William Horne (golfer)

William Henry Horne (born 1880) was an English professional golfer. He finished in the top 10 in the Open Championship in 1909 and 1920 and was South African Open champion in 1919. He was a well-travelled professional and was also renowned for his long hitting.

William Horne
Personal information
Full nameWilliam Henry Horne
Born1880
Dover, Kent, England
Sporting nationality England
Career
StatusProfessional
Professional wins2
Best results in major championships
Masters TournamentDNP
PGA ChampionshipDNP
U.S. OpenDNP
The Open Championship7th: 1909

Golf career

Horne was first professional at Royal Guernsey Golf Club in 1905.[1] He then became the first professional at Carlsbad Golf Club in 1906. Carlsbad is a spa town that was then part of Austria but is now in the Czech Republic.[2] He was then at Beckenham Golf Club in 1907 and 1908 and at Chertsey Golf Club from 1909 to early 1912, when he resigned.[3] He then moved to Greatstone Golf Club at Littlestone-on-Sea[4] which he was representing when finishing third in the 1912 Baden-Baden Open Championship of Germany.[5]

Later in 1912 he travelled to New York and worked for a stunt as a "masked golfer" at the public golf course in Van Cortlandt Park, New York.[6][7][8] In early 1914, he became professional at Durban Golf Club in South Africa. In 1919, he won the South African Open by 9 strokes.[9]

He returned to England in late 1919 and played in a few tournaments in 1919 and 1920. In 1922, he became professional at Rye Country Club in New York.

At the North Berwick Tournament in 1909, Horne set a record for the longest drive in a competition at 388 yards. At the 13th hole, played to a temporary green, Horne reached the green on the downhill sloping hole 12 yards short of the pin. There were initial reports that the drive was as much as 469 yards, but this seems to have been due to confusion about the tee used or the use of the temporary green. The distance was later measured.[10][11]

Professional wins

Results in major championships
Tournament 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920
The Open Championship T25 7 WD T35 T20 NT NT NT NT NT T9

Note: Horne only played in The Open Championship.

  Top 10
  Did not play

NT = No tournament
WD = withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place

Family life

Horne was married to Hilda Barker, who was born on Guernsey. She left England in 1923 to join her husband. William and Hilda are both recorded in the 1940 US census living in Harrison, New York.[12]

References
  1. "William H Horne". Antique Golf Clubs from Scotland.
  2. "Scots and Carlsbad". Antique Golf Clubs from Scotland.
  3. "Professional appointment". The Times. 13 May 1912. p. 16.
  4. "Greatstone Golf Club, Littleston-on-Sea. (1906 - 1929)".
  5. "Golf – Open Championship of Germany – Victory of J.H. Taylor". The Times. 22 August 1912. p. 9.
  6. "Canvassing Late Returns" (PDF). The American Golfer. 11 March 1922. p. 36 – via LA84 Foundation.
  7. "Disguided may be W H Horne - Man Acquainted with Most Foreign Players Believes He Has Identified Him" (PDF). The New York Times. 1 November 1912.
  8. Dethier, Dylan (29 September 2020). "This story of a big-betting masked golfer is almost too good to believe". Golf. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  9. "South African Golf Association – SA Amateur & Open Championship". Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  10. "Golf – North Berwick Professional Tournament". The Times. 6 July 1909. p. 17.
  11. "Record Drives" (PDF). The American Golfer. May 1912. p. 16 – via LA84 Foundation.
  12. "FamilySearch: Sign In". Retrieved 14 July 2023.
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