For the golfers amongst you

Today in 1889, golfer Willie Park Jr won a play-off against Andrew Kirkaldy, having been tied on a score of 155, to win the Open Championship at Musselburgh Links.

Musselburgh Links has played a critical part in the early development of The Open, with the Champions’s first ever Champion, Willie Park Sr., being a professional based there. Initially hosting the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, the original holes have been little changed with evidence suggesting that golf has been played on the Musselburgh Links since as early as 1672.

On the wall of the Clubhouse of the Musselburgh Old Course Golf Club (Musselburgh Links) is this plaque which honours 5 open golf champions from the club: Bob Ferguson (1880, 1881, 1882), Mungo Park (1874), Willie Park Snr (1860, 1863, 1866, 1875), Willie Park Jnr (1887, 1889), David Brown (1886). Additionally, the plaque below honours two other great Musselburgh golfers: Willie Dunn Jnr, first unofficial US Open Champion and Willie Campbell, first professional Brookline Country Club, Massachusetts.

So yes, Musselburgh has indeed got a history in golf.

I hope you have enjoyed midweek.