Alfred H. Ricketts (born February 1870) was an English

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 ...

who played in the late 19th and early 20th century.

Early life

In 1888, Ricketts emigrated from England to the United States and took a job as a golf instructor at the

Country Club of Rochester The Country Club of Rochester (CCR) is a championship golf course in the towns of Brighton and Pittsford, in suburban Rochester, New York. History On January 1, 1885, members of the Genesee Valley Club founded the golf club, on a farm four mil ...

in Rochester, New York, where he instructed Rochester-born

Walter Hagen Walter Charles Hagen (December 21, 1892 – October 6, 1969) was an American professional golfer and a major figure in golf in the first half of the 20th century. His tally of 11 professional majors is third behind Jack Nicklaus (18) and Tiger ...

and others on the finer points of golf. In 1900 he married Nettie Brooks and born to them was a son, Albert G. Ricketts, circa 1902.

Golf career

Ricketts tied for sixth place, with

Bernard Nicholls Frank Bernard "Ben" Nicholls (19 April 1877 – 3 November 1924) was an American professional golfer and golf course designer of English birth. He compiled an outstanding record in a golf career that included five top-10 finishes in the U.S. ...

, in the 1897 U.S. Open, held at

Chicago Golf Club Chicago Golf Club is a private golf club in the central United States, located in Wheaton, Illinois, a suburb west of Chicago. The oldest 18-hole course in North America, it was one of the five founding clubs of the United States Golf Association ...

Wheaton, Illinois Wheaton is a suburban city in Milton and Winfield Townships and is the county seat of DuPage County, Illinois. It is located approximately west of Chicago. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 52,894, which was estimated ...

. He got off to a poor start with an opening round 91 but with a full 10-shot improvement in round two at 81 he finished high on the leaderboard. He didn't win any prize money; only the top-5 finishers received a prize. Ricketts also had a tenth place finish in the 1896 U.S. Open by carding rounds of 80-83=163.

Later life

By 1910, his wife had died and he was a widower. In 1930, likely as a result of the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

, he was no longer in the golf business but rather was working as a packer and stamper in a metal fabrication factory.

Death

Ricketts' date of death is unknown.

Results in major championships

''Note: Ricketts played only in the U.S. Open.'' "T" indicates a tie for a place
? = unknown
Yellow background for top-10

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ricketts, Alfred English male golfers English emigrants to the United States 1870 births Year of death missing