Golf Central

                                  J.H Taylor: "It's always the one without a hat that spoils the photo."

Today is a busy day in golf history, so without further ado, let’s crack on with things. You certainly won’t see many leader boards as good as that witnessed on this day in 1900, when the legendary trio of J.H Taylor, Harry Vardon and James Braid finished first, second and third respectively at the British Open at St. Andrews.

32 years later to the day, Vardon played his final round of championship golf while trying to qualify for the British Open. Sadly, only two spectators turned out to watch him shoot scores in the 80s. This day in 1941 was a good day for Craig Wood who, despite being the first player to lose a playoff in all four of the modern majors, captured the US Open by three strokes over Denny Shute at Colonial Country Club. Incredibly, he did so wearing a back brace.

Conversely, it was a bad day for defending US Amateur Champion Harvie Ward on this day in 1957. After learning that Ward accepted expense money for tournaments, the USGA stripped him of his amateur status. Silly boy! And after 20 years of trying, Great Britain and Ireland finally won the Curtis Cup on this day in 1952.

Back when men were Knights, on this day in 1099, during the First Crusade, Christian troops began the Capture of Jerusalem. Led by Raymond of Toulouse and Godfrey of Bouillon, The Crusaders spent over a month desperately trying to scale the walls, and suffered huge casualties due to a lack of food and water. When back up arrived in the shape of a fleet of Christian ships, they managed to enter Jerusalem upon which they seized control of the city. 877 years later, in California in 1966, former actor Ronald Reagan was signed in as the 33rd Governor of California. With all that followed, all we can say is, “why?”

And we croon François Delamontagne! as they in France to PGA Tour member turned club pro Perry Arthur (54), the inimitable Tom Jones (68), hatchet-faced actor Liam Neeson (56) nicest man in sport Dougie Donnelly (55), Enrique Isglesias’s fiance Anna Kournikova (27), and animal embalming artist Damien Hirst (43).