George Simpson (golfer)

George O. Simpson (1 January 1887 – 27 January 1920) was a Scottish-American professional golfer who played in the early 20th century. Simpson had one top-10 finish in a golf major championship when he finished third in the 1911 U.S. Open.[1] Simpson finished second in the 1910 Western Open.

George Simpson
Personal information
Full nameGeorge O. Simpson
Born(1887-01-01)1 January 1887
Monifieth, Scotland
Died27 January 1920(1920-01-27) (aged 33)
Chicago, Illinois
Nationality Scotland
 United States
Career
Turned professional1911
Best results in major championships
PGA ChampionshipT9: 1916
U.S. Open3rd: 1911
The Open ChampionshipDNP

Early life

Simpson was born 1 January 1887 in Monifieth, Scotland.[2] He emigrated to the United States (date unknown) to further his career as a professional golfer. He held posts as professional at Wheaton Golf Club, La Grange Country Club,[3] and Oak Park Country Club,[2] and Omaha Country Club (1913-1914).

Golf career

1911 U.S. Open

The 1911 U.S. Open was the 17th U.S. Open, held June 23–26 at Chicago Golf Club in Wheaton, Illinois, a suburb west of Chicago. 19-year-old John McDermott became the first American-born U.S. Open champion by defeating Mike Brady and George Simpson in an 18-hole playoff.[1]

Playoff

In the playoff on Monday, McDermott led Brady by four after the turn, with Simpson five back. Brady then played the next four holes in 1-under par while McDermott made three consecutive bogeys, evening up the contest heading to the 15th. McDermott took the lead after Brady missed a 4-footer for par, then sealed the championship with an approach to the 18th that settled 10 feet from the hole. He two-putted from there for an 80, two ahead of Brady and five ahead of Simpson who shot a disappointing 85. He won $100 for a third place finish in the tournament.[1]

Death and legacy

Simpson died in Chicago, Illinois, on 27 January 1920. He finished third in the 1911 U.S. Open and was a former Scottish Amateur champion before emigrating to the U.S. and turning professional in 1911.[4][5] He finished second in the 1910 Western Open, losing to Chick Evans at Beverly Country Club by the score of 6 and 5.[3]

Simpson graciously praised Evans when he said, “I’ve learned the greatest golf lesson of my life today. I consider it a greater honor to be beaten by the kind of golf you have played than to have remained out of the tournament because I did not fancy match play.”[3]

Results in major championships
Tournament 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916
U.S. Open 3 T13 T13 T47 T24
PGA Championship NYF NYF NYF NYF NYF R16

Note: Simpson never played only in the Masters Tournament or The Open Championship.

  Top 10
  Did not play

NYF = Tournament not yet founded
R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play
"T" indicates a tie for a place

References
  1. 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. 1. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-3360-5.
  2. "World War I Draft Registration card". Oak Park, Illinois. 5 June 1917 – via ancestry.com. Missing or empty |url= (help)
  3. "Amateur Evans is New Western Open Title Holder". The Inter Ocean. Chicago, Illinois. September 4, 1910. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Former Golf Champion Dead". The Scranton Republican. Pennsylvania. January 29, 1920. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Noted Golfer Dead". The Indianapolis Daily News. Indiana. January 27, 1920. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
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