Francis D. Ouimet

• Born: May 8, 1893
• Birthplace: Brookline, Massachusetts
• Died: September 2, 1967
• Place of death: Newton, Massachusetts

Sport: Golf

Early Life

Francis Desales Ouimet was born on May 8, 1893, in Brookline, Massachusetts. His future fame was built upon events that occurred during his early youth. Just about the time he was starting grade school, his family moved to a house in a thinly populated area of Brookline, across the street from the local country club. Francis’s father, a working man, had no interest in golf. Were it not for the close proximity of the golf course, his children probably would have followed some other sport.

The Road to Excellence

Francis’s first encounter with golf came as he walked the course with his brother Walter, looking for lost balls. Golf clubs were not so easily found. Only after Walter Ouimet became a caddy did the family get a golf club from one of the country club members who hired Walter. When his brother was working the course, young Francis would practice with their golf club. Across the street from the club, Francis was able to view the players who participated in the tournaments. He studied their movements and was able to copy their swings. With practice, he found that he could hit a ball as straight and as true as some of the older players.

After learning that a local sporting equipment company would trade a good golf club for thirty-six golf balls, Francis and Walter used part of their large collection of found balls to trade for a couple of clubs. Shortly thereafter, the boys decided to use some of the land behind their house as a three-hole golf course. While primitive, and in no way comparable to the country club, the boys had a place to practice their shots and their putting. The greens were made of very short grass, and they used a tomato can sunk into the ground for the hole.

At the age of eleven, Francis followed his brother’s footsteps and became a caddy at the club. He was able to get close-up views of his heroes, who were the elite of the game for that period of time. A member for whom he caddied gave Francis four additional clubs, and suddenly there was no stopping Francis. He usually practiced in the morning until the groundskeeper would hasten him off so that members could play.

The Emerging Champion

In 1910, at the age of seventeen, with money borrowed from his mother, Francis joined the Woodland Golf Club as a junior member and attempted to qualify for the U.S. Amateur Championships. That year and for the next two, he failed in his quest to qualify by the same 1-stroke margin. In 1913, he finally made the grade. That year, the tournament was played in Brookline at the golf course across from where Francis grew up and lived. At this tournament, he made his mark not only in Massachusetts but also throughout the golfing world.

In addition to his natural ability and the long hours he spent practicing, Francis had one other great attribute: He had the ability to use his head. Even in defeat, he was able to learn some lesson and make sure that the errors he committed were not repeated in the future. He never tried to be like the other golfers but rather played the game as his abilities would allow. He had confidence in himself and knew his own limitations.

Golf had been introduced to the United States at the beginning of the twentieth century, and it took about a dozen years for the game to gain some popularity. After the 1914 U.S. Amateur Championships, the game’s popularity soared. Most of the credit belongs to Francis, who, against tall odds, beat two of the greatest golfers of that time, Britons Harry Vardon and Ted Ray.

No one had given young Francis any chance in this tournament. The critics seemed to be right when, with four holes left in the final round, Francis needed to play superb golf merely to tie Vardon and Ray. Playing the final four holes in one under par, Francis tied the other golfers and forced an eighteen-hole playoff the next day. The press and all the so-called experts discussed which of the two Englishmen would succeed the following day. They assumed that the pressure would get to the young American and that he would not be a factor. Showing great poise and determination, Francis proved them all wrong as he won the 1914 championships and started a new era in American golf.

Continuing the Story

Controversy entered the career of Francis when, in 1916, he was disbarred from the game by the United States Golf Association (USGA), the governing body of the sport. The USGA claimed that, by owning and operating a golf supply store, Francis was forfeiting his status as an amateur. For several years, Francis played only in tournaments sanctioned by a rival group, the Western Golfing Association (WGA). Only after World War I was his amateur status reinstated, and he was again allowed to play in the major tournaments. He won many important titles in his career, including the French Amateur and, for a second time, the U.S. Amateur, seventeen years after his initial victory, when most thought he was past his prime.

Francis was closely associated with the Walker Cup for many years and was captain of that team numerous times. His distinguished association with the game did not end when his playing career slowed. He was an active member of the USGA and was a leader in golf administration and legislation in the United States. In 1951, in recognition of his contributions to the sport and his close ties to Britain, he was elected captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, thus becoming the first non-Briton to hold that position. Francis died in 1967.

Summary

Francis D. Ouimet’s golf game was always credited for its great consistency rather than the tremendous brilliance he had shown in his initial victory. His ability to play well under pressure made him a hero in the sport at a time when golf was just emerging. His passion for the game helped make golf a national sport for all to enjoy, not only a few. He was a true founder of the game in the United States.

Bibliography

Frost, Mark. The Greatest Game Ever Played: Harry Vardon, Francis Ouimet, and the Birth of Modern Golf. New York: Hyperion, 2002.

Herzog, Brad. The Sports One Hundred: The One Hundred Most Important People in American Sports History. New York: Macmillan, 1995.

Ouimet, Francis, Ben Crenshaw, and Dick Johnson. A Game of Golf. Reprint. Boston: Northeastern University Press, 2004.

Wade, Don. Talking on Tour: The Best Anecdotes from Golf’s Master Storyteller. Lincolnwood, Ill.: McGraw-Hill/Contemporary, 2003.