In 1890 Harry left Jersey and became the professional at Ripon in Yorkshire, moving the following year to Bury Golf Club, Lancs. and played in his first Open Championship in 1893. This period saw the emergence of the Great Triumvirate - Vardon, James Braid and J H Taylor -who between them won 16 Opens between 1894 and 1914. Harry Vardon’s record of six Open Championship wins has yet to be equalled let alone beaten. Harry won at Muirfield in 1896, at Prestwick in 1898, 1903 & 1914 and at Sandwich in 1899 and 1911. Vardon’s younger brother Tom (who played in 15 Opens) was runner up to Harry in the 1903 Open at Prestwick.
In 1900, during an extended trip to North America to promote Spalding’s golf equipment, he won the US Open with a score of 313. He beat his great friend and rival J H Taylor by two shots and was nine ahead of David Bell who came third. He was the first player to win two different ‘Majors’, a feat that was not repeated for another 20 years.
In 1902, after eight years as the professional at Ganton Golf Club, Harry Vardon moved south and became the professional at South Herts where he was to remain until his death in 1937.
Following his death the PGA of America created the Vardon Trophy awarded, annually since, to the player with the lowest scoring average on the PGA Tour. Similarly, since 1937 the winner of the European Order of Merit – now the Race to Dubai – has also been awarded the Vardon Trophy (not to be confused with its US counterpart). In 1974 Harry was an initial inductee into ‘The World Golf Hall of fame’.
