Young Tom Morris

Young Tom Morris
Young Tom Morris wearing the Challenge Belt, c. 1873
Personal information
Full nameThomas Morris
NicknameYoung Tom
Born(1851-04-20)20 April 1851
St Andrews, Fife, Scotland
Died25 December 1875(1875-12-25) (aged 24)
St Andrews, Fife, Scotland
Height5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Sporting nationality Scotland
SpouseMargaret Drinnen (or Drennan)[1]
Career
StatusProfessional
Best results in major championships
(wins: 4)
The Open ChampionshipWon: 1868, 1869, 1870, 1872
Achievements and awards
World Golf Hall of Fame1975 (member page)

Thomas Morris (20 April 1851 – 25 December 1875), known as Tom Morris Junior, Young Tom Morris and also Tommy Morris,[2] was a Scottish professional golfer. He is considered one of the pioneers of professional golf, and was the first young prodigy in golf history. He won four consecutive titles in the Open Championship,[3] and did this by the age of 21.[4]

Morris was born in St Andrews, the "Home of Golf", and died there on Christmas Day, 1875, aged 24. His father, Old Tom Morris, was the greenkeeper and professional of the St Andrews Links, and himself won four of the first eight Open Championships. Young Tom's first Open Championship win – in 1868 at age 17 – made him the youngest major champion in the PGA, a record which still stands.[4]

  1. ^ "Old Tom Morris and Young Tom Morris". National Records of Scotland. 31 May 2013. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
  2. ^ "Old Tom Morris and Young Tom Morris". National Records of Scotland. 31 May 2013. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
  3. ^ "1868 Tommy Morris Jr". The Open. Archived from the original on 16 October 2013. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
  4. ^ a b Scrivener, Peter (2 June 2022). "The 150th Open Championship: Young Tom Morris, Old Tom Morris and how it all began". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2 June 2022.