Ben Hogan
Flawless Harry Vardon Cut Signature
The history of golf is
filled with great players and champions, but only a handful have ever reached
true legendary status. That list arguably only includes the likes of Old and
Young Tom Morris, Harry Vardon, Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. Harry
Vardon was part of the so-called Great Triumvirate, along with James Braid and
J.H. Taylor, that launched golf into its first Golden Age at the turn of the
Century. His many accomplishments include winning the Open Championship 6 times
and winning the 1900 U.S. Open. Despite all this, many Americans know Harry
Vardon because of two second place finishes in the U.S. Open. Due the the
difficulty and extreme expense of traveling overseas in his day, Harry Vardon
only played in the U.S. Open 3 times - finished 1st, 2nd, and 2nd.
Vardon's initial 2nd place finish came in a tournament that is considered the
birth of American golf - the 1913 U.S. Open, where teenage amateur Francis
Ouimet shocked the world when defeating Harry Vardon and Ted Ray. After that
tournament, Vardon didn't get to play the U.S. Open again until 1920 at the age
of 50. While many likely expected Vardon was only there as a retirement tour of
sorts, that idea was quickly dispelled when Vardon shot up the leaderboard,
eventually finishing 2nd. In addition to his many tournament victories, Harry
Vardon is probably most-known for popularizing the "Vardon grip" - the
overlapping grip that most golfers use today.
This Harry Vardon autograph is exceptional and seems almost unimprovable -
rating a solid 9 of 10.
Certificate of Authenticity from Green Jacket Auctions (GJA).