Henry Spence Turpie (9 September 1875 – 18 December 1945) was a Scottish-American professional golfer. He had two top-10 finishes in golf major championship tournaments. Turpie finished T5 in the 1909 Western Open, shooting a course record tying 69 in the final round.
| Harry Turpie | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Henry Spence Turpie |
| Nickname | Harry |
| Born | 9 September 1875 St Andrews, Scotland |
| Died | 18 December 1945 (aged 70) New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Sporting nationality |  Scotland United States |
| Spouse | Augusta H. Turpie[1] |
| Career | |
| Status | Professional |
| Professional wins | 1 |
| Best results in major championships | |
| Masters Tournament | DNP |
| PGA Championship | DNP |
| U.S. Open | 8th: 1900, 1902 |
| The Open Championship | T31: 1895 |
Early life
editTurpie was born on 9 September 1875 a few blocks from the Old Course at St Andrews, Scotland, to shoemaker Henry Turpie and his wife Margaret Turpie (née Allan).[2] Like nearly all the golf professionals of his era, he was also a club maker.[3] In the late 19th century he emigrated to the United States and became a naturalized citizen.[1] One of his first jobs was head professional at Edgewater Country Club near Chicago.[4] In 1898 his brother George, also a professional golfer,[5] would make the Atlantic crossing to join him at Edgewater as an assistant.[4]
Golf career
edit1895 Open Championship
editPrior to his emigration to America, Turpie was a competitor in the 1895 Open Championship which was the 35th Open Championship, held 12–13 June at the Old Course at St Andrews, Fife, Scotland. Defending champion J. H. Taylor won the Championship for the second time, by four strokes from runner-up Sandy Herd. Turpie finished the tournament tied for 31st place.[6] In 1896 he played in the same tournament and finished 37th.
Oconomowoc Tournament
editIn August 1899 Turpie won a well-attended professional tournament hosted by the Oconomowoc Country Club in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. He prevailed over a host of excellent players, including Alex Smith, Fred Herd, James Foulis, David Foulis, Willie Smith, and others. Turpie shot 151 over the four 9-hole rounds played and finished one stroke ahead of Alex Smith. With golf being a relatively new sport for American spectators in the late 19th century, the play by the professionals was enjoyed by fans more used to yachting events.[7]
U.S. Open
editTurpie had early success in America when he placed eighth in the 1900 U.S. Open, held 4–5 October 1900, at Chicago Golf Club in Wheaton, Illinois.[6][8][9] He carded rounds of 84-87-79-84=334 and won $25. He posted an identical eighth-place finish in the 1902 U.S. Open held October 10–11 at Garden City Golf Club in Garden City, New York, on Long Island, east of New York City. He posted scores of 79-85-78-78=320 and won $50 in prize money.[6][10][11]
Later life
editBy 12 September 1918, at the age of 43, he was living in Bogalusa, Louisiana, when he registered for the draft in World War I.[12]
Death
editTurpie died on 18 December 1945 at the age of 70. He had a heart attack while heading to his work at a driving range in City Park, New Orleans. He was survived by his wife and a son, Henry S. Turpie.[13]
Results in major championships
edit| Tournament | 1895 | 1896 | 1897 | 1898 | 1899 | 1900 | 1901 | 1902 | 1903 | 1904 | 1905 | 1906 | 1907 | 1908 | 1909 | 1910 | 1911 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Open | ? | ? | 14 | 12 | T18 | 8 | T22 | 8 | 23 | T20 | T32 | T13 | ? | ? | ? | ? | T12 |
| The Open Championship | T31 | 37 | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
Note: Turpie played only in the U.S. Open and The Open Championship.
DNP = Did not play
? = unknown
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Yellow background for top-10
References
edit- ^ a b "1940 U.S. Census". United States of America. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
- ^ "Henry S. Turpie (1874–1946)". NorthBerwick.org. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
- ^ Evans, Jr., Charles "Chick" (1921). Chick Evans' Golf Book. Chicago, Illinois: The Reilly & Lee Co. pp. 35–36. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
- ^ a b Finney, Peter (13 June 1962). "Caddy Says Golfers More Robot Than Skilled". The Salisbury Times. Salisbury, Maryland. p. 23.
- ^ "Girl Golfer Orleans' Pride". The Port Arthur News. Port Arthur, Texas. 13 June 1928.
- ^ a b c 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.
- ^ "Harry Turpie Wins the Prize". Chicago Tribune. 4 August 1899. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
- ^ "Scores of First Day's Golf Play". The Chicago Tribune. 5 October 1900.
- ^ "Vardon Was the Winner - Took the Open Golf Championship at Wheaton Yesterday". The Saint Paul Globe. 6 October 1900. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
- ^ "Auchterlonie Wins Open Championship at Garden City -- Travis Ties for Second Place". The Fitchburg Sentinel. Fitchburg, Massachusetts. 13 October 1902. p. 1.
- ^ "Open Golf Champion". The Saint Paul Globe. Minnesota. 12 October 1902. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
- ^ "Draft Registration – Harry Spence Turpie (Serial No. 1316)". United States of America.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|url=(help) - ^ "Golf Pro Passes Away". San Antonio Express. San Antonio, Texas. 18 December 1945. p. 2–B.
