Harold Hilton
Encyclopedia
Harold Horsfall Hilton (12 January 1869 – 5 March 1942) was an English
amateur golf
er.
. In 1892, he won The Open Championship
at Muirfield
, becoming the second amateur to do so. He won again in 1897 at his home club, Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake
. The only other amateurs who have won the Open Championship are John Ball
and Bobby Jones
.
Hilton also won The Amateur Championship
on four occasions, including 1911, when he became the only British player to win the British and U.S. Amateurs in the same year. Hilton retired with a 99-29 record (77.3%) at the The Amateur Championship.
In 1912 he played a major part in designing Ferndown Golf Club in Dorset, now an Open Championship qualifying course and one of the Top 100 courses in the UK.
He died in 1942.
in 1978.
Italic text'Italic text cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" border="1" style="font-size: 95%; border: #aaa solid 1px; border-collapse: collapse;">
NYF = Tournament not yet founded
NT = No tournament
DNP = Did not play
"T" indicates a tie for a place
R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in match play
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10
Source for British Open: www.opengolf.com
Source for 1887 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, August 4, 1887, pg. 6.
Source for 1889 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 9, 1889, pg. 10.
Source for 1890 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 2, 1890, pg. 8.
Source for 1893 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 10, 1893, pg. 11.
Source for 1894 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, April 27, 1894, pg. 11.
Source for 1895 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 9, 1895, pg. 3.
Source for 1897 British Amateur: The Scotsman, April 29, 1897, pg. 4.
Source for 1898 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 26, 1898, pg. 11.
Source for 1899 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 26, 1899, pg. 11.
Source for 1902 British Amateur: Golf, June, 1902, pg. 397.
Source for 1903 British Amateur: Golf, July, 1903, pg. 8.
Source for 1904 British Amateur: Golf, July, 1904, pg. 9.
Source for 1905 British Amateur: Golf, June, 1905, pg. 341.
Source for 1906 British Amateur: Golf, July, 1906, pg. 29.
Source for 1907 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 30, 1907, pg. 14.
Source for 1908 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 27, 1908, pg. 14.
Source for 1909 British Amateur: The American Golfer, July, 1909, pg. 12.
Source for 1910 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, June 3, 1910, pg. 10.
Source for 1912 British Amateur: The American Golfer, July, 1912, pg. 199.
Source for 1914 British Amateur: Golf Illustrated, July, 1914, pg. 28.
Source for 1920 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, June 10, 1920, pg. 9.
Source for 1921 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 25, 1921, pg. 6.
Source for 1922 British Amateur: The American Golfer, July 1, 1922, pg. 31.
Source for 1924 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 28, 1924, pg. 8.
Source for 1925 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 26, 1925, pg. 15.
Source for 1927 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 24, 1927, pg. 10.
Source for U.S. Amateur: USGA Championship Database
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
amateur golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er.
Biography
Hilton was born in West KirbyWest Kirby
West Kirby is a town on the north-west corner of the coast of the Wirral Peninsula, England, at the mouth of the River Dee across from the Point of Ayr in North Wales. To the north-east of the town lies Hoylake, with the suburbs of Grange and Newton to the east, and the village of Caldy to the...
. In 1892, he won The Open Championship
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
at Muirfield
Muirfield (Scotland)
Muirfield is a privately owned links which is the home of The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers. Located in Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland, overlooking the Firth of Forth, Muirfield is one of the golf courses used in rotation for The Open Championship.Muirfield has hosted The Open...
, becoming the second amateur to do so. He won again in 1897 at his home club, Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake
Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake
The Royal Liverpool Golf Club is a leading golf club in Merseyside in North West England. It was founded in 1869 on what was then the racecourse of the Liverpool Hunt Club, and received the "Royal" designation in 1871 due to the patronage of the Duke of Connaught of the day, who was one of Queen...
. The only other amateurs who have won the Open Championship are John Ball
John Ball (golfer)
John Ball, Jr. was a prominent English amateur golfer of the late 19th and early 20th century.Ball was born in Hoylake, Merseyside. His father was the prosperous owner of the Royal Hotel, located near the Royal Liverpool Golf Club, in Hoylake...
and Bobby Jones
Bobby Jones (golfer)
Robert Tyre "Bobby" Jones Jr. was an American amateur golfer, and a lawyer by profession. Jones was the most successful amateur golfer ever to compete on a national and international level...
.
Hilton also won The Amateur Championship
The Amateur Championship
The Amateur Championship is a golf tournament which is held annually in the United Kingdom. It is one of the two leading individual tournaments for amateur golfers, alongside the U.S. Amateur...
on four occasions, including 1911, when he became the only British player to win the British and U.S. Amateurs in the same year. Hilton retired with a 99-29 record (77.3%) at the The Amateur Championship.
In 1912 he played a major part in designing Ferndown Golf Club in Dorset, now an Open Championship qualifying course and one of the Top 100 courses in the UK.
He died in 1942.
Legacy
Hilton was also a golf writer. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of FameWorld Golf Hall of Fame
The World Golf Hall of Fame is located at World Golf Village near St. Augustine, Florida, in the United States, and it is unusual among sports halls of fame in that a single site serves both men and women. It is supported by a consortium of 26 golf organizations from all over the world.The Hall of...
in 1978.
Tournament wins
- 1892 The Open ChampionshipThe Open ChampionshipThe Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
- 1893 St. George's Challenge Cup
- 1894 St. George's Challenge Cup
- 1897 The Open ChampionshipThe Open ChampionshipThe Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
- 1897 Irish Amateur
- 1900 The Amateur ChampionshipThe Amateur ChampionshipThe Amateur Championship is a golf tournament which is held annually in the United Kingdom. It is one of the two leading individual tournaments for amateur golfers, alongside the U.S. Amateur...
- 1900 Irish Amateur
- 1901 The Amateur ChampionshipThe Amateur ChampionshipThe Amateur Championship is a golf tournament which is held annually in the United Kingdom. It is one of the two leading individual tournaments for amateur golfers, alongside the U.S. Amateur...
- 1901 Irish Amateur
- 1902 Irish Amateur
- 1911 The Amateur ChampionshipThe Amateur ChampionshipThe Amateur Championship is a golf tournament which is held annually in the United Kingdom. It is one of the two leading individual tournaments for amateur golfers, alongside the U.S. Amateur...
, U.S. Amateur - 1913 The Amateur ChampionshipThe Amateur ChampionshipThe Amateur Championship is a golf tournament which is held annually in the United Kingdom. It is one of the two leading individual tournaments for amateur golfers, alongside the U.S. Amateur...
Professional wins (2)
| Year | Championship | 54 Holes | Winning Score | Margin | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1892 | The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
2 shot deficit | (78-81-72-74=305) | 3 strokes |  John BallJohn Ball (golfer) John Ball, Jr. was a prominent English amateur golfer of the late 19th and early 20th century.Ball was born in Hoylake, Merseyside. His father was the prosperous owner of the Royal Hotel, located near the Royal Liverpool Golf Club, in Hoylake... ,  Sandy HerdSandy Herd Alexander "Sandy" Herd was a Scottish professional golfer from St Andrews.Herd was the club professional at Huddersfield Golf Club from 1892 to 1911. In 1902, he won The Open Championship at Hoylake. He had a three shot lead after 54 holes, but nearly let the title slip out of his hands by scoring... |
| 1897 | The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... (2) |
3 shot deficit | (80-75-84-75=314) | 1 stroke | James Braid James Braid (golfer) James Braid was a Scottish professional golfer and a member of the Great Triumvirate of the sport alongside Harry Vardon and John Henry Taylor. He won The Open Championship five times... |
Amateur wins (5)
| Year | Championship | Winning Score | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | The Amateur Championship The Amateur Championship The Amateur Championship is a golf tournament which is held annually in the United Kingdom. It is one of the two leading individual tournaments for amateur golfers, alongside the U.S. Amateur... |
8 & 7 | James Robb |
| 1901 | The Amateur Championship The Amateur Championship The Amateur Championship is a golf tournament which is held annually in the United Kingdom. It is one of the two leading individual tournaments for amateur golfers, alongside the U.S. Amateur... |
1 up | John L. Low |
| 1911 | The Amateur Championship The Amateur Championship The Amateur Championship is a golf tournament which is held annually in the United Kingdom. It is one of the two leading individual tournaments for amateur golfers, alongside the U.S. Amateur... |
4 & 3 | E. A. Lassen |
| 1911 | U.S. Amateur | 37 holes |  Fred HerreshoffFred Herreshoff Frederick Herreshoff was an American amateur golfer.-Biography:Herreshoff was born to John B. Herreshoff and Emilie Duvall Lee.Herreshoff finished runner-up in the U.S. Amateur twice. In 1904, he lost to Chandler Egan, 8&6... |
| 1913 | The Amateur Championship The Amateur Championship The Amateur Championship is a golf tournament which is held annually in the United Kingdom. It is one of the two leading individual tournaments for amateur golfers, alongside the U.S. Amateur... |
6 & 5 | Robert Harris Robert Harris Robert Harris or Rob Harris may refer to:* Robert Harris , MP for Steyning* Robert Harris , English Puritan* Robert Harris , governor of Anguilla... |
Results timeline
Note: Hilton played in only the British Open, U.S. Amateur, and the British Amateur.| Tournament | 1887 | 1888 | 1889 |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
DNP | DNP | DNP |
| The Amateur Championship The Amateur Championship The Amateur Championship is a golf tournament which is held annually in the United Kingdom. It is one of the two leading individual tournaments for amateur golfers, alongside the U.S. Amateur... |
R16 | DNP | R16 |
| U.S. Amateur | NYF | NYF | NYF |
| Tournament | 1890 | 1891 | 1892 | 1893 | 1894 | 1895 | 1896 | 1897 | 1898 | 1899 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
DNP | T8 | 1 LA | T8 | WD | CUT | 23 | 1 LA | 3 LA | T12 |
| The Amateur Championship The Amateur Championship The Amateur Championship is a golf tournament which is held annually in the United Kingdom. It is one of the two leading individual tournaments for amateur golfers, alongside the U.S. Amateur... |
QF | 2 | 2 | R32 | QF | R32 | 2 | R32 | R16 | QF |
| U.S. Amateur | NYF | NYF | NYF | NYF | NYF | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| Tournament | 1900 | 1901 | 1902 | 1903 | 1904 | 1905 | 1906 | 1907 | 1908 | 1909 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
T16 | 4 LA | T6 | T24 | WD | CUT | DNP | DNP | DNP | WD |
| The Amateur Championship The Amateur Championship The Amateur Championship is a golf tournament which is held annually in the United Kingdom. It is one of the two leading individual tournaments for amateur golfers, alongside the U.S. Amateur... |
1 | 1 | QF | R64 | QF | R64 | R128 | R16 | R64 | R32 |
| U.S. Amateur | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| Tournament | 1910 | 1911 | 1912 | 1913 | 1914 | 1915 | 1916 | 1917 | 1918 | 1919 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
DNP | T3 LA | DNP | WD | WD | NT | NT | NT | NT | NT |
| The Amateur Championship The Amateur Championship The Amateur Championship is a golf tournament which is held annually in the United Kingdom. It is one of the two leading individual tournaments for amateur golfers, alongside the U.S. Amateur... |
SF | 1 | R16 | 1 | R32 | NT | NT | NT | NT | NT |
| U.S. Amateur | DNP | 1 | R32 | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | NT | NT | DNP |
| Tournament | 1920 | 1921 | 1922 | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| The Amateur Championship The Amateur Championship The Amateur Championship is a golf tournament which is held annually in the United Kingdom. It is one of the two leading individual tournaments for amateur golfers, alongside the U.S. Amateur... |
R32 | R64 | QF | DNP | R128 | R256 | DNP | R256 |
| U.S. Amateur | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
NYF = Tournament not yet founded
NT = No tournament
DNP = Did not play
"T" indicates a tie for a place
R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in match play
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10
Source for British Open: www.opengolf.com
Source for 1887 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, August 4, 1887, pg. 6.
Source for 1889 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 9, 1889, pg. 10.
Source for 1890 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 2, 1890, pg. 8.
Source for 1893 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 10, 1893, pg. 11.
Source for 1894 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, April 27, 1894, pg. 11.
Source for 1895 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 9, 1895, pg. 3.
Source for 1897 British Amateur: The Scotsman, April 29, 1897, pg. 4.
Source for 1898 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 26, 1898, pg. 11.
Source for 1899 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 26, 1899, pg. 11.
Source for 1902 British Amateur: Golf, June, 1902, pg. 397.
Source for 1903 British Amateur: Golf, July, 1903, pg. 8.
Source for 1904 British Amateur: Golf, July, 1904, pg. 9.
Source for 1905 British Amateur: Golf, June, 1905, pg. 341.
Source for 1906 British Amateur: Golf, July, 1906, pg. 29.
Source for 1907 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 30, 1907, pg. 14.
Source for 1908 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 27, 1908, pg. 14.
Source for 1909 British Amateur: The American Golfer, July, 1909, pg. 12.
Source for 1910 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, June 3, 1910, pg. 10.
Source for 1912 British Amateur: The American Golfer, July, 1912, pg. 199.
Source for 1914 British Amateur: Golf Illustrated, July, 1914, pg. 28.
Source for 1920 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, June 10, 1920, pg. 9.
Source for 1921 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 25, 1921, pg. 6.
Source for 1922 British Amateur: The American Golfer, July 1, 1922, pg. 31.
Source for 1924 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 28, 1924, pg. 8.
Source for 1925 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 26, 1925, pg. 15.
Source for 1927 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 24, 1927, pg. 10.
Source for U.S. Amateur: USGA Championship Database