Virtual U.S. Open: Palmer, Boros and other challengers
By Bill Felber
Laurie Auchterlonie, 1902 (1899-1909), -1.11
George Sargent, 1909 (1909-1918), -1.07
These two early 20th Century champions are almost certainly familiar today only to dedicated golf historians. That being the case, a brief recapitulation of their Open accomplishments is even more than usually in order.
Both were native Brits who came to the United States to preside over the game’s birth here in the 1890s. Auchterlonie grew up in St. Andrews; his brother, Willie, had won the 1893 British Open.
Auchterlonie arrived in the U.S. in time to compete in the 1899 championship; he finished ninth. A pair of top 5s followed, and then at Garden City in 1902 Laurie stunned defending champion Willie Anderson – and for that matter the entire field – with a domineering performance.
He won by shooting 78-78-74-77, the first time a player had completed all four rounds under 80. It provided a six-stroke margin over his nearest competitors with Anderson 11 strokes off the pace.
Over the next four seasons, Auchterlonie would three times land in the top 10.
Sargent is, if anything, even less known than Auchterlonie. A British native who learned the game as an assistant to Harry Vardon, he moved to Canada shortly after the turn of the century to teach golf in Montreal. Gravitating south, he signed up to play in the 1909 Open at Englewood in New Jersey and surprised the field by seizing the 36-hole lead at 147, two strokes ahead of Alex Smith.
Sargent made it stand up, finishing 72-71 to beat Tom McNamara by four strokes with Smith one more stroke back.
Defending in 1909, he finished back in the pack, but between 1911 and 1916 was a regular contender, placing third in 1914 and fourth in 1916.