The British Open: The 10 best players from each era
By Bill Felber
British Open: The first Triumverate era (1892-1902)
In 1892 the Open was extended to 72 holes initially played over two days, 36 holes each day.
This change coincided with the arrivals of the game’s first three legitimate stars since the Morrises.
Collectively, they came to be known as The Triumverate, a nod to the men who jointly ruled the early Roman empire. Among them, Harry Vardon, John H. Taylor, and James Braid would capture 16 Open titles up to the eve of World War I.
Top 10 Players From The Triumverate Era.
1. John H. Taylor, -1.63
2. Harry Vardon, -1.58
3. James Braid, -1.41
4. Harold Hilton, -1.12
5. Willie Fernie, -0.89
6. Alex Herd, -0.85
7. Jack White, -0.78
8. Andrew Kirkaldy, -0.75
9. Tom Vardon, -0.75
10. Ben Sayers, -0.70
The Triumverate came from different backgrounds. Taylor was a proper Englishman and the first to win the Open. Vardon was a product of the Channel Islands, and Braid a native Scot.
Taylor was the first to break through, winning at St. George’s in 1894. His eventual five titles were all relative runaways including by five strokes over Douglas Rolland in 1894, by four over Sandy Herd in 1895, and by eight over Vardon in 1900.
Vardon triumphed at Muirfield in 1896, again in 1898, and a third time in 1899. Braid won his first of five titles in 1901, beating Vardon by three.