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The Secret of St. Andrews podcast is for golf enthusiasts, history buffs and patriots.
Welcome to this special US Open edition of The Secret of St Andrew's Podcast. The first US Open was played in 1895. Since then, 10 Scotsmen have won the championship a total of 14 times, including Willie Anderson, who won the championship a record four times. However, no Scotsman has won the championship since Tommy Armour in 1927.
These 10 men had more in common than their Scottish roots. Golf was in their blood. Many of their families were in the golf business, and these men grew up as caddies and apprentice club makers. They immigrated to America to teach and spread the game of golf, and most went on to long teaching careers as club professionals.
Golf has blossomed in America, and the US Open is traditionally the game's toughest test. This week's championship is played at Pinehurst No. 2, which was designed by the Scotsman Donald Ross. We're sure that our past Scottish champions and Donald Ross would be pleased. Play well, lads.
James Foulis Jr., a Scotsman born and raised in St. Andrews, won the second U.S. Open ever played, in 1896 at the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. His father, James Sr., was the foreman in Old Tom Morris's golf shop at the Old Course. James Jr. immigrated to America in 1895 to become the first professional at the Chicago Golf Club and went on to become a noted club maker and golf course designer.
He and his brother David also invented the metal cup liner still used to secure golf holes to this day. In 1898, Scotsman Fred Herd won the fourth U.S. Open ever played and the first played across 72 holes at Myopia Hunt Club in South Hamilton, Massachusetts. Herd, like his good friend James Foulis Jr., who won the U.S. Open in 1896, was born and raised in St. Andrews and began his career in golf by serving an eight-year apprenticeship with the local club maker R. Forgan & Sons. Fred's brother Sandy was also a well-known golfer who won the Open Championship in 1902. In 1899, Willie Smith became the third Scot to win the U.S. Open Golf Championship in only its fifth year of existence. The tournament was played at the Baltimore Country Club's Roland Park Course in Maryland, and Smith won by an astounding 11 shots. He was born in Dundee, Scotland, to a family of professional golfers. Unfortunately, Smith passed away at the age of 40 due to pneumonia.
Willie Anderson, the son of a greenskeeper, was born in North Berwick and worked as a caddie and apprentice club maker. He also won four U.S. Open golf championships, including three in a row. He played with only eight clubs, using an interlocking grip, and wore very informal attire for the times. He wore a tartan wool cap pulled low to camouflage his large ears, baggy plaid trousers, a plain shirt, a cloth neckerchief instead of a silk tie, and an old tweed jacket. He had a flatter and fuller swing typical of the Scottish professionals and was known to enjoy his whisky.
Laurie Auchterlonie was born in St. Andrews and won the US Open played at New York's Garden City Golf Club in 1902. That year, he was the first golfer to break 80 in all four rounds of golf played. In all, he played in 11 US Opens and had 7 top-10 finishes. He returned to Scotland later in life, and at the age of 57, Laurie set the professional record on the Old Course by carding a 68.
Willie and Alex Smith were brothers. Both were Scotsmen born in Carnoustie, and both won the US Open Championship. Alex Smith won the championship twice, once in 1906 and again in 1910. He was a longtime club professional in New York and a member of the PGA of America Hall of Fame. Fred McLeod was born in North Berwick, Scotland, and won the 1908 US Open at Myopia Hunt Club in Massachusetts. He was one of the founding members of the PGA of America and one of the first honorary starters at the Masters. He was only 5 feet 4 inches tall, and his nickname was "The Wasp" for his tenacity on the golf course.
Alec Ross, like his older brother Donald Ross, the famous golf course architect who designed Pinehurst No. 2, was born in Dornoch, Scotland. Alec won the U.S. Open in 1907 at the Philadelphia Cricket Club and competed in 17 U.S. Open championships while also enjoying a long career as a club professional. Scotsman Willie Macfarlane was born in Aberdeen and won the U.S. Open Championship in 1925 at the Worcester Country Club in Massachusetts. After 72 holes, he was tied with a young American amateur named Bobby Jones, but Willie prevailed in the ensuing 18-hole playoff by one stroke. He went on to win 21 victories on the PGA Tour and played in 16 U.S. Opens. Scotsman Tommy Armour was born in Edinburgh and won the 1927 U.S. Open played at Oakmont Country Club. He was known as the Silver Scot and also won a PGA Championship and an Open Championship played at Carnoustie. Like other Scottish golfers of the time, Tommy had a distinguished teaching career with students like Babe Didrikson Zaharias. Armour was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1976.
This year's U.S. Open will be played on Pinehurst No. 2, which was designed by Scotland's own Donald Ross. Ross was born in Dornoch and apprenticed as a club maker and greenskeeper for Old Tom Morris in St. Andrews. His philosophy of course design and maintenance was heavily influenced by Morris and the Old Course, and he's known for using the land's natural contours and featuring wide fairways, minimal rough, and turtleback greens. Ross described Pinehurst No. 2 as "the fairest test of championship golf I have ever designed." Of the first 16 U.S. Open golf championships played, 12 of them were won by Scotsmen. James Foulis Jr., Fred Herd, and Laurie Auchterlonie were club makers that all hailed from St. Andrews and won three of the first eight championships played. Willie Anderson was from North Berwick and won the U.S. Open four times, which ties him with Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, and Jack Nicklaus for the most U.S. Open championships. The last Scot to win the championship was Tommy Armour in 1927. In all, 10 Scotsmen, including Willie Smith, Alec Ross, Alex Smith, Fred McLeod, and Willie Macfarlane, have won the US Open.
We hope you've enjoyed this special edition of The Secret of St. Andrews Podcast and encourage you to follow us on all major podcast platforms.