Charlie Hunter (golfer)

Charles Crawford Hunter (5 June 1836 – 24 January 1921) was a Scottish professional golfer and greenskeeper. He was born at Prestwick, Scotland, and died there. He was the last survivor of those who took part in the first Open Championship in 1860. Over the course of his career, Hunter had seven top-10 finishes in the Open Championship.

Charlie Hunter
Hunter (left) watches as Old Tom Morris plays a shot in 1863 at Prestwick. Both of the players are wearing the traditional tweeds.
Personal information
Full nameCharles Crawford Hunter
Born(1836-06-05)5 June 1836
Prestwick, Scotland
Died24 January 1921(1921-01-24) (aged 84)
Prestwick, Scotland
Sporting nationality Scotland
Career
StatusProfessional
Best results in major championships
Masters TournamentDNP
PGA ChampionshipDNP
U.S. OpenDNP
The Open Championship3rd: 1862

Early life and family

Hunter was born on 5 June 1836 in Prestwick, Scotland.[1] Hunter's son, John, finished in eighth place in the 1898 Open Championship and also won the 1907 Scottish PGA Championship.[2]

Golf career

Hunter had seven top-10 finishes in the Open Championship.[3] His best performance, rounds of 60-60-58=178, put him in third place in the 1862 Open Championship.[3]

1862 Open Championship

The 1862 Open Championship was the third Open Championship and was held at Prestwick Golf Club, Ayrshire, Scotland, the site of the first 12 Open Championship tournaments, the first of which was in 1860. Hunter played steady golf, carding rounds of 60-60-58=178, and finished in third place. Tom Morris, Sr. won the Championship, shooting rounds of 52-55-56=163, and triumphed by the large margin of 13 strokes from runner-up Willie Park, Sr.[3]

Employed by Prestwick Golf Club

Hunter was employed by Prestwick Golf Club as 'Keeper of the Green', and assisted as well with the early formation work for the neighbouring Royal Troon Golf Club, located just north of Prestwick, in the 1870s and 1880s.[4]

Death and legacy

Hunter died of bronchitis in 1921 at the age of 84.[5] He was the last survivor of those who took part in the first Open Championship in 1860.

Results in The Open Championship
Tournament 1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874
The Open Championship 6 12 3 7 DNP DNP DNP DNP T8 9 T9 NT 6 DNP 28

Note: Hunter played only in The Open Championship.

NT = No tournament
DNP = Did not play
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Yellow background for top-10

References
  1. "Births at Monkton and Prestwick". OPR Births 606/00 0030 0166. ScotlandsPeople. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  2. Ritchie, Bryce (14 November 2013). "John Hunter Gravestone Restored". bunkered.co.uk. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  3. Brenner, Morgan G. (2009). The Majors of Golf: Complete Results of the Open, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and the Masters, 1860-2008. Vol. 1. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-3360-5.
  4. royaltroon.com/history
  5. "Deaths in the Parish of Monkton and Prestwick in the County of Ayr". Statutory Deaths 606/00 0005. ScotlandsPeople. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
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