Alex Smith (golfer)

{{Infobox golfer

| name = Alex Smith

| image = Alex Smith, golfer.PNG

| imagesize = 175

| caption = Smith, c. 1913

| fullname = Alexander Smith

| nickname =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1874|1|28|df=y}}

| birth_place = Dundee, Angus, Scotland

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1930|4|21|1874|1|28|df=y}}

| death_place = Baltimore, Maryland

| height =

| weight =

| nationality = {{SCO}}
{{USA}}

| spouse = Jessie Maiden

| partner =

| children = 2

| college =

| status = Professional

| yearpro =

| retired =

| prowins = 8

| pgawins =

| otherwins =

| majorwins = 2

| masters = NYF

| usopen = Won: 1906, 1910

| open = T16: 1905

| pga = T9: 1916

| awardssection =

}}

Alexander Smith (28 January 1874 – 21 April 1930) was a Scottish-American professional golfer who played in the late 19th and early 20th century.

Early life

Smith was born in Carnoustie, Scotland, on 28 January 1874, the son of John D. Smith and Joann Smith (née Robinson).{{cite web | title=Births in the District of St Clement in the Burgh of Dundee | work=Statutory Births 282/03 0134 | access-date=17 February 2015 | url=http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/search/birth/index.aspx | publisher=ScotlandsPeople | url-access=subscription | archive-date=21 November 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081121080520/http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/search/birth/index.aspx | url-status=dead }} On 18 January 1895, he was married to Jessie Maiden—sister of James Maiden—and they had two daughters, Fannie and Margaret, born in 1896 and 1899, respectively. Smith was sometimes referred to as "Alec" Smith, especially early in his career.{{cite web|last=Inkersley|first=Arthur|author-link=Arthur Inkersley|title=The Portola and Other Golf Tournaments|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=giMPAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA137|year=1909}}{{cite news |title=Alec Smith Beaten in Open Championship Match |url=http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1901-06-18/ed-1/seq-9/#date1=1901&sort=relevance&rows=20&words=Myopia&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=1&state=&date2=1901&proxtext=Myopia&y=16&x=12&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=5 |access-date=9 April 2015 |page=9 |newspaper=New York Daily Tribune |date=18 June 1901}}{{cite news |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1916/10/11/119032644.pdf |title=Pro Golfers Meet in Title Matches |newspaper=The New York Times |date=11 October 1916 |access-date=20 March 2011}}

His brother Willie Smith won the U.S. Open in 1899.

Professional career

Smith was the head professional at Nassau Country Club in Glen Cove, New York, from 1901 through 1909.{{cite web|title=History of Nassau Country Club|url=http://www.nassaucc.com/dsp_history.cfm|website=Nassaucc.com|access-date=22 August 2015}} James Maiden, who would forge a successful golf career of his own, served as assistant professional under Smith at Nassau.

In 1901, Smith lost to Willie Anderson in a playoff for the U.S. Open title.{{cite news|title=Alexander Smith and Willie Anderson Tied for the Open Championship at 331|url=http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1901-06-16/ed-1/seq-9/#date1=1901&sort=relevance&rows=20&words=Myopia&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=2&state=&date2=1901&proxtext=Myopia&y=16&x=12&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=5|access-date=9 April 2015|agency=Library of Congress|issue=p. 9|publisher=New York Tribune|date=16 June 1901}} Smith's 1906 U.S. Open victory came at the Onwentsia Club in Lake Forest, Illinois. His 72-hole score of 295 was the lowest at either the U.S. Open or the British Open up to that time, and he won $300. The 1910 U.S. Open was played over the St. Martin's course at the Philadelphia Cricket Club. Smith won a three-man playoff against American John McDermott and another of his own brothers, Macdonald Smith. Alex Smith played in eighteen U.S. Opens in total and accumulated eleven top ten placings.

Smith, who partnered with C. A. Dunning in the 1905 Metropolitan Open four-ball tournament held on 16 September 1905 at Fox Hills Golf Club on Staten Island, tied for first place with George Low and Fred Herreshoff with a score of 71. A playoff wasn't held due to the fact that Smith was also competing in the medal competition which he won from Willie Anderson.{{cite news|title=Four Ball Match|url=http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1905-09-17/ed-1/seq-11/#date1=1905&index=0&rows=20&words=Fox+Golf+Hills&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1905&proxtext=Fox+Hills+Golf&y=12&x=9&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1|access-date=24 August 2015|newspaper=New York Tribune|date=17 September 1905}}

Smith also won the Western Open twice and the Metropolitan Open four times.

He was the head professional at the Westchester Country Club in Rye, New York. After the death of his brother, Willie Smith, he took over responsibility for the design of Club de Golf Chapultepec.{{Cite web |title=Chapultepec - Mexico |url=https://www.top100golfcourses.com/golf-course/chapultepec |access-date=21 February 2019 |website=Top 100 Golf Courses}}{{Cite news |last=Ralph |first=Pat |date=19 February 2019 |title=Five things to know about Club de Golf Chapultepec |url=https://www.golf.com/travel/2019/02/19/five-things-know-club-de-golf-chapultepec/ |access-date=21 February 2019 |work=Golf.com}}

Personal life

File:Alex Smith LCCN90712034.jpg

In 1910, Smith was a widower and lived with his two young daughters and sister-in-law, Allison Barry, in New Rochelle, New York.

Smith died on 21 April 1930 at a sanatorium in Baltimore, Maryland.{{cite news|title=Alex Smith golfer dies|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1368&dat=19300422&id=FF9QAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6w4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=4771,3982885&hl=en|access-date=21 August 2015|newspaper=The Milwaukee Sentinel|date=22 April 1930|archive-date=5 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505205611/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1368&dat=19300422&id=FF9QAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6w4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=4771,3982885&hl=en|url-status=dead}}

Professional wins (8)

:Note: This list may be incomplete

= PGA Tour wins (3) =

1903 Western Open
1906 U.S. Open, Western Open

Source:{{Cite web |title=Alex Smith PGA TOUR Player Profile, Stats, Bio, Career |url=https://www.pgatour.com/player/18583/alex-smith |access-date=2025-07-05 |website=www.pgatour.com}}

= Other wins (5) =

1905 Metropolitan Open{{cite news |date=17 September 1905 |title=Smith's Golf Title |url=http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1905-09-17/ed-1/seq-11/#date1=1905&index=11&rows=20&words=Isaac+Mackie&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1905&proxtext=Isaac+Mackie&y=11&x=17&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1 |access-date=24 August 2015 |newspaper=New York Tribune}}
1909 Metropolitan Open
1910 U.S. Open, Metropolitan Open
1913 Metropolitan Open

Note: major championships in bold

Major championships

Image:WillieAndersonAlexSmith.jpg

=Wins (2)=

class="wikitable"

!Year!!Championship!!54 Holes!!Winning Score!!Margin!!Runner(s)-up

style="background:#FBCEB1;"

|1906

U.S. Open

3 shot lead

(73-74-73-75=295)

7 strokes

{{flagicon|SCO}} Willie Smith

style="background:#FBCEB1;"

|1910

U.S. Open (2)

2 shot deficit

+6 (73-73-79-73=298)

Playoff¹

{{flagicon|USA}} John McDermott, {{flagicon|SCO}} Macdonald Smith

¹Defeated John McDermott and MacDonald Smith in an 18-hole playoff – A. Smith 71 (−2), McDermott 75 (+2) & M. Smith 77 (+4).

=Results timeline=

Smith died before the Masters Tournament was founded.

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;"

!Tournament

!1898

!1899

!1900

!1901

!1902

!1903

!1904

!1905

!1906

!1907

!1908

!1909

align=left|U.S. Open

|style="background:yellow;"|2

|style="background:yellow;"|7

|13

|style="background:yellow;"|2

|T18

|style="background:yellow;"|4

|18

|style="background:yellow;"|2

|style="background:#00ff00;"|1

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|style="background:yellow;"|3

align=left|The Open Championship

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|T16

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|T25

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;"

!Tournament

!1910

!1911

!1912

!1913

!1914

!1915

!1916

!1917

!1918

!1919

!1920

!1921

align=left|U.S. Open

|style="background:#00ff00;"|1

|T23

|style="background:yellow;"|T3

|T16

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|T22

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|NT

|WD

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|style="background:yellow;"|T5

align=left|The Open Championship

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|NT

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

align=left|PGA Championship

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|NYF

|style="background:yellow;"|R16

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|NT

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

NYF = Tournament not yet founded

NT = No tournament

WD = Withdrew

"T" indicates a tie for a place

Team appearances

France–United States Professional Match (representing the United States): 1913

References

External links

[http://www.wawashkamo.com Wawashkamo Golf Club] Scottish Links Course designed by Alex Smith on Mackinac Island, Michigan
[http://heritage.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=1335&id=645892005 Article on early Scottish golfers in the U.S.] (including the Smith brothers)

Category:Scottish male golfers

Category:Winners of men's major golf championships

Category:Golf course architects

Category:Golfers from Carnoustie

Category:Scottish emigrants to the United States

Category:1874 births

Category:1930 deaths