Alexander Campbell (28 November 1876 – 16 December 1942) was a Scottish

professional golfer A professional golfer is somebody who receives payments or financial rewards in the sport of golf that are directly related to their skill or reputation. A person who earns money by teaching or playing golf is traditionally considered a "golf pr ...

and

golf course architect A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". Th ...

of the late 19th and early 20th century. In total, Campbell had five top-10 finishes in major championships.

Early life

Alex/Alec "Nipper" Campbell was born in Scotland on 28 November 1876, the son of Alexander Campbell and Margaret Campbell

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Patterson. He had five brothers who also became golf professionals.

Golf career

Campbell was the head professional at several golf clubs, including

The Country Club The Country Club, located in Brookline, Massachusetts, is the oldest golf-oriented country club in the United States. (The Philadelphia Cricket Club, founded in 1854, was the first country club for any sport.) It holds an important place in ...

(

Brookline, Massachusetts Brookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, in the United States, and part of the Greater Boston, Boston metropolitan area. Brookline borders six of Boston's neighborhoods: Brighton, Boston, Brighton, A ...

, 1896–1916),

Baltimore Country Club Baltimore Country Club is a private club in Baltimore, Maryland, with two campuses, one in the city's Roland Park neighborhood and the other in the north suburb of Lutherville. It is one of only twelve clubs nationwide to operate two campuses. T ...

(

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

), Northmoor Golf Club (

Celina, Ohio Celina ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Mercer County, Ohio, United States about 58 miles northwest of Dayton, Ohio, Dayton. The population was 10,400 at the United States Census 2010, 2010 census. Celina is situated on the northwestern sh ...

), Losantiville Country Club (

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

), Miami Valley Golf Club and

Moraine Country Club Moraine Country Club is a country club located in Kettering, Ohio, in the Dayton Metropolitan Area. The development of the Moraine Country Club started at a meeting in 1927, when Colonel Deeds, Charles Kettering, Frederick Rike, Governor James C ...

(

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Day ...

). He was also a golf course architect, designing the Moraine Country Club. In 1913, at The Country Club, he played a friendly match against

Wilfrid Reid Wilfrid Ewart "Wilfie" Reid (3 November 1884 – 24 November 1973) was an English professional golfer and golf course designer. Reid was born in Bulwell, Nottingham, England, and died in West Palm Beach, Florida, United States. He posted three ...

upon the Englishman's arrival in Boston to play in the 1913 U.S. Open. During his 20-year career at The Country Club, he was involved in the development of caddy

Francis Ouimet Francis DeSales Ouimet () (May 8, 1893 – September 2, 1967) was an American amateur golfer who is frequently referred to as the "father of amateur golf" in the United States. He won the U.S. Open in 1913 and was the first non-Briton elected ...

as a player.

1901 U.S. Open

Campbell finished in eighth place in the 1901 U.S. Open at

Myopia Hunt Club Myopia Hunt Club is a foxhunting and private country club in South Hamilton, Massachusetts, northeast of Boston. In the early years of the U.S. Open, the club hosted it four times: 1898, 1901, 1905, and 1908. History Myopia Hunt Club was founde ...

. Willie Anderson won his first of four U.S. Open titles in a playoff over

Alex Smith Alexander Douglas Smith (born May 7, 1984) is an American former quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He played college football at Utah, where he received first-team All-American honors and won the 20 ...

. Campbell had rounds of 84-91-82-82=339—the high second round 91 being detrimental to this overall scoring—however he finished strongly and won $25 as his share of the purse.

1905 U.S. Open

In the 1905 U.S. Open held September 21–22, 1905, at Myopia Hunt Club, Willie Anderson won his third consecutive U.S. Open title, and his record 4th overall, by two strokes over

. Campbell finished in sixth place, carding rounds of 82-76-80-81=319, and won $70.

1907 U.S. Open

Campbell's best finish in the U.S. Open was third in the 1907 U.S. Open, held June 20–21, 1907, at

Philadelphia Cricket Club The Philadelphia Cricket Club, founded in 1854, is the oldest country club in the United States. It has two locations: Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, and Flourtown, Pennsylvania. History Founded on February 10, 1854, the Philadelphia Cricket ...

in Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania.

Alex Ross Nelson Alexander Ross (born January 22, 1970) is an American comic book writer and artist known primarily for his painted interiors, covers, and design work. He first became known with the 1994 miniseries ''Marvels'', on which he collaborated wi ...

posted four sub-80 rounds to win his first U.S. Open title by two strokes over Gilbert Nicholls. Campbell played consistently good golf, posting rounds of 78-74-78-75=305, and won $100.

1912 U.S. Open

The 1912 U.S. Open was the 18th U.S. Open. The golf tournament was held August 1–2, 1912, at the

Country Club of Buffalo A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while th ...

, which is now Grover Cleveland Golf Course (the Country Club of Buffalo has since relocated to

Amherst, New York Amherst () is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. Amherst is an inner ring suburb of Buffalo. As of 2020, the town had a total population of 129,595. This represents an increase from 122,366 as reported in the 2010 census. The second ...

). 20-year-old John McDermott successfully defended his U.S. Open title with a two-stroke victory over Tom McNamara. Campbell fired rounds of 74-77-80-71=302, finishing 8 strokes behind the winner, and won $70 for his excellent performance.

Death

Campbell died at his home on 16 December 1942 in Dayton, Ohio. He had suffered from a heart ailment for some time. He is interred in the

Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum (200 acres), located at 118 Woodland Avenue, Dayton, Ohio, is one of the oldest garden cemeteries in the United States. Woodland was incorporated in 1842 by John Whitten Van Cleve, the first male child born in D ...

Results in major championships

''Note: Campbell never played in the

Masters Tournament The Masters Tournament (usually referred to as simply The Masters, or the U.S. Masters outside North America) is one of the four major championships in professional golf. Scheduled for the first full week of April, the Masters is the first maj ...

The Open Championship The Open Championship, often referred to as The Open or the British Open, is the oldest golf tournament in the world, and one of the most prestigious. Founded in 1860, it was originally held annually at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. Later th ...

.'' NT = No tournament
R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play "T" indicates a tie for a place
? = unknown
Yellow background for top-10

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Campbell, Alex Scottish male golfers Golf course architects Golfers from Massachusetts Golfers from Maryland Golfers from Ohio Scottish emigrants to the United States Burials at Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum 1876 births 1942 deaths