Willie Anderson (golfer)

Template:Short description Template:Use British English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox golfer William Law Anderson (21 October 1879 – 25 October 1910) was a Scottish-American golfer who became the first man to win four U.S. Opens, with victories in 1901, 1903, 1904, and 1905. Although Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, and Jack Nicklaus equalled his total of four championships, Anderson remains the only man to win three consecutive U.S. Open titles, as of 2025. He is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Early life

Born in North Berwick, in East Lothian, Scotland, Anderson was educated at the public school in North Berwick and was a licensed caddie on the West Links at the age of 11. Upon leaving school, he apprenticed as a club maker under Alex Aitken in Gullane.

At age 18, Anderson emigrated from Scotland to the United States in March 1896—sailing aboard the S.S. Poseidon from Glasgow—along with his father, Thomas Anderson, and his brother Tom, landing at Ellis Island.<ref name=Gold>Template:Cite book</ref> He played in the U.S. Open the following year, finishing in second place by one stroke, after Joe Lloyd eagled the final hole.

Golf career

His first significant win came in 1899 at the Southern California Open before he started his run at the U.S. Open. In the 14 straight Opens that he played, Anderson won four, was second once, third once, fourth twice, fifth three times, 11th twice and 15th once. He won titles with both the old gutta-percha golf ball, and the rubber-cored ball which came into use in 1902. Anderson also won the Western Open in 1902, 1904, 1908, and 1909; this tournament, the second-oldest in the U.S.,<ref>Golf Courses of the PGA Tour, by George Peper, 1986, chapter on Western Open</ref> was classified as a PGA Tour event for most of its more than 100 years of operation, and is classified by some golf historians as a major championship during Anderson's era.

Anderson's accuracy with all clubs, combined with his concentration under pressure, made him a formidable and highly respected competitor. Anderson made his living as a golf professional, working at ten different clubs in fourteen years. He listed the Apawamis Club in Rye, New York as his home course from 1901 through 1906.<ref name="Chicago Daily News">Template:Cite news</ref> He played many exhibition challenge matches for stakes, in addition to tournaments.<ref name=sommers>The U.S. Open: Golf's Ultimate Challenge, second edition, by Robert Sommers, 1995.</ref>

Death and legacy

Anderson died at age 31, officially from epilepsy<ref name=Gold /> in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He had played competitive matches in Pennsylvania right up to a few days before his death. However, golf historian Robert Sommers wrote in 1995 that Anderson "drank himself to death."<ref name=sommers/> Anderson is buried in Ivy Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Awards and honors

Anderson was an original member of the PGA Hall of Fame and in 1975 he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame

Willie Anderson (left) with Alex Smith, whom he beat in a playoff to win in 1901

Willie Anderson, c. 1905

Major championships

Wins (4)

Year	Championship	54 holes	Winning score	Margin	Runner-up
1901	U.S. Open	1 shot deficit	84-83-83-81=331	Playoff 1	Template:Flagicon Alex Smith
1903	U.S. Open (2)	6 shot lead	73-76-76-82=307	Playoff 2	Template:Flagicon David Brown
1904	U.S. Open (3)	2 shot deficit	75-78-78-72=303	5 strokes	Template:Flagicon Gilbert Nicholls
1905	U.S. Open (4)	1 shot deficit	81-80-76-77=314	2 strokes	Template:Flagicon Alex Smith

¹ Defeated Alex Smith in an 18-hole playoff: Anderson (85), Smith (86)
² Defeated David Brown in an 18-hole playoff: Anderson (82), Brown (84)

Results timeline

Among the majors, Anderson played in only the U.S. Open.

Tournament	1897	1898	1899	1900	1901	1902	1903	1904	1905	1906	1907	1908	1909	1910
U.S. Open	2	3	5	T11	1	T5<ref name="Saint Paul Globe">Template:Cite news</ref>	1	1	1	5	15	4	T4	11

Template:Legend Template:Legend "T" indicates a tie for a place

Professional wins (9)

Note: this list may be incomplete

• 1899 Southern California Open
• 1901 U.S. Open
• 1902 Western Open
• 1903 U.S. Open
• 1904 Western Open, U.S. Open
• 1905 U.S. Open
• 1908 Western Open
• 1909 Western Open

See also

• Golf in Scotland
• List of men's major championships winning golfers

External links

• Template:World Golf Hall of Fame
• Template:Scottish Sports Hall of Fame
• Willie Anderson – The Forgotten Superstar of Golf
• Famous North Berwick Golfers – William Law Anderson
• Template:Find a Grave