Alex Smith (golfer)

For other people named Alex Smith, see Alex Smith (disambiguation).

Alex Smith
— Golfer —
Smith, c. 1913
Personal information
Full name	Alexander Smith
Born	(1874-01-28)28 January 1874 Carnoustie, Angus, Scotland
Died	21 April 1930(1930-04-21) (aged 56) Baltimore, Maryland
Nationality	Scotland United States
Spouse	Jessie Maiden
Children	2
Career
Status	Professional
Professional wins	8
Best results in major championships (wins: 2)
Masters Tournament	NYF
U.S. Open	Won: 1906, 1910
The Open Championship	T16: 1905
PGA Championship	T9: 1916

Alexander Smith (28 January 1874 – 21 April 1930) was a Scottish-American professional golfer who played in the late 19th and early 20th century. He was a member of a famous Scottish golfing family. His brother Willie won the U.S. Open in 1899, and Alex won it in both 1906 and 1910. Like many British professionals of his era he spent much of his adult life working as a club professional in the United States.

Early life

Smith was born in Carnoustie, Scotland, on 28 January 1874, the son of John D. Smith and Joann Smith née Robinson.^[1] On 18 January 1895 he was married to Jessie Maiden—sister of James Maiden—and they had two daughters, Fannie and Margaret, born in 1896 and 1899, respectively. Smith was sometimes referred to as "Alec" Smith, especially early in his career.^[2]^[3]^[4]

Golf career

He was the head professional at Nassau Country Club in Glen Cove, New York, from 1901 through 1909.^[5] James Maiden, who would forge a successful golf career of his own, served as assistant professional under Smith at Nassau.^[5]

In 1901, Smith lost to Willie Anderson in a playoff for the U.S. Open title.^[6] Smith's 1906 U.S. Open victory came at the Onwentsia Club in Lake Forest, Illinois. His 72-hole score of 295 was the lowest at either the U.S. Open or the British Open up to that time, and he won $300. The 1910 U.S. Open was played over the St. Martin's course at the Philadelphia Cricket Club. Smith won a three man playoff against American John McDermott and another of his own brothers, Macdonald Smith. Alex Smith played in eighteen U.S. Opens in total and accumulated eleven top ten placings.

Smith, who partnered with C. A. Dunnning in the 1905 Metropolitan Open four-ball tournament held on 16 September 1905 at Fox Hills Golf Club on Staten Island, tied for first place with George Low and Fred Herreshoff with a score of 71. A playoff wasn't held due to the fact that Smith was also competing in the medal competition which he won from Willie Anderson.^[7]

Smith also won the Western Open twice and the Metropolitan Open four times.

Later life

In 1910, Smith was a widower and lived with his two young daughters and sister-in-law, Allison Barry, in New Rochelle, New York. He was the head professional at the Westchester Country Club in Rye, New York.^[8]

Death and legacy

Smith died on 21 April 1930 at a sanatorium in Baltimore, Maryland.^[8] He is best known for winning the U.S. Open twice, in 1906 and again in 1910.

Tournament wins

Note: This list may be incomplete

Major championships

Alex Smith (right) with Willie Anderson

Wins (2)

Year	Championship	54 Holes	Winning Score	Margin	Runner(s)-up
1906	U.S. Open	3 shot lead	(73-74-73-75=295)	7 strokes	Willie Smith
1910	U.S. Open (2)	2 shot deficit	+6 (73-73-79-73=298)	Playoff¹	John McDermott, Macdonald Smith

¹Defeated John McDermott and MacDonald Smith in an 18-hole playoff – A. Smith 71 (−2), McDermott 75 (+2) & M. Smith 77 (+4).

Results timeline

Smith died before the Masters Tournament was founded.

Tournament	1898	1899	1900	1901	1902	1903	1904	1905	1906	1907	1908	1909
U.S. Open	2	7	13	2	T18	4	18	2	1	DNP	3	3
The Open Championship	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	T16	DNP	T25	DNP	DNP

Tournament	1910	1911	1912	1913	1914	1915	1916	1917	1918	1919	1920	1921
U.S. Open	1	T23	T3	T16	DNP	T22	DNP	NT	NT	WD	DNP	T5
The Open Championship	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	NT	NT	NT	NT	NT	DNP	DNP
PGA Championship	NYF	NYF	NYF	NYF	NYF	NYF	R16	NT	NT	DNP	DNP	DNP

NYF = Tournament not yet founded
NT = No tournament
DNP = Did not play
WD = Withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10

References

↑ "Births in the District of St Clement in the Burgh of Dundee". Statutory Births 282/03 0134. ScotlandsPeople. Retrieved 17 February 2015. (subscription required (help)).
↑ Inkersley, Arthur (1 October 1909). "The Portola and Other Golf Tournaments". books.Gogle.com. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
↑ "Alec Smith Beaten in Open Championship Match". New York Daily Tribune. June 18, 1901. p. 9. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
↑ "Pro Golfers Meet In Title Matches". The New York Times. 11 October 1916. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
1 2 "History of Nassau Country Club". Nassaucc.com. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
↑ "Alexander Smith and Willie Anderson Tied for the Open Championship at 331" (p. 9). New York Tribune. Library of Congress. 16 June 1901. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
↑ "Four Ball Match". New York Tribune. 17 September 1905. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
1 2 "Alex Smith golfer dies". The Milwaukee Sentinel. 22 April 1930. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
↑ "Smith's Golf Title". New York Tribune. 17 September 1905. Retrieved 24 August 2015.

External links

Wawashkamo Golf Club Scottish Links Course designed by Alex Smith on Mackinac Island, Michigan
Article on early Scottish golfers in the U.S. (including the Smith brothers)

U.S. Open champions

1895 Horace Rawlins 1896 James Foulis 1897 Joe Lloyd 1898 Fred Herd 1899 Willie Smith 1900 Harry Vardon 1901 Willie Anderson† 1902 Laurie Auchterlonie 1903 Willie Anderson† 1904 Willie Anderson 1905 Willie Anderson 1906 Alex Smith 1907 Alec Ross 1908 Fred McLeod† 1909 George Sargent 1910 Alex Smith† 1911 John McDermott† 1912 John McDermott 1913 Francis Ouimet#† 1914‡ Walter Hagen 1915 Jerome Travers# 1916 Chick Evans# 1917–18 Cancelled due to World War I 1919 Walter Hagen† 1920 Ted Ray 1921‡ Jim Barnes 1922 Gene Sarazen 1923 Bobby Jones#† 1924 Cyril Walker 1925 Willie Macfarlane† 1926 Bobby Jones# 1927 Tommy Armour† 1928 Johnny Farrell† 1929 Bobby Jones#† 1930 Bobby Jones# 1931 Billy Burke† 1932 Gene Sarazen 1933 Johnny Goodman# 1934 Olin Dutra 1935 Sam Parks, Jr. 1936 Tony Manero 1937 Ralph Guldahl 1938 Ralph Guldahl 1939 Byron Nelson† 1940 Lawson Little† 1941 Craig Wood 1942–45 Cancelled due to World War II 1946 Lloyd Mangrum† 1947 Lew Worsham† 1948 Ben Hogan 1949 Cary Middlecoff 1950 Ben Hogan† 1951 Ben Hogan 1952 Julius Boros 1953‡ Ben Hogan 1954 Ed Furgol 1955 Jack Fleck† 1956 Cary Middlecoff 1957 Dick Mayer† 1958 Tommy Bolt 1959 Billy Casper 1960 Arnold Palmer 1961 Gene Littler 1962 Jack Nicklaus† 1963 Julius Boros† 1964 Ken Venturi 1965 Gary Player† 1966 Billy Casper† 1967 Jack Nicklaus 1968 Lee Trevino 1969 Orville Moody 1970‡ Tony Jacklin 1971 Lee Trevino† 1972 Jack Nicklaus 1973 Johnny Miller 1974 Hale Irwin 1975 Lou Graham† 1976 Jerry Pate 1977 Hubert Green 1978 Andy North 1979 Hale Irwin 1980 Jack Nicklaus 1981 David Graham 1982 Tom Watson 1983 Larry Nelson 1984 Fuzzy Zoeller† 1985 Andy North 1986 Raymond Floyd 1987 Scott Simpson 1988 Curtis Strange† 1989 Curtis Strange 1990 Hale Irwin† 1991 Payne Stewart† 1992 Tom Kite 1993 Lee Janzen 1994 Ernie Els† 1995 Corey Pavin 1996 Steve Jones 1997 Ernie Els 1998 Lee Janzen 1999 Payne Stewart 2000‡ Tiger Woods 2001 Retief Goosen† 2002‡ Tiger Woods 2003 Jim Furyk 2004 Retief Goosen 2005 Michael Campbell 2006 Geoff Ogilvy 2007 Ángel Cabrera 2008 Tiger Woods† 2009 Lucas Glover 2010 Graeme McDowell 2011‡ Rory McIlroy 2012 Webb Simpson 2013 Justin Rose 2014‡ Martin Kaymer 2015 Jordan Spieth

† indicates the event was won in a playoff; ‡ indicates the event was won wire-to-wire; # indicates the event was won by an amateur

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