1894 Championship of the United States C.B. MacDonald & James Parks 'Early Golf Pioneers at St. Andrews (GC)' Photo
What many consider a catalyst for the birth of the U.S.G.A., the 1894 'Championship of the United States' is depicted in this photo thought to have been issued between 1910 and 1915. Described as "The unofficial 1894 Amateur at St. Andrew's Yonkers, New York" it depicts infamous, vocal runner-up Charles Blair (C.B.) MacDonald, James Parks, Laurence Curtis and George Armstrong looking on as Louis Biddle hits the ball. In 1894 it was announced that there would be two Amateur Championships that would attract the finest players around. Only fitting, these would utilize a pair of preeminent United States venues in the golf-rich Northeast - the first at Newport (Rhode Island) in September and followed by the second set to be played at St. Andrews (New York) Golf Club a month later in October with murmurs of certain clubs joining as one for future championships. The first of two planned tournaments was contested in a stroke play format, while the event at St Andrews was match play. That match play event at St. Andrews Golf Club was considered by many, and still is today, the first US Amateur Championship as it was held under match play format which was the same format as all UK tournaments at that time. Evident by the verso stampings, the local NY photograph studio Underwood and Underwood issued this photograph that comes directly from their archive. This is a very famous image of the beginning of golf in the United States, along with moving forward the founding of the United States Golf Association.
7 1/4" x 9 1/4"
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