The Open

[Guest]

Ah, Ha, there were five, not four. I forgot about Woods.

Yes, Bobby did it in one year. Woods did four in a row but over the course of two years.

A lot of people want to include Palmer, but he failed to win the PGA, said to be the easiest.

Snead also failed to win the Open.

BK

And only Player a non American! Time perhaps for 'what constitutes a major' to be reassessed given the current state of the world rankings?

The British PGA played a week or so ago at Wentworth arguably has as big a claim to 'majordom' as its usually largely forgettable US equivalent.

[William Kelly]

The young Irishman who took an astounding lead in the US Open had a similar lead at the Masters and blew it on the last day. If he continues to play well and wins, he won't be the youngest to have won the US Open. That honor goes to John McDermott, who won in 1911 at the age of 19.

McDermott’s Mashie –

Kellys Golf History

A long lost hickory shaft golf club, once used by JohnMcDermott to win two US Opens, has recently surfaced, raising the eyebrows ofmemorabilia collectors and golf historians alike.

The mid-iron mashie, custom made in 1909 or 1910 by Andersonof Anstruther, Fife, Scotland,has McDermott’s name as well as the Anderson“cleekmark” – an arrow brand, embedded in the iron head.

The club was at one time consigned to Ed Waldron, who ownedthe Quality Golf Collectables store on Rt. #9 in Clermont, Cape May County. He wasacting as an agent for the club’s owner, Jerome “Jerry” Moskowitz, who wasinterested in selling it.

This unique and peculiar club escaped theft and apparentdestruction, the fate of the rest of McDermott’s clubs. The rest haven’t beenseen or heard from since April, 1949, when they were stolen from his sister’sautomobile, which temporarily ceased McDermott’s periodic play when he wasn’tbeing treated at the Norristown, Pa.hospital for a nervous breakdown.

The club’s owner is now retired to Florida,had placed the club on the market but did not sell it right away, althoughthere were a couple of interested parties. It’s value, actually dependent onwhat someone thinks it is worth and is willing to pay for it, has beenestimated at between $5,000 and $10,000, more than the average club from thatperiod because of its one-time famous owner as well as its unique history.

According to Moskowitz, “I fist met John McDermott atBeverly Hills Golf Club in June 1946.” Beverly Hills,in Upper Darby, a suburb of Philadelphia,is near the Norristown hospital where McDermott wastreated. Moskowitz said that when he was there the club was operated by TedBickel, Sr. and Bill Boyle was the pro.

“There was a slight man of about 55 years of age,” recallsMoskowitz, “who would sit on the porch with an old ‘stove-pipe’ leather bagwith about 9 or 10 wood shafted sticks.”

According to Moskowitz, “If we were a two or threesome, the pro would ask us totake the old man along. His name was John McDermott. We were asked not to upsetthe gentleman in any way as he was furloughed each summer from the Norristown State Mental Hospitalto his sisters in Upper Darby.”

“In his quite way,” Moskowitz continued, “he would relatehow he won the U.S. Open in 1911 and 1912. Of course, knowing he had mentalproblems, we assumed this was a person who had delusions of grandeur.”McDermott was very sick, having suffered a nervous breakdown in 1914. But hedidn’t have delusions of grandeur, and was indeed the first “native born”American to win the National championship, and to prove it wasn’t a quirk, hedid it back-to-back in 1911 and 1912.

After a series of setback that included surviving ashipwreck and stock market loses, as well as loses on the golf course, onHalloween night 1914 McDermott collapsed in the pro shop of the Atlantic CityCountry Club, where he was the golf professional.

McDermott continued to play over a makeshift six hole coursethey laid out over the Norristown hospital grounds, and he was often invited toplay at Atlantic City, Valley Forge and other nearby courses where his sistersAlice and Gertrude would take him when he was well enough. Besides playing withMoskowitz, McDermott also played with Tim DeBaufree at Valley Forge, HarryCooper at Atlantic City, and William “Zimmer” Platt and Walter Hagen atNorristown.

Moskawitz remembers, “I played many rounds with JohnMcDermott that summer. The elder, frail man had a beautiful swing and struckthe ball very well with his ancient golf clubs. I carried an old, wood-shaftedputter which I used in chipping from the fringe. John admired this Scottishclub and often borrowed it to putt in from the fringes. After playing once ortwice a week for a few months, I put the club in his bag and told him it was mygift to him. He got excited and insisted I have one of his own clubs inreturn.”

Moskowitz said McDermott then put the mid-iron in his bagsaying, “this is the club I used to win two U.S. Opens. I want you to have it.

According to the Arrow brand of Anderson of Austruther, thearrow pointed to the toe of the iron, indicates the club was made between 1908and 1910. It was restored by Robert Junz (co-founder of the GCS,1995) and authenticated by professionals. Although the club is for sale andindividual collectors have expressed interest in it, the club should not beprivately owned, but should be placed on public display as a museum piece.

William Kelly

Billkelly3@gmail.com

[David G. Healy]

The young Irishman who took an astounding lead in the US Open had a similar lead at the Masters and blew it on the last day. If he continues to play well and wins, he won't be the youngest to have won the US Open. That honor goes to John McDermott, who won in 1911 at the age of 19.

McDermott’s Mashie –

Kellys Golf History

A long lost hickory shaft golf club, once used by JohnMcDermott to win two US Opens, has recently surfaced, raising the eyebrows ofmemorabilia collectors and golf historians alike.

The mid-iron mashie, custom made in 1909 or 1910 by Andersonof Anstruther, Fife, Scotland,has McDermott’s name as well as the Anderson“cleekmark” – an arrow brand, embedded in the iron head.

The club was at one time consigned to Ed Waldron, who ownedthe Quality Golf Collectables store on Rt. #9 in Clermont, Cape May County. He wasacting as an agent for the club’s owner, Jerome “Jerry” Moskowitz, who wasinterested in selling it.

This unique and peculiar club escaped theft and apparentdestruction, the fate of the rest of McDermott’s clubs. The rest haven’t beenseen or heard from since April, 1949, when they were stolen from his sister’sautomobile, which temporarily ceased McDermott’s periodic play when he wasn’tbeing treated at the Norristown, Pa.hospital for a nervous breakdown.

The club’s owner is now retired to Florida,had placed the club on the market but did not sell it right away, althoughthere were a couple of interested parties. It’s value, actually dependent onwhat someone thinks it is worth and is willing to pay for it, has beenestimated at between $5,000 and $10,000, more than the average club from thatperiod because of its one-time famous owner as well as its unique history.

According to Moskowitz, “I fist met John McDermott atBeverly Hills Golf Club in June 1946.” Beverly Hills,in Upper Darby, a suburb of Philadelphia,is near the Norristown hospital where McDermott wastreated. Moskowitz said that when he was there the club was operated by TedBickel, Sr. and Bill Boyle was the pro.

“There was a slight man of about 55 years of age,” recallsMoskowitz, “who would sit on the porch with an old ‘stove-pipe’ leather bagwith about 9 or 10 wood shafted sticks.”

According to Moskowitz, “If we were a two or threesome, the pro would ask us totake the old man along. His name was John McDermott. We were asked not to upsetthe gentleman in any way as he was furloughed each summer from the Norristown State Mental Hospitalto his sisters in Upper Darby.”

“In his quite way,” Moskowitz continued, “he would relatehow he won the U.S. Open in 1911 and 1912. Of course, knowing he had mentalproblems, we assumed this was a person who had delusions of grandeur.”McDermott was very sick, having suffered a nervous breakdown in 1914. But hedidn’t have delusions of grandeur, and was indeed the first “native born”American to win the National championship, and to prove it wasn’t a quirk, hedid it back-to-back in 1911 and 1912.

After a series of setback that included surviving ashipwreck and stock market loses, as well as loses on the golf course, onHalloween night 1914 McDermott collapsed in the pro shop of the Atlantic CityCountry Club, where he was the golf professional.

McDermott continued to play over a makeshift six hole coursethey laid out over the Norristown hospital grounds, and he was often invited toplay at Atlantic City, Valley Forge and other nearby courses where his sistersAlice and Gertrude would take him when he was well enough. Besides playing withMoskowitz, McDermott also played with Tim DeBaufree at Valley Forge, HarryCooper at Atlantic City, and William “Zimmer” Platt and Walter Hagen atNorristown.

Moskawitz remembers, “I played many rounds with JohnMcDermott that summer. The elder, frail man had a beautiful swing and struckthe ball very well with his ancient golf clubs. I carried an old, wood-shaftedputter which I used in chipping from the fringe. John admired this Scottishclub and often borrowed it to putt in from the fringes. After playing once ortwice a week for a few months, I put the club in his bag and told him it was mygift to him. He got excited and insisted I have one of his own clubs inreturn.”

Moskowitz said McDermott then put the mid-iron in his bagsaying, “this is the club I used to win two U.S. Opens. I want you to have it.

According to the Arrow brand of Anderson of Austruther, thearrow pointed to the toe of the iron, indicates the club was made between 1908and 1910. It was restored by Robert Junz (co-founder of the GCS,1995) and authenticated by professionals. Although the club is for sale andindividual collectors have expressed interest in it, the club should not beprivately owned, but should be placed on public display as a museum piece.

William Kelly

Billkelly3@gmail.com

great piece, Bill.

David Healy