David Ayton Sr. (25 May 1857 – 30 January 1931) 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 late 19th century. He had three 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 ...

. He was the son of William Ayton, one of the eleven founders of

St Andrews Golf Club St Andrews Golf Club, originally known as St Andrews Mechanics Golf Club, is a private members' golf club located in St Andrews, Scotland. The club is one of the oldest golf clubs in the world, having been established in 1843. The club does no ...

in about 1843.

Early life

Ayton was born on 25 May 1857 in

St Andrews St Andrews (; ; , pronounced ʰʲɪʎˈrˠiː.ɪɲ 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 fourth-largest settleme ...

, Scotland, to William Ayton, one of the eleven founders of

circa 1843.

Golf career

He was at the peak of his playing form in the 1880s with his best performance, a third place, in the

1885 Open Championship The 1885 Open Championship was the 25th Open Championship, held 3 October at the Old Course at St Andrews, Fife, Scotland. Bob Martin (golfer), Bob Martin won the Championship for the second time, by a stroke from Archie Simpson. Simpson was o ...

held at the Old Course,

, Scotland, finishing two strokes behind the winner Bob Martin. He is best remembered for an event that never took place. Various sources (including his obituary in the ''Dundee Courier'') refer to him taking 11 at the "Road hole" (the 17th) but a contemporary newspaper report gives his scores there as 6 and 7. He also had top-10 finishes in the

1882 Events January * January 2 ** The Standard Oil Trust is secretly created in the United States to control multiple corporations set up by John D. Rockefeller and his associates. ** Irish-born author Oscar Wilde arrives in New York at the ...

and

1888 Open Championship The 1888 Open Championship was the 28th Open Championship, held 6 October at the Old Course at St Andrews, Fife, Scotland. Jack Burns won the Championship by a stroke from David Anderson Jr. and Ben Sayers. Willie Campbell led after 18 holes ...

Family

His sons David Jr., Laurie Sr., George and Alex were all professional golfers, as was his grandson Laurie Jr.

Death and legacy

Ayton died in St Andrews, Scotland, on 30 January 1931. He is best remembered for a fine third place finish in the 1885 Open Championship and for reputedly taking an 11 on the Road hole (#17) on the Old Course which, in fact, never happened.

Results in The Open Championship

''Note: Ayton played only 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 ...

.'' WD = Withdrew
? = Competed, finish unknown
"T" indicates a tie for a place

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ayton, David Sr. Scottish male golfers Golfers from St Andrews 1857 births 1931 deaths