May 20, 1897 – At just the second-ever playing of the British Open Men’s Golf, an amateur player took the tournament. Englishman Harold Hilton won the Open title by overcoming Scotland’s James Braid by 1 stroke at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club. There have been only six times in history that an amateur has won the Open.
The British Open is the oldest golf tournament in the world and one of the most respected. Originally it was founded in 1860 and was held annually at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland.
Years later in 1873, the venue started to rotate among a select group of coastal links golf courses in the United Kingdom including St. Andrews, Musselburgh, Muirfield, Royal St. Georges, and others. Winners now get to claim the trophy known as the Claret Jug.
To find more great daily sports history make sure to check out the Sports Jersey Dispatch and Pigskin Dispatch.
More From Sports History Network
Inside the Record Makers Invitational: The Weightlifting Showdown of the 80s
I started Olympic Weightlifting in 1981, and up to that point, I didn’t know
Ric Flair’s Fake Heart Attack: The Shocking WCW Moment That Fooled Fans
A few weeks ago I found an Instagram video of Ric Flair having a
Victorian Football: From Mob Rule to Class Rule
In the early 1800s, British football begins to slowly take a more orderly form,
1963 New York Yankees: A Season of Dominance, A World Series To Forget
After winning the World Series in 1961 and 1962 under Manager Ralph Houk, the
From Elegant Ancient Chinese Footballers to the United Kingdom’s Crude Rabble
Over the last two millennia, humans have dotted the world with football. Connect these
The Best NFL Division in 1975 (AFC Central)
The American Football Conference’s Central Division was unquestionably the best division in pro football
Chuck Noll’s 1972 Steelers: How a Rookie and a Defense Built a Legacy
From 1933 (their first season in the NFL) through 1971, the Pittsburgh Steelers had
Unknown Facts From the History of Sports That Will Surprise You
The history of sports is vast and fascinating. This should come as no surprise,