September 18, 1913 US Open Tournament play day one
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8 am Caddie Eddie Lowery greets Francis Ouimet across the street from The Country Club at 246 Clyde Street 10:25 am Francis and Canadian professional Karl Keffer ,1909 Canadian Open Champion, take the tee. Francis had once caddied for Keffer during one of The Country Club's annual matches with the Royal Montreal Golf Club. 11:00 am Francis Ouimet's brother Raymond and sister Louise join the morning gallery. 11:35 Alec Ross and MacDonald Smith are tied for the lead with a course record tying score of 71. In doing so Alec Ross shatters a back 9 course record by shooting a 32. J. A. Croke of Calumet, Michigan is alone in third place with a 72 followed by R. Andrews of New Haven and young Rochester New York professional, Walter Hagen is 2 strokes off the pace at 73. |
2:25 pm Francis Ouimet shoots a first round 77 after an terrible start. Leaving
him 6 strokes from leaders
3:00
pm Francis Ouimet and Canadian professional Karl
Keffer take the tee for their afternoon round.
As earlier rounds finish The
Country Club caddies rush out to the back nine to follow Francis Ouimet, one of their
own. The gallery's swelling cheers rolling through the Brookline neighborhood.
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Francis
Ouimet fires a 74 in the afternoon round and finishes the day at
151, 4 strokes back. Most say he is to far back to contend. Eddie
and Francis see it as well within striking distance. At the end of play Alec Ross had set a back 9 record of 32, Wilfred E.. Reid and Harry Vardon shared the lead with a new Country Club 36 hole record of 147. Ted Ray and Herbert Strong, the top American, share 2nd place 2 strokes back, Ted Ray playing like a "frenzied giant" shoots 70 in the afternoon round to establish a single round course record...... Think about that, the first day of US Open play, 3 course records; a 36 hole course record, a back 9 course record and an 18 hole record. This tremendous competition adding to the already electric atmosphere. |
Late afternoon - As the day winds down the USGA posts the pairings for the next day's play. Francis once again finds his name deep in the field teeing off at 11:00 am with 1909 U.S. Open Champion George Sargent. Early evening - Wilfred Reid and Ted Ray brawl in The Copley Square Hotel restaurant stunning the dining room to silence. Tom Vardon breaks it up getting Ray to his room before things get any further out of hand. Neither Ray nor Reid would ever discuss the incident. Boston Globe Headlines September 19, 1913 "Britons Leading, Vardon in tie with Reid. Still another Ray on their heels. " NY Times reports "Ouimet leads the amateur division by 2 strokes, but is an insurmountable 4 strokes behind Vardon and Reid." |
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September 19, 1913 US Open Tournament day two