A Banquet for Francis ?
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With the Golfing Banquet season just getting started in New England the Massachusetts Golf Association "talked of holding a special dinner in honor of Mr. Ouimet". As plans were being discussed it was brought that "It must be borne in mind that the enthusiasm over Mr. Ouimet has reached almost the hysterical stage...." After all from his home course Woodland Golf Club to Reading's Middle Brook, Belmont CC to Brae-Burn Francis Ouimet has been a welcome and celebrated guest both on the golf course and in banquet halls and there were other Massachusetts golfers with great accomplishments in 1913. For example "Mr. Heinrich Schmidt whose showing in the British Amateur Championship was the first great boom of the season for Massachusetts golfing prestige...." What ? The American Golfer piece also brings up Mr. John G. Anderson, runner up for the national amateur championship should also be honored. We must not forget, and this will make you choke "....the men who helped make possible the Massachusetts victories in the Lesley cup matches, not to mention their successful participation in the Connecticut and Rhode Island inter-State matches." |
Oh yeah, I was thinking the same thing...Lets go back in time and ask P.W. Whittemore what he thought, do you really think he felt failing to qualify for the open on his own course but beating JM Ward (who withdrew from Open qualifying) in a Lesley cup match equals a US Open Victory. My word this stuff sounds like "every one should get a trophy".
Can you imagine how embarrassed Anderson must have been to have some pompous fool proclaim his 2nd place amateur finish equal to Francis winning the Open beating Vardon and Ray.
Or how about Schmidt....Why yes of course my being eliminated in the quarter final round of the British Amateur is equal to Ouimet winning at Brookline, after all I am a New England aristocrat and he is only sporting goods salesman, say he's a former caddie to, does that make him a professional ?
Like I have said throughout, this research just makes this whole thing more and more curious. What is really strange is on the other side of the "fence" if you will, the research keeps showing Francis Ouimet was simply put a really smart, kind, nice guy with tremendous courage and class that happen to be a great golfer.