James Foulis
Encyclopedia
James Foulis was a Scottish
professional golf
er who won the second U.S. Open
.
Foulis was born in the "Home of Golf", St Andrews
in Scotland
. His father was foreman at Old Tom Morris's golf shop and clubmaking business, and Foulis spent some time working at the shop. In 1895 he travelled to the United States to take up a job as golf professional at Chicago Golf Club
, which was the first club in the United States to have an eighteen hole course. He was the first golf professional in the western States.
Foulis was one of the eleven players who took part in the first U.S. Open in 1895, and he came third. The following year he won the tournament at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club
on Long Island
. He was representing the Chicago Golf Club and he won $200. He was helped out by the fact that twice British Open champion Willie Park, Jnr, who would have been odds-on favourite if he had reached the United States in time to play, did not arrive in America until the day after the tournament. The following year the Open was played at Foulis's home club, and he finished third. The most notable aspect of his game was his driving; it is said that he often drove over three hundred yards using the relatively primitive clubs of his day. He continued to compete in the U.S. Open until 1906, but did not win again.
Jim Foulis and his brother Dave ran a golf shop at the Chicago Golf Club, and were played a significant part in the evolution of golf equipment. They invented the bramble patterning for Coburn Haskell's new rubber-cored ball. In response to the demands of the new ball the developed the "mashie-niblick", the modern seven iron, which fell between the traditional mashie (5-iron) and niblick (9-iron), and patented the design. Jim Foulis also worked as a golf course designer from 1896 until his death, designing the first golf courses in many communities across the Midwest.
, son of brother David, also a professional golfer, won the 1933 St. Paul Open.
.
DNP = Did not play
WD = Withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
professional golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er who won the second U.S. Open
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...
.
Foulis was born in the "Home of Golf", St Andrews
St Andrews
St Andrews is a university town and former royal burgh on the east coast of Fife in Scotland. The town is named after Saint Andrew the Apostle.St Andrews has a population of 16,680, making this the fifth largest settlement in Fife....
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. His father was foreman at Old Tom Morris's golf shop and clubmaking business, and Foulis spent some time working at the shop. In 1895 he travelled to the United States to take up a job as golf professional at Chicago Golf Club
Chicago Golf Club
Chicago Golf Club is a private golf club in Wheaton, Illinois in the United States. It is the oldest 18-hole course in North America and was one of the five clubs which founded the United States Golf Association in 1894. Its founder, Charles B. Macdonald, won the first official U.S...
, which was the first club in the United States to have an eighteen hole course. He was the first golf professional in the western States.
Foulis was one of the eleven players who took part in the first U.S. Open in 1895, and he came third. The following year he won the tournament at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club
Shinnecock Hills Golf Club
Shinnecock Hills Golf Club is a links-style golf club located in the hamlet of Shinnecock Hills in the town of Southampton on Long Island in the U.S. state of New York. It has hosted the U.S. Open four times in three different centuries and will host the 2018 U.S. Open...
on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
. He was representing the Chicago Golf Club and he won $200. He was helped out by the fact that twice British Open champion Willie Park, Jnr, who would have been odds-on favourite if he had reached the United States in time to play, did not arrive in America until the day after the tournament. The following year the Open was played at Foulis's home club, and he finished third. The most notable aspect of his game was his driving; it is said that he often drove over three hundred yards using the relatively primitive clubs of his day. He continued to compete in the U.S. Open until 1906, but did not win again.
Jim Foulis and his brother Dave ran a golf shop at the Chicago Golf Club, and were played a significant part in the evolution of golf equipment. They invented the bramble patterning for Coburn Haskell's new rubber-cored ball. In response to the demands of the new ball the developed the "mashie-niblick", the modern seven iron, which fell between the traditional mashie (5-iron) and niblick (9-iron), and patented the design. Jim Foulis also worked as a golf course designer from 1896 until his death, designing the first golf courses in many communities across the Midwest.
Family
Foulis had four brothers, all of whom also moved to the United States. Robert and Dave were also golf professionals, Simpson was a fine amateur golfer, and John was an expert ballmaker who also worked as a bookkeeper at Chicago golf from 1901 to his untimely death in 1907. All five brothers are buried in Wheaton Cemetery, adjacent to Chicago Golf Club. His nephew, JimJim Foulis
James R. Foulis was an American professional golfer. He was the son of David Foulis and nephew of James Foulis, winner of the 1896 U.S. Open....
, son of brother David, also a professional golfer, won the 1933 St. Paul Open.
Wins (1)
| Year | Championship | 18 Holes | Winning Score | Margin | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1896 | U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
2 shot deficit | (78-74=152) | 3 strokes |  England Horace RawlinsHorace Rawlins Horace Rawlins was an English professional golfer who won the first U.S. Open Championship in 1895, so was the first winner of a "major" outside the UK.... |
Results timeline
Foulis played only in the U.S. OpenU.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...
.
| Tournament | 1895 | 1896 | 1897 | 1898 | 1899 | 1900 | 1901 | 1902 | 1903 | 1904 | 1905 | 1906 | 1907 | 1908 | 1909 | 1910 | 1911 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
T3 | 1 | T3 | WD | T18 | T14 | 11 | T20 | WD | 9 | T32 | T22 | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | 47 |
DNP = Did not play
WD = Withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10