Tommy's Honor : The Story of Old Tom Morris and Young Tom Morris, Golf's Founding Father and Son

EDITORIAL REVIEW: **In the tradition of Seabiscuit, the riveting tale of twoproud Scotsmen who beat all comers to become the heroesof a golden age—the dawn of professional golf** Bringing to life golf’s founding father and son, Tommy’s Honor is a stirring tribute to two legendary players and a vivid evocation of their colorful, rip-roaring times. The Morrises were towering figures in their day. Old Tom, born in 1821,began life as a nobody— he was the son of a weaver and a maid. But he was born in St. Andrews, Scotland, the cradle of golf, and the game was in his blood. He became the Champion Golfer of Scotland, a national hero who won tournaments (and huge bets) while his young son looked on. As "Keeper of the Green" at the town’s ancient links, Tom deployed golf’s first lawnmower and banished sheep from the fairways. Then Young Tommy’s career took off. Handsome Tommy Morris, the Tiger Woods of the nineteenth century, was a more daring player than his father. Soon he surpassed Old Tom and dominated the game. But just as he reached his peak—with spectators flocking to see him play— Tommy’s life took a tragic turn, leading to his death at the age of twenty-four. That shock is at the heart of *Tommy’s Honor*. It left Tom to pick up the pieces—to honor his son by keeping Tommy’s memory alive. Like the *New York Times* bestseller *The Greatest Game Ever Played*, *Tommy’s Honor* is both fascinating history and a moving personal saga. Golfers will love it, but this book isn’t only for golfers. It’s for every son who has fought to escape a father’s shadow and for every father who had guided a son toward manhood, then found it hard to let him go. In the tradition of Seabiscuit, the riveting tale of two proud Scotsmen who beat all comers to become the heroes of a golden age—the dawn of professional golf. This essential golf history is now a major motion picture.Bringing to life golf’s founding father and son, Tommy’s Honor is a stirring tribute to two legendary players and a vivid evocation of their colorful, rip-roaring times.The Morrises were towering figures in their day. Old Tom, born in 1821, began life as a nobody—he was the son of a weaver and a maid. But he was born in St. Andrews, Scotland, the cradle of golf, and the game was in his blood. He became the Champion Golfer of Scotland, a national hero who won tournaments (and huge bets) while his young son looked on. As "Keeper of the Green" at the town’s ancient links, Tom deployed golf’s first lawnmower and banished sheep from the fairways.Then Young Tommy’s career took off. Handsome Tommy Morris, the Tiger Woods of the nineteenth century, was a more daring player than his father. Soon he surpassed Old Tom and dominated the game. But just as he reached his peak—with spectators flocking to see him play—Tommy’s life took a tragic turn, leading to his death at the age of twenty-four. That shock is at the heart of Tommy’s Honor. It left Tom to pick up the pieces—to honor his son by keeping Tommy’s memory alive.Like the New York Times bestseller The Greatest Game Ever Played, Tommy’s Honor is both fascinating history and a moving personal saga. Golfers will love it, but this book isn’t only for golfers. It’s for every son who has fought to escape a father’s shadow and for every father who had guided a son toward manhood, then found it hard to let him go. "Before Tiger and Phil, before Jack and Arnie, the two best golfers on earth were Old Tom and Young Tom Morris. But they were more than fierce rivals. They were father and son." "Supremely talented, utterly different. One was cautious, the other bold. One was a striver, the other a natural. And they had contrasting ideas about something that meant the world to both of them: honor. That difference would play a pivotal role on the tragic day in 1875 that would change their lives forever." "Tommy's Honor recounts how Old Tom - a caddie and gambler who went on to become a four-time Open champion and greenkeeper for the R & A, the most important institution in the game - grew up a stone's throw from the St. Andrews Links. Then a challenger arose: his son Young Tom, the Tiger Woods of his era, who at seventeen became the youngest player to win the Open Championship." "Tommy's Honor depicts a wild and woolly era when one Scottish town's champion challenged another while "golf fanatics" hooted, spat at the players, and kicked the golfers' balls into bunkers. This is the dawn of professional golf. But more than that, it is the story of golf's first heroes."--Jacket A tribute to the professional achievements of the father-and-son team of Tom and Tom Morris cites their pivotal contributions to the founding of golf in the 1800s, the differences in their athletic styles, and young Tom's tragic early death Kevin Cook. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [323]-327).