David Ayton Sr. (25 May 1857 – 30 January 1931) was a Scottish professional golfer who played in the late 19th century. He had three top-10 finishes in the Open Championship. He was the son of William Ayton, one of the eleven founders of St Andrews Golf Club in about 1843.[1][2][3]
| David Ayton, Sr. | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Born | 25 May 1857 St Andrews, Scotland |
| Died | 30 January 1931 (aged 73) St Andrews, Scotland |
| Sporting nationality |  Scotland |
| Career | |
| Status | Professional |
| Best results in major championships | |
| Masters Tournament | DNP |
| PGA Championship | DNP |
| U.S. Open | DNP |
| The Open Championship | 3rd: 1885 |
Early life
editAyton was born on 25 May 1857[4] in St Andrews, Scotland, to William Ayton, one of the eleven founders of St Andrews Golf Club circa 1843.[1][2][3]
Golf career
editHe was at the peak of his playing form in the 1880s with his best performance, a third place, in the 1885 Open Championship held at the Old Course, St Andrews, Scotland, finishing two strokes behind the winner Bob Martin. He is best remembered for an event that never took place.[5] Various sources (including his obituary in the Dundee Courier) refer to him taking 11 at the "Road hole" (the 17th[1]) but a contemporary newspaper report gives his scores there as 6 and 7.[6] He also had top-10 finishes in the 1882 and 1888 Open Championships.[7]
Family
editHis sons David Jr., Laurie Sr., George and Alex were all professional golfers,[1] as was his grandson Laurie Jr.
Death and legacy
editAyton died in St Andrews, Scotland, on 30 January 1931.[1] He is best remembered for a fine third place finish in the 1885 Open Championship and for reputedly taking an 11 on the Road hole (#17) on the Old Course which, in fact, never happened.[5]
Results in The Open Championship
edit| Tournament | 1873 | 1874 | 1875 | 1876 | 1877 | 1878 | 1879 | 1880 | 1881 | 1882 | 1883 | 1884 | 1885 | 1886 | 1887 | 1888 | 1889 | 1890 | 1891 | 1892 | 1893 | 1894 | 1895 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Open Championship | T17 | ? | T11 | T7 | 3 | T12 | 9 | T17 | T24 | WD |
Note: Ayton played only in The Open Championship.
WD = Withdrew
? = Competed, finish unknown
"T" indicates a tie for a place
References
edit- ^ a b c d e "Famous St Andrews golfer dead – David Ayton's great bid for "Open" recalled". Dundee Courier. 31 January 1931. Retrieved 19 September 2015 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ a b "St. Andrews Native Josh Jamieson Signs Northwestern NLI". 31 May 2012. Archived from the original on 17 February 2015. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
- ^ a b "The 150 Years - A History of the St. Andrews Golf Club - 1843 to 1993: Chapter 6, Just A Minute 3 (1944–1993)". Archived from the original on 24 June 2014.
- ^ "FamilySearch.org". Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- ^ a b "Antique Golf Clubs from Scotland: Open Championship".
- ^ "The Golf Championship". Dundee Advertiser. 5 October 1885. Retrieved 19 September 2015 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ Brenner, Morgan G. (2009). The Majors of Golf: Complete Results of the Open, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and the Masters, 1860-2008. Vol. 1. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-3360-5.