British Open: Ranking the 25 most dominant performances of all time
By Bill Felber
14. Harry Vardon, 1903, -2.95
Many consider Vardon the greatest golfer ever produced by Great Britain. With good reason; he won six Open championships as well as the 1900 U.S. Open, and in the two decades preceding World War I was probably the most famous golfer in the world.
Vardon’s reputation benefited from the level of his competition. He had two great rivals, five-time British Open champions James Braid and John H. Taylor, although at Prestwick in 1903 Vardon buried both of them along with the field.
In fact his stiffest competition came from his brother, Tom. But it wasn’t much competition; Vardon posted the best first round, a 73, and followed it with the second best second round. In concert, they gave Vardon a five-stroke lead with two rounds to play. He won by six with a record score of 300.
The victory was that much more remarkable because at the time, Vardon was in the process of being diagnosed with tuberculosis, a chronic condition that would hamper him the rest of his life. Shortly after The Open, the diagnosis would be confirmed. The 1896, 1898 and 1899 champion would be sidelined for several months; he would not win his fifth Open until 1911, adding an unprecedented sixth in 1914.