker.
His Legacy in Golf
Morris was a huge innovator in golf. He made the game much better and more exciting to watch. Because of him, many more people came to watch golf matches. Some of his challenge matches drew thousands of people from all over Scotland. Even big newspapers in London sent reporters to Scotland to cover his matches in the 1870s.
Even though Morris won most of his matches and tournaments, he stayed friendly with his rivals. They had to improve their own games to keep up with him. He was a kind person and was respected by many.
In a survey by Golf Magazine in 2009, Morris was ranked the 14th best golfer of all time. He was the best player whose career was completely in the 1800s. His father, Old Tom, was ranked 19th.
Depictions in Film and Books
The 2016 film Tommy's Honour tells the story of Old Tom (Peter Mullan) and Young Tom (Jack Lowden). It focuses on their close but sometimes sad relationship. The movie is based on Kevin Cook's 2007 book, Tommy's Honor: The Story of Old Tom Morris and Young Tom Morris, Golf's Founding Father and Son.
Images for kids
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Grave memorial, St Andrews, Fife, which shows his name as simply "Tommy".
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See also
In Spanish: Tom Morris Jr. para niños
