Michael Scott (golfer)
Encyclopedia
The Hon. Michael Scott OBE (31 August 1878 – 9 January 1959) was an English
amateur golf
er, most famous for being the oldest winner of The Amateur Championship
.
Michael Scott was the son of John Scott, 3rd Earl of Eldon
, and the youngest of seven children. He attended Winchester College
. He emigrated to Australia
between 1900 and 1904 and won a number of amateur tournaments there, including four Australian Amateur
titles (1905, 1907, 1909, and 1910), six Victorian Amateur titles (all between 1904 and 1910), and several others. He won the inaugural Australian Open
in 1904, and again in 1907. He returned to England in 1911.
Scott fought in World War I
, and was decorated with the Order of Aviz
of Portugal and the Order of the Black Star of France. In 1918, he was invested as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire
.
While he won the French Amateur in 1912 and 1922, Scott was not able to win in England itself, though he was a member of Great Britain's 1924 Walker Cup
team. Finally, in 1933 when he was nearly 55 years old, he won The Amateur Championship
by beating Thomas A. Bourn 4 & 3 at Hoylake. The following year, Scott played for and captained a second Walker Cup
team, setting the record for the oldest player in that event as well (which still stands). He later won a West of England Amateur title at the age of 57, and was the Captain at Royal St George's Golf Club
.
Several of Scott's siblings were also golfers. The most famous was Lady Margaret Scott
, a dominant player in early women's golf who won the first three British Ladies Championships
from 1893 to 1895 before retiring. Osmund Scott was the runner-up at the 1905 Amateur Championship, and Denys Scott also competed. Michael Scott was married three times, had at least one daughter, and died at the age of 80 in 1959.
LA = Low Amateur
NT = No tournament
DNP = Did not play
"T" indicates a tie for a place
DNQ = Did not qualify for match play portion
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 1911 British Amateur:
The American Golfer, July 1911, pg. 180.
Source for 1912 British Amateur: The American Golfer, July 1912, pg. 199.
Source for 1913 British Amateur: The American Golfer, July 1913, pg. 224.
Source for 1914 British Amateur: Golf Illustrated, July 1914, pg. 29.
Source for 1920 British Amateur: The American Golfer, 19 June 1920, pg. 9.
Source for 1923 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 10 May 1923, pg. 15.
Source for 1924 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 29 May 1924, pg. 13.
Source for 1924 U.S. Amateur: USGA Championship Database
Source for 1925 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 28 May 1925, pg. 9.
Source for 1926 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 28 May 1926, pg. 8.
Source for 1927 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 25 May 1927, pg. 4.
Source for 1928 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 22 May 1928, pg. 4.
Source for 1929 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 15 June 1929, pg. 8.
Source for 1930 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 30 May 1930, pg. 13.
Source for 1931 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 19 May 1931, pg. 17.
Source for 1932 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 25 May 1932, pg. 6.
Source for 1934 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 22 May 1934, pg. 10.
Source for 1935 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 22 May 1935, pg. 7.
Source for 1936 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 27 May 1936, pg. 6.
Source for 1937 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 26 May 1937, pg. 23.
Source for 1938 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 24 May 1938, pg. 3.
Source for 1939 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 23 May 1939, pg. 17.
Source for 1946 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 29 May 1946, pg. 2.
Source for 1947 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 28 May 1947, pg. 6.
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, most famous for being the oldest winner of 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...
.
Michael Scott was the son of John Scott, 3rd Earl of Eldon
Earl of Eldon
Earl of Eldon, in the County Palatine of Durham, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1821 for the lawyer and politician John Scott, 1st Baron Scott, Lord Chancellor from 1801 to 1806 and from 1807 to 1827...
, and the youngest of seven children. He attended Winchester College
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
. He emigrated to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
between 1900 and 1904 and won a number of amateur tournaments there, including four Australian Amateur
Australian Amateur
The Australian Amateur is the national amateur golf championship of Australia. It has been played annually since 1894 and is organized by Golf Australia....
titles (1905, 1907, 1909, and 1910), six Victorian Amateur titles (all between 1904 and 1910), and several others. He won the inaugural Australian Open
Australian Open (golf)
The Australian Open is one of the principal annual golf tournaments on the PGA Tour of Australasia, and also the OneAsia Tour since its formation in 2009. The event was first played in 1904 and takes place toward the end of each year...
in 1904, and again in 1907. He returned to England in 1911.
Scott fought in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, and was decorated with the Order of Aviz
Order of Aviz
The Military Order of Aviz , previously to 1910 Royal Military Order of Aviz , previously to 1789 Order of Saint Benedict of Aviz , previously Knights of St. Benedict of Aviz or Friars of Santa Maria of Évora, is a Portuguese Order of Chivalry...
of Portugal and the Order of the Black Star of France. In 1918, he was invested as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
.
While he won the French Amateur in 1912 and 1922, Scott was not able to win in England itself, though he was a member of Great Britain's 1924 Walker Cup
Walker Cup
The Walker Cup is a golf trophy contested biennially in odd numbered years between teams comprising the leading amateur golfers of the United States and Great Britain and Ireland...
team. Finally, in 1933 when he was nearly 55 years old, he 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...
by beating Thomas A. Bourn 4 & 3 at Hoylake. The following year, Scott played for and captained a second Walker Cup
Walker Cup
The Walker Cup is a golf trophy contested biennially in odd numbered years between teams comprising the leading amateur golfers of the United States and Great Britain and Ireland...
team, setting the record for the oldest player in that event as well (which still stands). He later won a West of England Amateur title at the age of 57, and was the Captain at Royal St George's Golf Club
Royal St George's Golf Club
The Royal St George's Golf Club is one of the premier golf clubs in the United Kingdom, and one of the courses on The Open Championship rotation. It has hosted 13 Open championships since 1894, when it became the first club outside Scotland to host the championship...
.
Several of Scott's siblings were also golfers. The most famous was Lady Margaret Scott
Lady Margaret Scott
Lady Margaret Rachel Scott was a dominant player in early women's golf, who won the first three British Ladies Amateurs in 1893, 1894, and 1895....
, a dominant player in early women's golf who won the first three British Ladies Championships
British Ladies Amateur Golf Championship
The British Ladies Amateur Golf Championship was founded in 1893 by the Ladies' Golf Union of Great Britain. Until the dawn of the professional era in 1976, it was the most important golf tournament for women in Great Britain and would eventually begin to draw golfers from continental Europe...
from 1893 to 1895 before retiring. Osmund Scott was the runner-up at the 1905 Amateur Championship, and Denys Scott also competed. Michael Scott was married three times, had at least one daughter, and died at the age of 80 in 1959.
Tournament wins
- 1904 Australian OpenAustralian Open (golf)The Australian Open is one of the principal annual golf tournaments on the PGA Tour of Australasia, and also the OneAsia Tour since its formation in 2009. The event was first played in 1904 and takes place toward the end of each year...
, Victorian Amateur - 1905 Australian AmateurAustralian AmateurThe Australian Amateur is the national amateur golf championship of Australia. It has been played annually since 1894 and is organized by Golf Australia....
, Victorian Amateur, Surrey Hills Gentlemen's Championship, Gold Medal - 1907 Australian AmateurAustralian AmateurThe Australian Amateur is the national amateur golf championship of Australia. It has been played annually since 1894 and is organized by Golf Australia....
, Australian OpenAustralian Open (golf)The Australian Open is one of the principal annual golf tournaments on the PGA Tour of Australasia, and also the OneAsia Tour since its formation in 2009. The event was first played in 1904 and takes place toward the end of each year...
, Victorian Amateur - 1908 Victorian Amateur
- 1909 Australian AmateurAustralian AmateurThe Australian Amateur is the national amateur golf championship of Australia. It has been played annually since 1894 and is organized by Golf Australia....
, Victorian Amateur, New South Wales Amateur - 1910 Australian AmateurAustralian AmateurThe Australian Amateur is the national amateur golf championship of Australia. It has been played annually since 1894 and is organized by Golf Australia....
, Victorian Amateur, New South Wales Amateur - 1912 French Amateur
- 1922 French Amateur
- 1933 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...
- 1934 West of England Amateur
Amateur wins (1)
Year | Championship | Winning Score | Runner-up |
---|---|---|---|
1933 | 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 | T. A. Bourn |
Results timeline
Note: Scott played in only the British. Open, U.S. Amateur, and the British Amateur.Tournament | 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... |
T41 | T37 LA | DNP | DNP | 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... |
R128 | QF | R64 | R16 | NT | NT | NT | NT | NT |
U.S. Amateur | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | NT | NT | DNP |
Tournament | 1920 | 1921 | 1922 | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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... |
60 | DNP | T20 LA | 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... |
SF | DNP | DNP | R64 | R128 | R16 | R16 | R128 | R256 | QF |
U.S. Amateur | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNQ | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
Tournament | 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 | WD | 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... |
R16 | R256 | R128 | 1 | R256 | R128 | R256 | R128 | R256 | R256 |
U.S. Amateur | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
Tournament | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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... |
NT | NT | NT | NT | NT | NT | 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... |
NT | NT | NT | NT | NT | NT | R256 | R128 |
U.S. Amateur | DNP | DNP | NT | NT | NT | NT | DNP | DNP |
LA = Low Amateur
NT = No tournament
DNP = Did not play
"T" indicates a tie for a place
DNQ = Did not qualify for match play portion
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 1911 British Amateur:
The American Golfer, July 1911, pg. 180.
Source for 1912 British Amateur: The American Golfer, July 1912, pg. 199.
Source for 1913 British Amateur: The American Golfer, July 1913, pg. 224.
Source for 1914 British Amateur: Golf Illustrated, July 1914, pg. 29.
Source for 1920 British Amateur: The American Golfer, 19 June 1920, pg. 9.
Source for 1923 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 10 May 1923, pg. 15.
Source for 1924 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 29 May 1924, pg. 13.
Source for 1924 U.S. Amateur: USGA Championship Database
Source for 1925 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 28 May 1925, pg. 9.
Source for 1926 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 28 May 1926, pg. 8.
Source for 1927 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 25 May 1927, pg. 4.
Source for 1928 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 22 May 1928, pg. 4.
Source for 1929 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 15 June 1929, pg. 8.
Source for 1930 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 30 May 1930, pg. 13.
Source for 1931 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 19 May 1931, pg. 17.
Source for 1932 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 25 May 1932, pg. 6.
Source for 1934 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 22 May 1934, pg. 10.
Source for 1935 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 22 May 1935, pg. 7.
Source for 1936 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 27 May 1936, pg. 6.
Source for 1937 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 26 May 1937, pg. 23.
Source for 1938 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 24 May 1938, pg. 3.
Source for 1939 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 23 May 1939, pg. 17.
Source for 1946 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 29 May 1946, pg. 2.
Source for 1947 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 28 May 1947, pg. 6.