Edward Blackwell

Edward Blackwell
— Golfer —

1899 R&A Order of Play Medal Match
Freddie Tait (back turned) with Blackwell (c) and Old Tom Morris (r), at St Andrews
Personal information
Full name Edward Baird Hay Blackwell
Born 21 July 1866
St Andrews, Scotland
Died 22 June 1945 (aged 78)
St Andrews, Scotland
Height 6 ft (183 cm)
Weight 196 lb (14 st 0 lb; 89 kg)
Nationality  Scotland
Career
Status Amateur
Best results in major championships
Masters Tournament DNP
U.S. Open DNP
The Open Championship T13: 1892
PGA Championship DNP
British Amateur 2nd: 1904

Edward Baird Hay Blackwell (21 July 1866 – 22 June 1945)[1] was a Scottish amateur golfer who played in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was a member of the R&A[2] and is best known for a second place finish in the 1904 Amateur Championship contested at Royal St George's Golf Club in Sandwich, England. Although playing fine golf throughout, he eventually lost the final match to Walter Travis by the score of 4 and 3.[3] He was known as a long hitter of the ball, often outdriving opponents by 50 yards or more. In 1898, Blackwell was described as probably the most consistently long driver the world had ever seen. As a result, his name became a household word among golfers.[2]

His brothers—Sir Ernley Blackwell and Walter Blackwell—were also useful golfers, playing on several occasions in the Amateur Championship.[4]

Early life

Born in 1866—the son of Surgeon-Major James Hay Blackwell, H.E.I.C.S.,[5] and his wife, Eliza Jane Robertson[6]—he began to play as soon as he could walk and the advantage of this early commencement is to be seen in the most perfect style conceivable, a full, free swing, characterized by commanding power. His early boyhood was spent in St Andrews where he attended Dr. Browning's School. Before he left at age 13, he had won a prize with the score of 104. As a young man he had grown to a height of 6 feet, weighed 14 stone, and had powerful forearms and wrists.[2] Being a tall man, he preferred heavy clubs with long hickory shafts. His cleek was once described as "a weaver's beam with an old boot at the end of it."[2]

1904 Amateur championship

In the 1904 Amateur Championship, contested at Royal St George’s Golf Club, Blackwell played well throughout the tournament but lost the final match 4 and 3 to the American player Walter Travis.[3]

Details of play in 1904 British Amateur

The sky was overcast with occasional flurries of rain—and a stiff, raw wind from the northeast greatly affected both Travis's and Blackwell's driving. After the match, Blackwell stated, "Travis is a great golfer. I was a trifle off my game during the morning and lost several holes I ought to have won." [7]

The match was over 36 holes of golf. Travis won the first 18-hole match by the score of 5 and 6. In the second round with thirteen holes to play Travis was five up on Blackwell. On restarting the second round, Travis pulled his second shot into the rough and was bunkered on his third shot. Blackwell played his second shot into the same bunker and took two strokes to recover, but he won the hole in six to seven. Travis won the next but lost the third, where he failed at a 15-foot putt for a halve in three. The American, however, was again four up at the fourth, where Blackwell was weak on the green. Two straight shots and a 30-foot putt gave Travis a three at the fifth, where he stood five up. Travis took the sixth and lost the seventh. The eight was halved. The American lost the ninth and made the turn four up. The next five holes were halved, Travis going somewhat off his long game, but saving holes on the greens. Travis became dormie four, halved the next and won by 4 and 3.[7]

1911 Open Championship

Blackwell was also a contestant in the 1911 Open Championship, which was the 51st Open Championship, held 26–30 June at Royal St George's Golf Club in Sandwich, England. British star Harry Vardon won the Championship for the fifth time after a playoff against the Frenchman Arnaud Massy. Blackwell led the first round scoring with a fine 71—with Michael Moran joined on 72 by J. H. Taylor[8]—and finished tied for 21st.

Results in major championships

Tournament 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914
The Open Championship T13 DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP 36 DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP T27 WD DNP DNP DNP DNP WD T21 DNP 41 DNP
The Amateur Championship DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP ? ? ? 2 ? ? ? DNP ? ? ? ? ? ?
Tournament 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930
The Amateur Championship ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? R128

Note: Blackwell played only in The Open Championship and The Amateur Championship.

DNP = Did not play
WD = Withdrew
? = unknown
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Yellow background for top-10

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Robert Baird Hay Blackwell". http://www.findagrave.com''. Retrieved 19 April 2015.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "The Longest Driver Ever Known". The Sun (New York, New York). 4 September 1898. p. 9. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Brenner, Morgan G. (2009). The Majors of Golf: Complete Results of the Open, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and the Masters, 1860-2008 1. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-3360-5.
  4. ↑ "British Golf Collectors Society". http://www.golfcollectors.co.uk''. Retrieved 19 April 2015.
  5. ↑ The Times, London, 23 September 1941 (Deaths)
  6. ↑ "Blackwell graves". http://www.findagrave.com''. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Travis Wins Golf Title in England". The Evening World (New York, New York). 3 June 1904. p. 13. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  8. ↑ "Golf Championship - First day's play - An Irishman leads". The Glasgow Herald. 27 June 1911. pp. 9–10.
  9. ↑ Leach, Henry. "Players of the Period -- Mr. Edward Blackwell" (PDF). la84.org. The American Golfer. Retrieved 19 April 2015.