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Tom Morris in later life
IN this year, 1879, a
professional foursome was
substituted for the annual tournament at
Burntisland. Tom Morris and Tom Kidd, as
representatives of St Andrews, played the two
Musselburgh cracks, Bob Fergusson and Willie
Park. It was played on the 16th of August.
The course was a small one of 5 holes, only 2 of
which gave scope for 2 drives. The ground was
more like pasture land than the usual sandy soil.
The game consisted of 6 rounds. The first round
finished with Fergusson and Park 1 up. In the
second this was increased to 2 up. At the end
of the third the match was all even. Then the
St Andrews men took the lead, and never again
lost it. The end of the fourth round saw them 1 up, and at the fifth they were all square. The
last round and the match was won by the St
Andrews men by 2 up and 1 to play. Tom and Willie Park then played a single a couple of
rounds which Park won by 1 hole.
On the 26th of August there was a professional tournament at North Berwick 2 rounds
of the links. The winners were Bob Fergusson
(14), 154; T. Armadale (7), 156; Jamie
Anderson and Bob Martin tied for the third place
with 157, and, on playing off, Jamie won (3), and
Bob Martin (/i). The next scores were: Ben
Savers, 163; W. Cosgrove, 163; J. O. F. Morris,
164 ; Tom Kidd, 166 ; D. Grant and G. Paxton, 168; W. Brown, 169; W. Thomson and T. Brown, 171;
P. Paxton and G. Strath, 172; W. Park, 173;
T. M. Mnyers, 175 ; Tom Morris, 176 ; J, Smith, 177;
J. Foreman, 178; R. Collins, 178 ; G. Kay, 182; T.
Beveridge, 183; T. Park, 184; A. Brown, 186.
On the 28th, James Allan, of Westward Ho!
and J. O. F. Morris had a round at St Andrews,
which Allan won by 6 up and 5 to play, the scores
being 87 and 94. The stakes were a five-pound
note. Next day J. O. F. Morris played Matthew
Allan and Jamie Allan. In the first round with
Matthew Allan both men were over the first green
in 3, but Jamie won by excellent putting. The
second, third and fourth holes were halved. All
square at the Hole Across. Allan won the Heather
hole with a splendid putt. Jamie's play at the
High hole was "superb." He won it in 4 against
Allan's 6 all square. At the eleventh hole both
players were "dead" in a couple of shots; but
Jamie, playing from the first half, struck the
hole and then ran round it ; withal, his ball closed
up the road to Allan, and a half in 4 was the
result. Jamie won the end hole and turned 1 up.
Jamie was, however, I down at the Heather. All
even at the Hole Across. Then Jamie was 1 up
and 3 to play. The sixteenth was halved in 4;
and Allan won the seventeenth. All square and 1 to play. Both were on the last green in 2, but
Allan was not half up with his putt. Jamie was
"dead," and, Allan requiring another 2 to hole
out, Morris won by 1. Morris, 89; Allan, 91.
In the afternoon Jamie Morris played Jamie
Allan, but lost again, Allan being 4 up at the
Dyke 2 to play. At the same time Matthew
Allan played Jamie Anderson, who beat him by
3 up and 2 to play.
On the 30th the brothers Allan played J. O. F.
Morris and Jamie Anderson. Betting was about
equal. At the turn in the first round they were
all square, Anderson seemingly having thrown
away 2 holes by indifferent putting. At the
fifteenth they were still all square. "A stymie at
the turn and bad luck at the end were the fate of
St Andrews, and Westward Ho ! stood 2 up on the
round the Allans 90, Morris and Anderson 91.
In the second round the Allans had at the turn
increased their advantage to 3, and they were 4
up with 5 to play. At the next hole the match was
still kept open by the St Andrews men winning
in 4; then it stood 2 up and 3 to play for the
Allans. The third hole, however, was won by
the Allans, and the match by 3 and 2 to play."
On the 1st of September a return match was
played. "The performance, however, was not
up to Saturday's. The Allans made more mistakes, and Anderson's driving was a little weak,
and Morris's putting notably unsteady. The St
Andrews men started for home 1 up, but lost the
tenth and won the eleventh hole. The round
ended with them being 1 up. Beginning the
second round, the Allans ran away with the first
3 holes. They were 2 up at the turn. They
gained the tenth, and then were 3 up. They
were, however, only 1 up and 4 to play all
square and 3 to play. A half-stymie made Morris
shy of the hole, and the Allans again led by 1.
All square and i to play. At one time it appeared that St Andrews was to win, but a stymie
once again interposed and gave a half a halved
match. The stakes were £10."
A single was played between Jamie Anderson
and Matthew Allan, which Jamie won by 3 up and 1 to play.
Next day the foursome was played for the
third time. It took place in a gale of wind all
the skill and caution of the players being needed
to keep the course and to make the necessary
allowance on the putting-green. At first the
Allans seemed a little puzzled with the wind, but
afterwards they settled down into a good steady
game as the number of holes that were halved
showed. Anderson played a deadly short game,
while Morris's putting when occasion required
was all that could be wished for. The St
Andrews men were 3 up and 6 to play. Both sides experienced the same fate by
being bunkered off the tee in going to the next hole, and
after 3 intervening strokes, each made good putts
for the hole, which was halved in 5. The Ginger-Beer hole was likely to go
to Westward Ho! but
Anderson made it a half by a good putt. The
next hole in brought the match to a close by a
remarkable stroke of Jamie Anderson's. He was
lying about eighty yards from the hole, and he
achieved the almost unprecedented feat of
holing. It elicited a round of applause from the
spectators. The match thus ended in favour of
St Andrews by 4 up and 3 to play. As the
Allans won the first match and halved the
second, the players were thus all square on
matches.
In October 1879 a tournament was held at
Alnmouth, in which Tom Morris took part. A
contemporary record tells us that it attracted
much interest "at this beautiful Northumberland watering-place"; and adds that it was
"chiefly through the Alnmouth Club the ancient game of golf has been
introduced into Northumberland." Owing to a variety of circumstances, the number of entries fell short of what
was anticipated, but what was wanting in
numbers was, according to the reporter, "forth-coming in quality, for, among the eight who
entered were Jamie Anderson, of St Andrews,
the champion golfer, who has won the Champion
belt three years in succession it had ceased to
be a 'belt' long ere this, however; Bob
Fergusson, of Musselburgh; Tom Morris, of St
Andrews; and Mungo Park, the respected
professional of the Almnouth Club; while among
the lesser lights were young Ben Savers, of Leith,
who is justly regarded as the coming champion;
John Campbell of Musselburgh; W. Park, jun.,
and G. Rochester, of Almnouth." Jamie
Anderson and Mungo Park led off, followed by
Bob Fergusson and Tom Morris. The record
says that "It should be mentioned that Morris
did not feel himself at home on the links, and
perhaps he did not play up to his best form."
He did not get one of the prizes. Jamie Anderson and Bob Fergusson tied for the first place,
Mungo Park was third and Ben Sayers fourth. On
playing off the tee, Bob Fergusson won. While
the tie was in progress, Tom and Mungo Park had
a couple of rounds, and Mungo had a stroke to
the good 84 against Tom's 85.
In September of the next year 1880 there was
a second tournament at Almnouth. Of Tom's
play on this occasion it is said: ' From Tom
Morris a good game was expected after his brisk
performance at North Berwick a fortnight ago,
and it was thought that his partner, Mungo Park,
might be able to derive some advantage from
his superior knowledge of the green; but, as it
proved, neither of these forecasts was borne out,
Tom quite failing to remind one of his old style,
and Mungo being inclined to play a loose game,
to which the condition of the green was at once fatal. Four rounds were
played, and the prizemen were as follows: Bob Martin, 168; W.
Doleman, 170; Jamie Anderson, 171; Bob Fergusson, 174; Ben Sayers, 175; Mungo Park tied for
the sixth place with four others with 182. Tom
tied with his son Jamie with 188; Hunter and
the two Parks, father and son, being better than
they by a few strokes."
The year after this, September 1881, Tom did
somewhat better at Alnmouth. The order on
this occasion was: Fergusson, 160; Martin, 163;
W. Park, jun., Kirk and Mungo Park each 172;
Cosgrove, 173. Tom was not in the prize-list,
but came next with 174, tying with Jamie
Anderson. Willie Park, sen., was 175, and Ben
Sayers 178.
Tom does not appear to have been present at
the Alnmouth Tournament in September 1882,
when the premier position was won by W. Fernie,
then at Dumfries, now at Troon, with 166. Bob
Fergusson and W. Park, jun. (Ryton), were next
with 169. On this occasion a match for 5 a-side was played between Park,
jun., and Sayers, 1
round. Park won by 1 hole scores 41 and 42.
"The play throughout was excellent."
In August 1880 there was a series of professional matches played at North Berwick. Tom
was unable to go for the competition, but on the
Saturday, 28th August, he went over to play with
Bob Martin as partner against Bob Fergusson, of
Musselburgh, and Ben Savers, of Feith, who had
won the chief prize on the previous day. The
record of the time says: "The match was thus
representative of the two links North Berwick
and St Andrews and it would scarcely have been
possible to have procured better representatives of the two greens. The play
was chiefly remarkable for the careful and steady game of the St
Andrews veteran, who commenced play immediately on his arrival at the station. The green
was in the same hard and slippery condition as on
the previous day, and putting at all the holes was difficult and even
hazardous. Old Tom experienced this at the first hole, where a well-played iron shot most unexpectedly ran a yard
too far and into the road Martin redeeming the
misfortune with a capital deck shot, which opened
up the hole. Here Tom was again too far with
his putt, and the hole was won by Fergusson
and Sayers with an excellent 4. The next 2
holes fell to the St Andrews players, and matters
went pretty evenly, though generally with a
slight lead for the St Andrews men, until the
latter, by winning the (late hole, were 1 up and 2
to play. Their opponents, however, won the
next 2, and the first round finished with Tom and
Martin 1 up. In the second round they increased
their advantage and were 4 up and 7 to play;
and they eventually won the match by 3 up and
2 to play." The record continues: "The play all
through was not quite up to the best professional
form on account of the difficult state of the green,
which made any bold attempts to hole out impossible. Tom Morris, however, showed to very
great advantage by playing all through with
great skill and judgment, and his well-earned
victory was well received by the dense crowd of
visitors who followed the match."
At the Autumn Meeting at St Andrews in
September 1881, Tom took part in an interesting
match, in which he and Mr Everard were opposed
by Mr Mure Fergusson and Jamie Anderson. A
contemporary account of it says: "A lot of
money was betted on the result." At the Hole
Across on the first round going out, Mr Fergusson
and Jamie stood 3 up. After this, Mr Everard
and Tom exhibited some fine play, and "at the
turn the match was all square." Returning,
the advantage again lay with Mr Fergusson and
Jamie, who won the Short hole in 3. Two halves
followed, and then again the same players added
to their majority. From this point to the finish,
all the holes were halved- -an evidence of the
closeness of the match. At the end of the first
round Jamie and hi^ partner were 2 up. In the
second round, Tom and .Mr Everard had the pull
and turned I up. Coming in, at the Burn, the
match stood all even and i to play. To the last
hole Tom and Mr Everard took 6, while 5 was
enough for Jamie and Mr Fergusson, who thus
won the match by 1, and, on the day's play, by
3 holes.
Tom played for the Championship in
1883. It
was held at Musselburgh. The 4 rounds ended
in Bob Fergusson and Willie Fernie tying for
the first place with 158. W. Brown and N.
Pringle were third and fourth with 160 and 161.
Then came W. Lamplock and G. Paxton with 163.
The other scores were: Ben Savers, 164; W. Park,
jun., 165; Wm. Dunn, 166; and Tom Morris and
several others 167. The tie was won by Ferine,
after a very close match 158 to Fergusson's
competition took place at his old links Prestwick. On this occasion he tied with his son
Jamie, but both were pretty far down in the list
174. The Championship was won by J.
Simpson with 160. Douglas Rolland, fresh
from his victory over Mr Johnny Ball, tied
for the second place with Willie Fernie, with
164.
Early in May 1885, Tom's son, Jamie, had a
match of 2 rounds at St Andrews with Willie
Campbell. It was felt that both men we're pretty
well matched, but it was thought that Jamie's
knowledge of the links would give him the
advantage. He did not, however, altogether
justify expectations, for he frequently had difficulty in keeping the
course. He had, however, often the advantage on the putting-green.
The first round was finished with Campbell 1 up
Campbell, 85; Morris, 86. In the second round
Campbell improved his position, and was dormy
6 coming home. Jamie then tackled to his
work and took the next 3 holes. At the Dyke
hole, however, he could get only a half, and
Campbell won the match by 3 up and 2 to play
his lead in the first round. The second round
being halved, they played a short match of four
holes, which Jamie gained by I. Scores for
second round: Morris, 88; Campbell, 90.
On the 11th of May, Jamie Morris and Jack
Kirkaldy played Jack Simpson, Klie, and
Bernard Sayers, Musselburgh. The record says:
" Golfers as a rule were quite at sea as to the
merits of the respective couples, and betting was
about even. As it turned out, however, the
strangers had by far the best of the game, and
it may be questioned if their record in the first
part of the journey in the second round was ever
equalled in foursome play. In the first round
the visitors turned 4 up and won the round by
3. In the second round, Simpson and Sayers
never gave a chance, and won coming home, at
the high hole, by 9 up and 7 to play."
The four then played a round for prizes, which
resulted: Simpson, 90; Jack Kirkaldy, 90;
Morris, 91; Sayers, 98.
In August 1885 a "very exciting" foursome
was played between Bob Martin and Mr Hunter.
Tom Morris's son-in-law, and Mr Everard and
Peter Fernie. The winners were Mr Hunter and
Bob Martin, with the fine score of 81. Then a match was played, " attended
with much excitement, and on the result of which bets were freely
offered and accepted," the players being, on the
one side Colonel Boothby and Tom Morris, and
on the other Messrs Everard and Hunter. The
veteran winners, Colonel Boothby and Tom
Morris, whose united age, it may be stated, was then 120 years, gained the match by 3 holes.
The Championship for 1885 was played at St
Andrews on the 3rd of October. It was won by
Bob Martin, St Andrews, with a total for the
2 rounds of 171. Then followed Archie Simpson, Carnoustie, with 172; David Ayton, St
Andrews, 173,; W. Fernie, Felixstowe; Willie
Park, jun., Musselburgh, and Bob Simpson,
Carnoustie, tied at 174. Then came T. Burns,
St Andrews, and John Paxton, with 175 and 176.
The rest of the prize-winners were: Willie
Campbell, Musselburgh, and J. O. F. Morris,
St Andrews, who tied at 177. Several amateurs
came in before Old Tom, who took 190. Mr
Horace Hutchinson was 178, Mr E. Laidlay, 179;
Mr Leslie Balfour, 181; Mr Evcrard, 182; Mr
Mure Fcrgusson, 187; Mr W. H. Goff, 188; Mr
Ball did not give in his card.
By the time which I have reached 1886-87
Tom was sixty-five years of age longer, as he
himself put it to me on one occasion, than "most
fowk get leeving, far less gowfing."
The year 1886 saw a
succession of great contests between his son Jamie and Willie Campbell,
of Musselburgh; home and home matches for
25 a-side. The first began at Musselburgh on
the 3rd of June, and 4 rounds were played. At
the end of the first they were all even. The
second round finished with Campbell 1 up.
This, in the third round, was increased to 2.
The last round was halved; leaving the position
Campbell 2 up, at Musselburgh. The first
round at St Andrews was halved. Jamie had the
best of the second round, and the combatants
were all even and i to play. Then came an
exciting finish, and a hard one for Campbell, as
it turned out. At the home hole they were both
lying on the green in 3, and Morris, in his fourth,
lay on the edge of the hole a dead stymie to
Campbell, who was short by a club's length.
The position was an extremely difficult one, and
Campbell, giving up any chance of being able to
"loft" his ball over the other and so drop into
the hole, attempted to screw round the side, but
only succeeded in sotting the balls, as the reporter
put it, "cheek by jowl," and thus lost the match
by 1 hole.
A return match was played over the links of
St Andrews and North Berwick. Commencing
at St Andrews, Campbell was again 2 up on the
first round, and increased his lead to 4 in the
second. At the Dyke hole in the second round
he turned the tables on Jamie by leaving him a
dead stymie, which Morris failed, as Campbell did
in the previous match, to negotiate. At North
Berwick, in the first round, Campbell gained
another hole, and was 4 up, with 18 to play. In
the second round he won with 7 up and 5 to
play, and also gained the bye by 2 and 1 to play.
In August of this year (1886) there was a big
tournament at Troon amateur and professional.
The professional competition was won by W.
Park, jun., with a score of two 74's 148. He
was closely followed by Bob Fergusson with 140,
A. Simpson, 153; Fernie, 154.; T. Simpson and
Willie Campbell, 155; Jamie Morris was 157, and
his father 165. At this meeting Willie Dunn
beat both father and son.
The Amateur Championship was this year
held at St Andrews, on 21st September. The
players were started by Old Tom. It was won by Mr Horace Hutchinson. At a
professional competition in October, which was won by Jack
Simpson (Carnoustie), neither Tom nor Jamie distinguished themselves; nor did they at a similar
competition later on at North Berwick. On the 13th October Willie Fernie beat Jamie Morris
by 5 up and 4 to play. In the second round
Fernie was home in 76, Morris in 79. The
Open Championship was held this year at
Musselburgh, as late as November. It was won
by David Brown in 157 strokes. Jamie Morris
was 163, and Old Tom 173.
At St Andrews, in May 1887, Mr Faidlay won
the Bombay Medal in 86 (Mr Hutchinson was
first with 84), and played several notable matches.
He played the best of the two balls, Old Tom
and Jamie Anderson. At the fourth hole, Tom,
in putting, alter striking the ball, exclaimed,
"I've missed the ball!" The ball, however,
found the hole, and the incident drew from one
of the gentlemen overlooking the match the
remark, "Give a few misses like that, old man."
Tom and Jamie Anderson won by 4 holes: Tom,
87; Jamie Anderson, 84; Mr Laidlay, 88. He
then played the best balls of Mr Kverard and
Tom, 3 rounds, winning one and losing two.
In the spring of 1887 Jamie Morris and
Archie Simpson, of Carnoustie, on the latter's
green, had a tussle for £25. The first round went to Simpson with 3 to
spare, and he eventually won at Carnoustie by 7. The first round at
St Andrews was halved 83 each. In the last
round Simpson won by 9 up and 7 to play.
Simpson's score was 81, Morris's 86.
The Championship of 1887 was played at
Prestwick in September, and was won by Willie
Park with 161, Bob Martin 162, Willie. Campbell
164, and Mr Laidlay 166. Tom played, but did
not return his score, and Jamie does not appear
to have been present. Neither seems to have
been at Alnmouth later in the month, when Park
again secured first honours. Later on in the year
Jamie played a three-ball match with Archie
Simpson (Carnoustie) and Willie Fernie (Troon)
over Carnoustie and St Andrews links. The
total scores for the two clays' play were: Fernie,
344; Jamie Morris, 356, and Simpson, 359.
On the 31st of March 1888, we read in a
newspaper of the period: "Tom Morris had the
gift made to him from his friends of the Thistle Golf Club of a handsome silver snuff-box. Tom
has been an honorary member of the Club for
twenty-three years, and had always manifested a
great interest in its welfare." About the same
time a match for a small stake took place at
St Andrews between J. O. F. Morris and Hob
Martin against Matthew Allan and Jack Kirkaldy.
Play throughout was very close and the interest
was maintained until the last hole, when Morris
and Martin won by 2. In 1888, play for the
Championship was at St Andrews. The record says: "The work of sending off the various
couples was superintended by Old Tom Morris,
who, however, found time to take part a very
creditable part too in the Championship, in the
records of which his name holds so honourable a
place. Indeed, the gathering would not have
been complete without the veteran, who has not
since 1860 the year when the challenge belt was
first competed for been absent on any occasion
when the Championship was being played for."
The champion turned out to be Jack Burns
(Warwick), with 171. Ben Sayers and David
Anderson tied for second and third places, with
172. Then came Mr Leslie Balfour with 173
just 2 behind the winner. J. 0. F. Morris took
186, and Tom 192 20 behind the champion.
In October there was a tournament at
Montrose. It was won by Willie Fernie (of
Troon), 74, with Andrew Kirkaldy, 75, second.
Jamie was 84, and Tom 85. In this month
Tom's brother George died. At one time he
kept the green at Carnoustie, but for the last
twenty-five years of his life had been in the
employment of Messrs W. & R. Chambers,
Edinburgh. He was well known on almost every
links; and from his long connection with the late
Dr Robert Chambers, and his kindly nature and
genial Scottish humour, he was much liked
wherever he was known. He was in his seventieth
year.
Early in November there were several good
competitions at Sandwich, under the auspices of
the St George's Club. In a professional tournament Tom Morris was beaten by W. Fernie by
4 holes, and J. Gow beat Jamie by 2. The final
heat was between Simpson and Rolland. It
resulted in a halved match, and, on another hole
being played, Archie Simpson won the twenty-guinea prize, Rolland taking £10.
In 1889 Tom acted as usual as starter for
the May Meeting of the Royal and Ancient.
Owing, probably, to rather a high north-easterly
wind, the scoring was somewhat high, and the
record says: "This at least is certain, that the
course could not be held in any way responsible
for the indifferent natures of the scores. In no
respect could the least fault be found either with
the course or with the putting-greens. The
venerable custodian of the green knows his work
too well to allow the winter to pass without taking
advantage of it, and yesterday found the links in
first-class trim the course well clothed and the
putting-greens true and trim. Tom Morris was
at his accustomed post, and with an apt word for
each he despatched the numerous couples."
A few days later the Amateur Championship
was played for and was won by Mr J. K. Laidlay.
In the autumn of the same year there was a
competition among local professionals at St
Andrews, under handicap rules. It is curious to
note that Andrew Kirkaldy, playing scratch, tied
with Jamie Anderson, receiving 4 odds. Bob
Martin was third, with 2 odds. Hugh Kirkaldy
was fourth, playing scratch, and Tom Morris,
receiving 5 odds, was one of a tie for the next
place. Jamie, receiving 6 odds, does not appear
in the prize-list. Most of the players then went
on to play in a professional tournament at Troon,
which was won by Fernie.
The Open Championship Meeting took place
at Musselburgh on the 8th of November, and
Tom took part as usual, playing with Mr Everard.
It resulted in a tie between Willie Park, jun.,
and Andrew Kirkaldy in 155. The championship
fell to Park in 157, against Andrew Kirkaldy's
162.
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