James Braid was a
ScottishScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
professional
golfGolf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er and a member of the
Great TriumvirateThe Great Triumvirate, in a golfing context, refers to the three leading British golfers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries: Harry Vardon, John Henry Taylor, and James Braid. The trio combined to win The Open Championship 16 times in the 21 tournaments held between 1894 and 1914; Vardon...
of the sport alongside
Harry VardonHarry Vardon was a Jersey professional golfer and member of the fabled Great Triumvirate of the sport in his day, along with John Henry Taylor and James Braid. He won The Open Championship a record six times and also won the U.S. Open.-Biography:Vardon was born in Grouville, Jersey, Channel Islands...
and
John Henry TaylorJohn Henry "J.H." Taylor was an English professional golfer and one of the pioneers of the modern game of golf. He was also a significant golf course architect....
. He won
The Open ChampionshipThe Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
five times. He also was a renowned golf course architect.
Braid was born in Earlsferry,
FifeFife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
,
ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and played golf from an early age, working as a clubmaker before turning professional in 1896. Initially his game was hindered by problems with his putting, but he overcame this after switching to an aluminium putter in 1900. He won
The Open ChampionshipThe Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
in 1901, 1905, 1906, 1908 and 1910. In addition, Braid won four
British PGA Matchplay ChampionshipThe British PGA Matchplay Championship was a match play golf tournament that began in 1903 and ran until 1979. Between 1903 and 1969, the event was sponsored by the now defunct British newspaper the News of the World, and was commonly known by the paper's name...
s (1903, 1905, 1907 and 1911), as well as the 1910 French Open title. He was also runner-up in The Open Championship in 1897 and 1909. His 1906 victory in The Open Championship was the last successful defence of the title by a European until
Pádraig HarringtonPádraig P. Harrington is an Irish professional golfer who plays on The European Tour and The PGA Tour. He has won three major championships: The Open Championship in 2007 and 2008 and the PGA Championship, also in 2008.-Background:...
replicated the feat in
2008The 2008 Open Championship was the 137th Open Championship, played 17–20 July, at Royal Birkdale Golf Club, England. Pádraig Harrington of Ireland successfully defended his Open Championship title for his second Open title...
.
In 1912, Braid scaled back his tournament golf, and became a club professional at Walton Heath. He developed a very successful career in golf course design, and is sometimes regarded as the "inventor" of the dogleg, although holes of similar design had been known for centuries (for example, the Road Hole at the
Old Course at St AndrewsThe Old Course at St Andrews is the oldest golf course in the world. The Old Course is a public course over common land in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland and is held in trust by The St Andrews Links Trust under an act of Parliament...
). Among his designs are the "King's Course" and the "Queen's Course" at
GleneaglesThe Gleneagles Hotel is a luxury hotel near Auchterarder, Perth and Kinross, Scotland.- History :The hotel was built by the former Caledonian Railway Company and opened in 1924, originally with its own railway station...
, and the 1926 remodelling of The Open Championship venue
Carnoustie Golf LinksThe Carnoustie Golf Links are in Carnoustie, Angus, Scotland. Its historic championship golf course is one of the venues in the Open Championship rotation.-History:...
.
StranraerStranraer is a town in the southwest of Scotland. It lies in the west of Dumfries and Galloway and in the county of Wigtownshire.Stranraer lies on the shores of Loch Ryan on the northern side of the isthmus joining the Rhins of Galloway to the mainland...
Golf Club's course was the final one that was designed by Braid in the year that he died, 1950. He was called out of retirement to plan Creachmore, which was to be his last commission. Braid never lived to see the course completed. He died in
LondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 27 November 1950.
Tournament wins (15)
this list may be incomplete
- 1901 The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
- 1902 Tooting Bec Cup
The Tooting Bec Cup is a trophy awarded each year by the Professional Golfers' Association of Great Britain and Ireland to the association member born in, or with a parent or parents born in, the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland who returns the lowest single-round score in The Open...
- 1903 News of the World Match Play, Tooting Bec Cup
The Tooting Bec Cup is a trophy awarded each year by the Professional Golfers' Association of Great Britain and Ireland to the association member born in, or with a parent or parents born in, the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland who returns the lowest single-round score in The Open...
- 1904 Tooting Bec Cup
The Tooting Bec Cup is a trophy awarded each year by the Professional Golfers' Association of Great Britain and Ireland to the association member born in, or with a parent or parents born in, the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland who returns the lowest single-round score in The Open...
- 1905 The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
, News of the World Match Play
- 1906 The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
- 1907 News of the World Match Play, Tooting Bec Cup
The Tooting Bec Cup is a trophy awarded each year by the Professional Golfers' Association of Great Britain and Ireland to the association member born in, or with a parent or parents born in, the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland who returns the lowest single-round score in The Open...
- 1908 The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
- 1910 The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
, French Open
- 1911 News of the World Match Play
- 1920 British vs. America Match
Major championshipsThe men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...
are shown in
bold.
Wins (5)
| Year | Championship | 54 Holes | Winning Score | Margin | Runner(s)-up |
| 1901 |
The Open ChampionshipThe Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
|
5 shot lead |
(79-76-74-80=309) |
3 strokes |
 Harry VardonHarry Vardon was a Jersey professional golfer and member of the fabled Great Triumvirate of the sport in his day, along with John Henry Taylor and James Braid. He won The Open Championship a record six times and also won the U.S. Open.-Biography:Vardon was born in Grouville, Jersey, Channel Islands...
|
| 1905 |
The Open ChampionshipThe Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
(2) |
6 shot lead |
(81-78-78-81=318) |
5 strokes |
 Rowland Jones, J. H. TaylorJohn Henry "J.H." Taylor was an English professional golfer and one of the pioneers of the modern game of golf. He was also a significant golf course architect....
|
| 1906 |
The Open ChampionshipThe Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
(3) |
2 shot deficit |
(77-76-74-73=300) |
1 stroke |
Harry VardonHarry Vardon was a Jersey professional golfer and member of the fabled Great Triumvirate of the sport in his day, along with John Henry Taylor and James Braid. He won The Open Championship a record six times and also won the U.S. Open.-Biography:Vardon was born in Grouville, Jersey, Channel Islands...
|
| 1908 |
The Open ChampionshipThe Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
(4) |
6 shot lead |
(70-72-77-72=291) |
8 strokes |
Tom Ball |
| 1910 |
The Open ChampionshipThe Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
(5) |
2 shot deficit |
(76-73-74-76=299) |
4 strokes |
 Sandy HerdAlexander "Sandy" Herd was a Scottish professional golfer from St Andrews.Herd was the club professional at Huddersfield Golf Club from 1892 to 1911. In 1902, he won The Open Championship at Hoylake. He had a three shot lead after 54 holes, but nearly let the title slip out of his hands by scoring...
|
Results timeline
Braid played in only
The Open ChampionshipThe Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
.
| Tournament |
1894 |
1895 |
1896 |
1897 |
1898 |
1899 |
The Open ChampionshipThe Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
|
T10 |
DNP |
6 |
2 |
T10 |
T5 |
| Tournament |
1900 |
1901 |
1902 |
1903 |
1904 |
1905 |
1906 |
1907 |
1908 |
1909 |
The Open ChampionshipThe Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
|
3 |
1 |
T2 |
5 |
T2 |
1 |
1 |
T5 |
1 |
T2 |
| Tournament |
1910 |
1911 |
1912 |
1913 |
1914 |
1915 |
1916 |
1917 |
1918 |
1919 |
The Open ChampionshipThe Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
|
1 |
T5 |
3 |
T18 |
T10 |
NT |
NT |
NT |
NT |
NT |
| Tournament |
1920 |
1921 |
1922 |
1923 |
1924 |
1925 |
1926 |
1927 |
1928 |
1929 |
The Open ChampionshipThe Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
|
T21 |
T16 |
DNP |
T49 |
T18 |
DNP |
T28 |
T30 |
T41 |
DNP |
| Tournament |
1930 |
1931 |
1932 |
1933 |
1934 |
1935 |
1936 |
1937 |
1938 |
The Open ChampionshipThe Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
|
DNP |
DNP |
DNP |
DNP |
DNP |
DNP |
DNP |
DNP |
CUT |
NT = No tournament
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10
Further reading
External links