Andrew Anderson Strath (1 March 1837 – 23 February 1868) 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 ...
who played in the mid-19th century. He won the
1865 Open Championship
The 1865 Open Championship was the sixth Open Championship and was held on 14 September at Prestwick Golf Club. Andrew Strath won the championship by two shots from Willie Park, Sr. There were 12 competitors.
Strath had the lead after the first ...
. In total, he accumulated six top-10 finishes in
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 ...
.
Early life
Strath was born in
St Andrews
St Andrews ( la, S. Andrea(s); sco, Saunt Aundraes; gd, Cill Rìmhinn) is a town on the east coast of Fife in Scotland, southeast of Dundee and northeast of Edinburgh. St Andrews had a recorded population of 16,800 , making it Fife's fou ...
,
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
, on 1 March 1837, the son of Alexander Strath and Susan Strath (née Reid).
On 19 March 1858 he married Euphemia Johnston and the couple had six children. Strath had two brothers,
Davie and
George
George may refer to:
People
* George (given name)
* George (surname)
* George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George
* George Washington, First President of the United States
* George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...
, who also became professional golfers.
Golf career
Like most professionals of his era Strath did not make his living from tournaments. He began his working life as an apprentice to a clubmaker and sometimes partnered
Old Tom Morris
Thomas Mitchell Morris (16 June 1821 – 24 May 1908), otherwise known as Old Tom Morris, and The Grand Old Man of Golf, was a Scottish golfer. He was born in St Andrews, Fife, the "home of golf" and location of the St Andrews Links, and died t ...
in the challenge matches which were a feature of golf at the time. He was famous for the amount of backspin he could get on his iron shots. Golf matches at this time in history were generally contested on an alternate shot basis. For example, if Old Tom hit the drive off the tee box then Strath would play the second shot.
[Cook, Kevin - ''Tommy's Honor'', New York 2005, Gotham Books]
In May 1857, Strath was partnered with
Allan Robertson and played a challenge match against
Old Tom Morris
Thomas Mitchell Morris (16 June 1821 – 24 May 1908), otherwise known as Old Tom Morris, and The Grand Old Man of Golf, was a Scottish golfer. He was born in St Andrews, Fife, the "home of golf" and location of the St Andrews Links, and died t ...
and
Willie Park, Sr.
William Park Sr. (30 June 1833 – 25 July 1903) was a Scottish professional golfer. He was a 4-time winner of the Open Championship.
Early life
Park was born in Wallyford, East Lothian, Scotland. Like some of the other early professional gol ...
They won the match by six holes.
1865 Open Championship
Strath won
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 ...
in 1865,
becoming the only man to break the early domination of the event by
Willie Park, Sr.
William Park Sr. (30 June 1833 – 25 July 1903) was a Scottish professional golfer. He was a 4-time winner of the Open Championship.
Early life
Park was born in Wallyford, East Lothian, Scotland. Like some of the other early professional gol ...
and the two Tom Morrises, father and
son
A son is a male offspring; a boy or a man in relation to his parents. The female counterpart is a daughter. From a biological perspective, a son constitutes a first degree relative.
Social issues
In pre-industrial societies and some current c ...
. His winning scorecard is on display in the clubhouse at Prestwick Golf Club, which also possesses Strath's application letter for the post of keeper of the green in 1865. He also finished third in
1860
Events
January–March
* January 2 – The discovery of a hypothetical planet Vulcan is announced at a meeting of the French Academy of Sciences in Paris, France.
* January 10 – The Pemberton Mill in Lawrence, Massachusett ...
, fourth in
1863
Events
January–March
* January 1 – Abraham Lincoln signs the Emancipation Proclamation during the third year of the American Civil War, making the abolition of slavery in the Confederate states an official war goal. It proclaims t ...
, second in
1864
Events
January–March
* January 13 – American songwriter Stephen Foster ("Oh! Susanna", "Old Folks at Home") dies aged 37 in New York City, leaving a scrap of paper reading "Dear friends and gentle hearts". His parlor song " ...
and third in
1867
Events
January–March
* January 1 – The Covington–Cincinnati Suspension Bridge opens between Cincinnati, Ohio, and Covington, Kentucky, in the United States, becoming the longest single-span bridge in the world. It was renamed a ...
.
In 1865, he had succeeded
Charlie Hunter, who moved to Blackheath less than a year after taking over from Old Tom Morris as green keeper at
Prestwick. Strath's tenure only lasted three years as he died in Prestwick golfhouse
of "pneumonia running on to phthisis"
(i.e.
tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...
) at the age of 30. His brothers
George
George may refer to:
People
* George (given name)
* George (surname)
* George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George
* George Washington, First President of the United States
* George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...
and
Davie were also golfers. Davie was considered the best player of the three, but like Andrew he died young. George, who died in 1919, served as the first professional at
Royal Troon before emigrating to the United States.
Death and legacy
Strath died in
Prestwick,
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
, on 23 February 1868.
His wife Euphemia died in 1869.
Strath is best remembered for winning the
1865 Open Championship
The 1865 Open Championship was the sixth Open Championship and was held on 14 September at Prestwick Golf Club. Andrew Strath won the championship by two shots from Willie Park, Sr. There were 12 competitors.
Strath had the lead after the first ...
.
Major championships
Wins (1)
Results timeline
''Note:
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 ...
was the only major played during Strath's lifetime.''
DNP = Did not play
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Strath, Andrew
Scottish male golfers
Winners of men's major golf championships
19th-century deaths from tuberculosis
Tuberculosis deaths in Scotland
Sportspeople from South Ayrshire
Golfers from St Andrews
People from Prestwick
1837 births
1868 deaths