The British Open: The 10 best players from each era
By Bill Felber
British Open: The second Triumverate era (1903-14)
The dominance of the Triumverate was so sustained that it deserves to be considered in two parts.
A complicating factor was the tuberculosis that struck Vardon in the first decade of the 20th Century, taking the edge off his game for several seasons.
Even so, he was able to add three more championships to his previous total, giving him a record six titles.
Those wins came immediately before his illness in 1903, then following his recovery in 1911, and a final time in 1914.
What Vardon’s illness probably did was cost him the era’s top spot.
Top 10 Players From The Second Triumverate Era.
1. James Braid, -1.87
2. John H. Taylor, -1.65
3. Harry Vardon, -1.52
4. Ted Ray, -1.25
5. Tom Vardon, -1.22
6. George Duncan, -1.20
7. Sandy Herd, -1.11
8. Arnaud Massy, -0.91
9. Tom Ball, -0.87
10. Thomas Renouf, -0.74
As the youngest of the trio, Braid was only coming into his own when illness slowed Vardon’s performance.
The Scot added victories in 1905, 1906, 1908, and 1910 to his 1901 win. He was second in 1904, second again in 1909, and only once outside the top 10 for the entire 12-year period.
Taylor won for a fourth time in 1909 and for a fifth in 1913, these wins coming by six and then eight strokes. Like Braid he was a consistent contender, finishing second annually from 1904 through 1907, and only twice outside the top 10.
Vardon’s illness-driven ‘slump’ was relative: he continued a string of top 10 finishes that eventually reached 15 before being ended by a t19 in 1909.
One year after Taylor matched Vardon’s total of five victories in 1913, Harry took his sixth at Prestwick in 1914.
That victory came only about a week before the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand touched off the powder keg that became the World War.