The Complete Golfer

Often called “Mr. Golf,” Harry Vardon is an icon in the sport. Winning The Open Championship six times and the U.S. Open once, Vardon went on to inspire dozens of professional golfers and even invented his own signature grip. Born on the island of Jersey, Vardon did not play much golf as a young man. When he earned a job as a caddie, he became incredibly interested in the sport and showed much talent for it. While Vardon and his brother believed he could go on to make a career of the game, his family’s financial circumstances and his father’s disapproval put a damper on his dreams. In 1890, after he turned 20 years old, Vardon traveled to England to sharpen his golfing skills and learn about what it took to excel in tournaments. Six years later, after joining a professional golfing team called the Knickerbockers, Vardon would win his first of six Open Championships. He still holds the record for most wins to this day. During his incredible career, Vardon won 62 golf tournaments, carried a winning streak of 14 in a row (still a record today), and took away first at the German Open in 1911 and at the British PGA Matchplay Championship in 1912. Nearly 90 percent of professional golfers use his signature grip today, and thousands of people play each year on courses he designed in Scotland. After a serious bout of tuberculosis, Vardon gave up golfing and began to write inspirational volumes and golfing manuals like his famous The Complete Golfer which provides a detailed history of his career and his belief in never giving up on your dreams.