Andrew Strath

Scottish professional golfer

Andrew Strath

Strath, c. 1865

Personal information
Full name| Andrew Anderson Strath
Born| (1837-03-01)1 March 1837
St Andrews, Scotland
Died| 23 February 1868(1868-02-23) (aged 30)
Prestwick, Scotland
Sporting nationality|  Scotland
Spouse| Euphemia Johnston
Children| 6
Career
Status| Professional
Best results in major championships
(wins: 1)
The Open Championship| Won: 1865[1]

Andrew Anderson Strath (1 March 1837 – 23 February 1868) was a Scottish professional golfer who played in the mid-19th century. He won the 1865 Open Championship. In total, he accumulated six top-10 finishes in The Open Championship.

## Early life[edit]

Strath was born in St Andrews, Scotland, on 1 March 1837, the son of Alexander Strath and Susan Strath (née Reid).[2] On 19 March 1858 he married Euphemia Johnston and the couple had six children. Strath had two brothers, Davie and George, who also became professional golfers.

## Golf career[edit]

Like most professionals of his era Strath did not make his living from tournaments. He began his working life as an apprentice to a clubmaker and sometimes partnered Old Tom Morris in the challenge matches which were a feature of golf at the time. He was famous for the amount of backspin he could get on his iron shots. Golf matches at this time in history were generally contested on an alternate shot basis. For example, if Old Tom hit the drive off the tee box then Strath would play the second shot.[3]

In May 1857, Strath was partnered with Allan Robertson and played a challenge match against Old Tom Morris and Willie Park, Sr. They won the match by six holes.[4]

### 1865 Open Championship[edit]

Strath won The Open Championship in 1865,[5] becoming the only man to break the early domination of the event by Willie Park, Sr. and the two Tom Morrises, father and son. His winning scorecard is on display in the clubhouse at Prestwick Golf Club, which also possesses Strath's application letter for the post of keeper of the green in 1865. He also finished third in 1860, fourth in 1863, second in 1864 and third in 1867.

In 1865, he had succeeded Charlie Hunter, who moved to Blackheath less than a year after taking over from Old Tom Morris as green keeper at Prestwick. Strath's tenure only lasted three years as he died in Prestwick golfhouse[6] of "pneumonia running on to phthisis"[6] (i.e. tuberculosis) at the age of 30. His brothers George and Davie were also golfers. Davie was considered the best player of the three, but like Andrew he died young. George, who died in 1919, served as the first professional at Royal Troon before emigrating to the United States.

## Death and legacy[edit]

Strath died in Prestwick, Scotland, on 23 February 1868.[6] His wife Euphemia died in 1869.[7] Strath is best remembered for winning the 1865 Open Championship.

## Major championships[edit]

Strath (far left) at the Leith Links Tournament in 1867

### Wins (1)[edit]

Year | Championship | 24 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up

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1865 | The Open Championship | 1 shot deficit | 55-54-53=162 | 2 strokes |  Willie Park, Sr.

### Results timeline[edit]

Tournament  | 1860  | 1861  | 1862  | 1863  | 1864  | 1865  | 1866  | 1867

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The Open Championship | 3  | DNP  | DNP  | 4  | 2  | 1 | 6  | 3

Note: The Open Championship was the only major played during Strath's lifetime.

DNP = Did not play
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10

## References[edit]

1. ^ "1865 Andrew Strath". The Open. Archived from the original on 26 November 2011. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
2. ^ "Births at St Andrews and St Leonards". OPR Births 453/00 0190 0115. ScotlandsPeople. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
3. ^ Cook, Kevin - Tommy's Honor, New York 2005, Gotham Books
4. ^ R & R Clark (1896). Golf, a Royal and Ancient Game (1st ed.). Edingburgh: R & R Clark. p. 273. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
5. ^ "Prestwick — 1865". The Open. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
6. ^ a b c "Deaths in the Parish of Monkton in the County of Ayr". Statutory Deaths 606/00 0007. ScotlandsPeople. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
7. ^ Malcolm, David; Crabtree, Peter E. (2010). Tom Morris of St Andrews, the Colossus of Golf (1821-1908). Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited. ISBN 9780857901071.

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The Open Championship champions

* 1860 Willie Park Sr.
* 1861 Tom Morris Sr.
* 1862 Tom Morris Sr.
* 1863 Willie Park Sr.
* 1864 Tom Morris Sr.
* 1865 Andrew Strath
* 1866 Willie Park Sr.
* 1867 Tom Morris Sr.
* 1868 Tom Morris Jr.
* 1869 Tom Morris Jr.
* 1870 Tom Morris Jr.
* 1871 No championship
* 1872 Tom Morris Jr.
* 1873 Tom Kidd
* 1874 Mungo Park
* 1875 Willie Park Sr.
* 1876 Bob Martin†
* 1877 Jamie Anderson
* 1878 Jamie Anderson
* 1879 Jamie Anderson
* 1880 Bob Ferguson
* 1881 Bob Ferguson
* 1882 Bob Ferguson
* 1883 Willie Fernie†
* 1884 Jack Simpson
* 1885 Bob Martin
* 1886 David Brown
* 1887 Willie Park Jr.
* 1888 Jack Burns
* 1889 Willie Park Jr.†
* 1890 John Ball#
* 1891 Hugh Kirkaldy
* 1892 Harold Hilton#
* 1893 William Auchterlonie
* 1894 John Henry Taylor
* 1895 John Henry Taylor
* 1896 Harry Vardon†
* 1897 Harold Hilton#
* 1898 Harry Vardon
* 1899 Harry Vardon
* 1900 John Henry Taylor
* 1901 James Braid
* 1902 Sandy Herd
* 1903 Harry Vardon
* 1904 Jack White
* 1905 James Braid
* 1906 James Braid
* 1907 Arnaud Massy
* 1908 James Braid
* 1909 John Henry Taylor
* 1910 James Braid
* 1911 Harry Vardon†
* 1912‡ Edward Ray
* 1913 John Henry Taylor
* 1914 Harry Vardon
* 1915–1919 No championships due to World War I
* 1920 George Duncan
* 1921 Jock Hutchison†
* 1922 Walter Hagen
* 1923 Arthur Havers
* 1924 Walter Hagen
* 1925 Jim Barnes
* 1926 Bobby Jones#
* 1927‡ Bobby Jones#
* 1928 Walter Hagen
* 1929 Walter Hagen
* 1930 Bobby Jones#
* 1931 Tommy Armour
* 1932‡ Gene Sarazen
* 1933 Denny Shute†
* 1934‡ Henry Cotton
* 1935 Alf Perry
* 1936 Alf Padgham
* 1937 Henry Cotton
* 1938 Reg Whitcombe
* 1939 Dick Burton
* 1940–1945 No championships due to World War II
* 1946 Sam Snead
* 1947 Fred Daly
* 1948 Henry Cotton
* 1949 Bobby Locke†
* 1950 Bobby Locke
* 1951 Max Faulkner
* 1952 Bobby Locke
* 1953 Ben Hogan
* 1954 Peter Thomson
* 1955 Peter Thomson
* 1956 Peter Thomson
* 1957 Bobby Locke
* 1958 Peter Thomson†
* 1959 Gary Player
* 1960 Kel Nagle
* 1961 Arnold Palmer
* 1962 Arnold Palmer
* 1963 Bob Charles†
* 1964 Tony Lema
* 1965 Peter Thomson
* 1966 Jack Nicklaus
* 1967 Roberto De Vicenzo
* 1968 Gary Player
* 1969 Tony Jacklin
* 1970 Jack Nicklaus†
* 1971 Lee Trevino
* 1972 Lee Trevino
* 1973‡ Tom Weiskopf
* 1974 Gary Player
* 1975 Tom Watson†
* 1976 Johnny Miller
* 1977 Tom Watson
* 1978 Jack Nicklaus
* 1979 Seve Ballesteros
* 1980 Tom Watson
* 1981 Bill Rogers
* 1982 Tom Watson
* 1983 Tom Watson
* 1984 Seve Ballesteros
* 1985 Sandy Lyle
* 1986 Greg Norman
* 1987 Nick Faldo
* 1988 Seve Ballesteros
* 1989 Mark Calcavecchia†
* 1990 Nick Faldo
* 1991 Ian Baker-Finch
* 1992 Nick Faldo
* 1993 Greg Norman
* 1994 Nick Price
* 1995 John Daly†
* 1996 Tom Lehman
* 1997 Justin Leonard
* 1998 Mark O'Meara†
* 1999 Paul Lawrie†
* 2000 Tiger Woods
* 2001 David Duval
* 2002 Ernie Els†
* 2003 Ben Curtis
* 2004 Todd Hamilton†
* 2005‡ Tiger Woods
* 2006 Tiger Woods
* 2007 Pádraig Harrington†
* 2008 Pádraig Harrington
* 2009 Stewart Cink†
* 2010 Louis Oosthuizen
* 2011 Darren Clarke
* 2012 Ernie Els
* 2013 Phil Mickelson
* 2014‡ Rory McIlroy
* 2015 Zach Johnson†
* 2016 Henrik Stenson
* 2017 Jordan Spieth
* 2018 Francesco Molinari
* 2019 Shane Lowry
* 2020 No championship due to COVID-19 pandemic
* 2021 Collin Morikawa
* 2022 Cameron Smith
* 2023 Brian Harman

† indicates the event was won in a playoff; ‡ indicates the event was won wire-to-wire in 72-holes; # indicates the event was won by an amateur
*[c.]: circa
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