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Harry Vardon 1870 - 1937
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Harry Vardon is born to Philippe George Vardon and Elizabeth Augustine (née Bouchard) in Grouville, Jersey, Channel Islands on 9th May 1870 and is christened Henry but know as Harry throughout his life.
He attends Grouville School, Jersey and is taught by George Boomer five times winner of the French Open. As a child he spends many happy days on the new golf links which has been built behind the cottage where he lived with his family and where his interest in golf starts. (The Royal Jersey Golf Club as it is today)
He is unhappy at school and leaves at the age of 12 to work for a local farmer. Two years later he enters domestic service with Dr Godfrey earning two shillings a week.
Golf has to take second place to his work until he finds employment with Major Spofforth who is a keen golfer and Captain of the Jersey Club. He sometimes asks Harry to accompany him on a round of golf. He recognises Harry’s talent and advises him "Never give up the sport. It might prove useful in the future". It is whilst working for the Major that Harry meets his wife to be Jessie Bryant.
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Harry Vardon 1870 - 1937
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Vardon’s brother Tom had already taken up a position with the firm of Lowe, in the North of England, making golf clubs. Vardon is content with his life in Jersey, but when his brother writes to say that there is a position at Lord Rippon’s, 9 hole Golf Course, he leaves Jersey and takes up the post of Green Keeper and Professional at Studley Royal Golf Club, Ripon, Yorkshire.
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Harry Vardon 1870 - 1937
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Vardon marries Jessie on 15th November, in All Saints Church, St Helier, Jersey, Channel Islands.
He plays in his first professional match against Alexander Herd (Sandy) from Huddersfield, Yorkshire.
In November of 1891 Vardon moves to Bury Golf Club, Lancashire. Whilst at Bury, although he did not invent it, he perfects the Vardon Grip which to this day is used by 70% of golfers.
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Harry Vardon 1870 - 1937
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On the 25th June Jessie gives birth to a son, Clarence, who unfortunately dies on 5th August the same year.
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Harry Vardon 1870 - 1937
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Vardon plays in his first Open Championship at Prestwick Golf Club, Scotland where he meets many future lifelong friends and adversaries.
Directly after the Open at Prestwick, he plays in a minor tournament at Ilkley Golf Club, the third oldest club in Yorkshire. He also plays in his first professional competition at Kilmacolm Golf Club, Scotland, where he wins the 1st prize of £5 with a score of 162 over 36 holes.
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Harry Vardon 1870 - 1937
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The venue for the 1894 Open is Royal St Georges Golf Club, Sandwich, Kent. Vardon achieves 5th place.
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Harry Vardon 1870 - 1937
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The Open is played at St Andrew’s, Scotland. Vardon achieves the lowest score in the first round but only ties for 9th place overall, along with his brother Tom.
Vardon goes, with Tom, to Royal Port Rush Golf Club and plays in the first professional tournament to be played in Ireland and is beaten by Alexander (Sandy) Herd in the final.
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Harry Vardon 1870 - 1937
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Early in this year Vardon leaves Bury to take up a position at Ganton Golf Club, East Yorkshire. The club arrange a match between Vardon and J H Taylor, which Vardon wins by 8 with 6 holes to play.
In February Vardon plays in series of exhibition matches at Pau Golf Club in the South of France, to celebrate its 40th Anniversary, along with J H Taylor, Sandy Herd, Willie Auchterlonie and A Simpson. With a 72 hole tournament played in a round robin format being held at the beginning of March. Vardon wins 3 matches and takes the first prize.1
Vardon win his first Open Championship at Muirfield, Scotland after a playoff with J H Taylor.
1Information from the Pau Golf Club 150th Anniversary Book (Limited Edition)
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Harry Vardon 1870 - 1937
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Vardon has a good year winning Open Competitions at Windermere Golf Club, Cumbria, Carnoustie Golf Club, Scotland and Ely Golf Club, Cambridgeshire.
Vardon achieves 6th place in the Open Championship at Hoylake, Liverpool.
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Harry Vardon 1870 - 1937
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Vardon wins his second Open Championship at Prestwick, Scotland. The following day he wins first prize at St Nicholas Golf Course, Prestwick.
Vardon and his brother Tom played in a professional event at Royal County Down Golf Club for a purse of a 100 guineas. Vardon was the leading qualifier for the matchplay final on 173. He beat J H Taylor in the final by 12/11. He also played at Barton on Sea and St Anne’s on Sea.1
1Information from James Laidler, Secretary, Royal County Down Golf Club
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Harry Vardon 1870 - 1937
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Vardon wins his third Open Championship at Royal St Georges, Sandwich.
A G Spalding, manufacturers of golfing equipment develop a new ball and call it the ‘Vardon Flyer’.
He plays in various tournaments throughout the year. At this time fees paid to professional golfers are between £10 and £15, but Vardon is able to command more because he is a three times Open Champion.
Willie Park Jnr. challenges Harry Vardon to a 72 hole match two rounds to be played at North Berwick Golf Club and two at Ganton Golf Club. Each man deposited £100 with the editor of Golf Magazine. Vardon wins what is now recognised as the last true challenge match ever to take place.
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Harry Vardon 1870 - 1937
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Vardon sails to America in January where he plays in more than 80 Exhibition matches including: Lawrence Harbour Country Club, New York; Scarsdale Golf Club, Sate of New York; Pittsburg Golf Club, PA; Dyker Meadow Golf Club, now Dyker Beach Golf Club, New York; and many others in New England, Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts, Denver, Colorado, Toronto and Canada.
Vardon interupts the tour and returns to England for two weeks and plays in the British Open Championship at St Andrew’s and finishes 2nd behind J H Taylor.
Vardon wins the US Open Championship at Wheaton Golf Club, Ilinois. This makes him the first Englishman to win both the British and the US Open Championships.
He is paid $5,000 by A G Spalding to endorse their products whilst in the US. He also advertised muscle balm and heath tonics as well as golf coats.
After travelling nearly 50,000 miles, he returns to England in December.
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Harry Vardon 1870 - 1937
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Vardon becomes a founder member of the Professional Golfers Association (PGA).
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Harry Vardon 1870 - 1937
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Vardon moves to South Herts Golf Club, Hertfordshire, where he stays for the rest of his professional life.
He finishs 2nd behind James Braid in the Open Championship at Muirfield, Scotland.
In this year he contracts Tuberculosis, an illness which has few known remedies.
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Harry Vardon 1870 - 1937
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Vardon becomes Captain of the PGA.
He wins his forth Open Championship at Prestwick Golf Club, Scotland.
He becomes so ill that he decides to go to Mundesley Sanatorium, Norfolk, where he receives treatment for Tuberculosis.
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Harry Vardon 1870 - 1937
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Vardon is well enough to leave Mundesley Sanatorium.
He publishes his first book “The Complete Golfer”. In fact the book is so successful that 13 editions are published over the next 7 years and in 1914 a completely revised edition is published.
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Harry Vardon 1870 - 1937
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Vardon finishes 3rd in the Open Championship at Muirfield Golf Club, Scotland.
He also wins the ‘World of Golf’ Gold Medal.
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Harry Vardon 1870 - 1937
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Vardon wins two medals, the ’PGA News of the World’ Bronze Medal and the other at Royal Cannes Mandelieu Golf Club, in the South of France.
In this year Vardon designs Llandrindod Wells, Wales,1 where an inaugural match was played between the members of the Great Triumvirate, Vadon, Braid and Taylor. Harry Vardon also designs Abersoch Golf Club, Wales and co-designs Hexham Golf Course, Northumberland.
1Information from Phil Davies, Club Professional ,Llandrindod Wells Golf Club. 09 May 2007
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Harry Vardon 1870 - 1937
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Vardon finishes 5th in the Open Championship at Prestwick, Scotland
He is invited along with J H Taylor and James Braid to play in several important tournaments in France.
On the 18th July 2008, Vardon plays in an exhibition match at Harrogate Golf Club as a finale to thier Open Meeting and to mark the opening of the extention to the Clubhouse along with Arnaud Massey, Ted Ray and J H Taylor.1
1 Information from Links with the past (the story of Harrogate Golf Club) by Wilfred Barrett
He wins the ‘PGA News of the World’ Silver Medal.
Vardon designs: Mendip Golf Course, Somerset, and Little Aston Golf Course, Solihull, England.
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Harry Vardon 1870 - 1937
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Vardon wins a PGA Medal playing for England against Scotland. He also wins the ‘ News of the World’ Bronze Medal.
Vardon designs: Worlebury Golf Course, Weston Super Mare, England.
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Harry Vardon 1870 - 1937
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Vardon wins a Silver Medal playing for England against Scotland in a PGA International Match.
This is one of Vardon’s busiest years designing no fewer than five new courses: Sandy Lodge Golf Course, London, England; Copt Heath Golf Course, Solihull, England; Aberrstwyth Golf Course, Dyfed, Wales; Consett and District Golf Course, Co. Durham, England.
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Harry Vardon 1870 - 1937
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Vardon wins his fifth Open Championship after a playoff with frenchman Arnaud Massy at Royal St Georges Golf Club Sandwich, Kent. He also wins the inaugural German Open Championship and the Monte Carlo Open.
He becomes Captain of the Professional Golfers Association (PGA).
He wins a Gold Medal in the PGA “Tooting Bec Cup” at Banstead Downs and a Bronze Medal in the PGA “News of the World Tournament”.
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Harry Vardon 1870 - 1937
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Vardon finishes 2nd to fellow Jerseyman Ted Ray in the Open Championship at Muirfield Gold Club, Scotland.
He publishes his book “How to Play Golf”.
He wins a Gold Medal in the PGA “News of the World” Tournament.
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Harry Vardon 1870 - 1937
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Vardon finishes in a tie for 3rd place with Michael Moran in the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake, England.
He also finishes 2nd in the epic US Open Championship at Brookline Golf Club, Massachusetts in a 3 way play off with Francis Ouimet and Ted Ray.
In this year Vardon takes time away from competition to revise his book “The Complete Golfer”, which was first published in 1905.
He wins a Silver Medal playing for England against Scotland in a PGA International Match.
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Harry Vardon 1870 - 1937
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Vardon wins his sixth Open Championship at Prestwick Golf Club, Scotland. This feat is unsurpassed to this day.
Vardon again becomes Captain of the Professional Golfers Association (PGA).
In February Vardon travells to Le Touquet Golf Club, France, in the capacity of ‘Consulting Expert’ to advise on improvements to the course.
In March, Harrods stage a week long exhibition in their famous Knightsbridge, London, store. Vardon appears along with J H Taylor, James Braid, Ted Ray, Jack White and George Duncan.
Later that month Vardon and George Duncan embark on a tour of Great Britain, commencing with a ‘Gutty v Rubber-cored Ball’ match at Sandy Lodge Golf Club, London. The last match being played on the 16th May, at Wembly Park Golf Club.
Vardon wins the ‘Prince of Wales’ Medal.
Due to the First World War there are no Open Championships held between 1915 and 1919.
Vardon’s father Philippe dies in his 86th year.
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Harry Vardon 1870 - 1937
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Vardon wins the ‘News of the World’ medal and the ‘Lord Roberts Memorial’ Gold Medal.
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Harry Vardon 1870 - 1937
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Vardon wins the ‘Daily Mail Victory Year Golf Tournament’ Bronze Medal.
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Harry Vardon 1870 - 1937
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Vardon finishes 2nd in the US Open Championship, at Inverness Golf Club, Ohio, in a 3 way tie with J Burke and J Hutchison.
He makes his third trip to America
He wins the ‘Bramshott Cup’.
In early 1920 Vardon meets Tilly (Matilda) Howell at Hoylake.
Vardon’s mother dies in her 80th year.
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Harry Vardon 1870 - 1937
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Vardon is invited to represent Great Britain in the PGA International Match against the United States, at Gleneagles Golf Club, Scotland. This is the first of its kind and a forerunner to the great Ryder Cup Challenge. The British team wins by 9 matches to 3.
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Harry Vardon 1870 - 1937
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Vardon writes his forth book 'Progressive Golf'.
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Harry Vardon 1870 - 1937
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This year marks the end of Harry Vardon’s participation in the Open Championship.
A son, Peter, is born out the relationship between Harry Vardon and Tilly Howell.
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Harry Vardon 1870 - 1937
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The first official Ryder Cup Match is played in June 1927. Harry Vardon, James Braid and James Taylor (The Great Trumvirate) act as team selection committee.
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Harry Vardon 1870 - 1937
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Vardon writes his fourth book ‘My Golfing Life’.
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Harry Vardon 1870 - 1937
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Harry Vardon passes away on the 20th March 1937 and is laid to rest at St Andrews Church, Totteridge, Hertfordshire, Englan, where a wreath is laid every year by the members of the South Herts Golf Club when they play for the ‘Harry Vardon Trophy’.
Since 1937 the ‘The Vardon Trophy’ has been awarded annually to the player who wins the most money on the European Tour and by the PGA of America to the player with the lowest stroke average in tour events.
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Harry Vardon 1870 - 1937
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Harry's son Peter is told by his mother who his father really is.
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Harry Vardon 1870 - 1937
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Harry Vardon was honoured as one of the initial inductees into the 'World Gold Hall of Fame".
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