Born in a humble weavers cottage in 1821 he more than anyone before or since in large measure made golf what it is today. The record of Tom & his prodigiously gifted son Tommy is astonishing. Between them they won eight of the first twelve Open Championships & are still respectively the oldest & youngest players to have won the Open. Tom relinquished his Open title to 18-yearold Tommy in 1868 taking second place that year
- a family performance unlikely ever to be repeated. Toms 13-stroke victory in 1862 remains the largest winning margin & Tommys four Open Championship wins in succession are unequalled. These exploits are only half the story. Tom was the first golf professional arguably the first to design & build a course (Prestwick) from scratch & his development of the Old Course at St Andrews made it the most famous golfing arena in the world. His life was an extraordinary blend of triumph & tragedy marked by the early death of his son Tommy aged only 24 years. Revered by his contemporaries Tom Morris remains one of the most iconic figures in all sport & his legacy continues to inspire & guide the development of golf today.