When Amateurs Ruled The Open

When Amateurs Ruled The Open is a short golf blog post that looks at the greatest amateur achievements at the Open Championship.

In the modern era of golf, the gap between the professional elite and the amateur hopeful is a chasm wider than the Swilcan Burn.

We now celebrate when an amateur simply makes the cut or finds themselves on the low end of the leaderboard on a Sunday.
But there was a time—a golden, gritty era—when the "unpaid" didn't just compete; they conquered.

Since its inception in 1860, only three men have ever won The Open Championship as amateurs.
They account for six victories in total, a feat that hasn't been repeated since the Great Depression.

Here is the story of the three titans who proved that the Claret Jug doesn't care about your paycheck

1. John Ball Jr.: The Trailblazer (1890)

Before John Ball Jr. arrived at Prestwick in 1890, The Open was essentially a private party for Scottish professionals. Ball, a son of a hotelier from Hoylake, didn’t just break the amateur glass ceiling; he shattered the Scottish monopoly.

• The Victory: Ball won by three strokes, finishing with a total of 164 (back when the tournament was 36 holes).
• The Significance: He was the first amateur and the first Englishman to win.
  That same year, he won the British Amateur, becoming the first person to achieve the "double" in a single season.
• The Style: Known for a quiet, modest demeanour, Ball played with a unique "palm grip" and rarely used a wooden tee, preferring to scrape up a bit of sand.

2. Harold Hilton: The Giant Killer (1892, 1897)

If Ball opened the door, Harold Hilton walked through it and made himself at home.
A fellow member of Royal Liverpool (Hoylake), Hilton remains one of the most underrated figures in golf history.

• 1892 at Muirfield: This was the first Open extended to 72 holes. Hilton almost didn’t play, only deciding to take the train north the day before. He trailed John Ball by seven shots at the halfway point but surged back with a 72 and a final 74 to win by three.
• 1897 at Hoylake: Winning on his home turf, Hilton edged out the legendary James Braid by a single stroke.
• The Style: Hilton was a technician. He was one of the first to truly "study" the swing and became a prolific golf writer later in life. He was famous for his vigorous swing that often saw his cap fly off his head upon impact.

3. Bobby Jones: The Legend (1926, 1927, 1930)

While Ball and Hilton were pioneers, Bobby Jones was the phenomenon. By the time Jones arrived in the mid-1920s, the professional game had evolved significantly, making his three amateur victories even more staggering.

• 1826 (Royal Lytham): Jones became the first American amateur to win, famously hitting a miraculous 175-yard iron shot from a sandy waste area on the 17th hole to secure the title.
• 1927 (St Andrews): He led wire-to-wire at the Old Course, a venue he once hated but grew to love.
  He became the first amateur to successfully defend the title.
• 1930 (Hoylake): This was the second leg of his immortal Grand Slam. After winning the British Amateur at St Andrews, he came to Hoylake and battled through a final-round 75 to win his third Claret Jug. He retired shortly after, at the age of 28.

The Verdict: While John Ball Jr. was the pioneer who proved it was possible, and Harold Hilton showed the consistency required to beat the emerging "Great Triumvirate" of pros, Bobby Jones sits on a different pedestal.

Jones wasn't just the best amateur of his time; he was arguably the best golfer on the planet, period. Winning three Opens in an era where professional golf was becoming a global business is a feat we likely will never see again.

Will we ever see another amateur winner?

In today's game, the best amateurs turn professional the moment they feel their game is ready for the big stage.
The financial lure is too great. But when we look at the names etched onto the Claret Jug, the "A" next to Ball, Hilton, and Jones serves as a reminder of a time when the love of the game was the only currency that mattered.

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