In its early days golf was far from the bourgeois and restrained game it has since become. Musselburgh golfer Willie Park, who won the first Open Championship, was a rival of Tom Morris, from St Andrews, with whom over the years he played a series of challenge matches. The Musselburgh match described here was the concluding game of four, the others played previously at St Andrews, Prestwick and North Berwick. The crowd, who were on Park’s side, were said to have moved Morris’s ball whenever they could, but their excess enthusiasm rebounded on their hero. The high-handed referee is the publisher Robert Chambers, himself a keen golfer.
April 22
The great golf match between Tom Morris (St Andrews) and Willie Park (Musselburgh) for £200, which has excited so much interest during the past fortnight, has unfortunately terminated in a dispute. The deciding section of the match was fixed to take place over Musselburgh Links yesterday, and accordingly the two champions appeared on the green at the appointed hour. The weather was most unpropitious for a grand display of golf. A high south-west wind blew in strong gusts across the links, and during the day there were several heavy showers of rain. About six or seven thousand spectators assembled on the course to witness the play, and it was said that such a large number of persons had never before been present at a golf match. It is a matter for regret, however, that the onlookers behaved in the most disgraceful manner. Very fair order was maintained during the first two rounds of the links, but as the crowd increased, and the excitement over the result intensified, the players were pressed in upon in a very rude manner, and were scarcely allowed room to wield their clubs freely. An appeal was made by the referee, Mr Robert Chambers, jun., to the crowd to keep better order and to stand further back from the players. This had some effect for a time, but as the spectators again became somewhat unruly, action was taken by the referee and one of the players, which led to the unfortunate dispute detailed in the sequel.
Considering the inauspicious circumstances under which the game took place, the play was first-class. Both men played cautiously, especially when it came to the short game, but this only rendered the match more interesting. In the first round, Park showed in form going out, but Morris headed him coming in. The latter won four holes, Park three, and two were halved. Some splendid play was exhibited in the second round – five holes being halved and two secured by each representative. In the third round, Park won three holes, Morris two, and four were halved; and this left them to commence the last round in the same position as at the start – Morris one hole ahead on the match. The first hole of the final round was halved, and Park won the next two, giving him one of a majority on the main. Both players then retired for refreshment.
In a short time, Park appeared at the teeing-ground; but the St Andrews champion not putting in an appearance, the excitement amongst the crowd became great. It was shortly ascertained that the referee had decided that the play in the remaining six holes of the match should be postponed till this (Saturday) forenoon, at eleven o’clock. Park protested against this, the more especially as he had not been consulted, and stated that if Morris did not come forward and finish the round, he would do so by himself and claim the stakes. Morris abided by the decision of the referee, who stated that his reason for postponing the play was, ‘That notwithstanding all exertions, no means were practicable for keeping back the onlookers, some of whom by their conduct rendered fair play an impossibility.’ Park maintained that the referee had power only to decide disputes as to balls, that he could not postpone the play without the consent of both combatants, and that the articles under which the match was being played distinctly stated that it should be finished that day. He therefore played the remaining six holes of the round himself, and sent a letter to the stakeholder (Mr Robert Dudgeon) claiming the stakes. Mr Dudgeon, we understand, refused to pay over the stakes, and the matter stands in this unsatisfactory position.
April 23
On Saturday morning at eleven o’clock, the hour appointed by Mr Robert Chambers, jun., for playing off the six holes left unplayed on Musselburgh Links in the great golf match between Tom Morris and Willie Park, Morris and a few spectators appeared at the eighth hole. Park was present, but he adhered to the view he had taken of the referee’s duties; maintaining that he had played out the match on the day fixed by the articles viz., the 22nd April; that no man had any power to stop the play in the middle of the game; that as Morris had refused to play out the last six holes when called on by him, he had done so by himself, and therefore won the match. He accordingly refused to play the six holes with Morris on Saturday morning unless a new match were made. Mr Chambers directed Morris to walk the course, which he did, holing out the six holes from Mrs Forman’s in 4,4,5,5,6, and 4 strokes respectively. At the conclusion Morris was loudly hissed by the partisans of the Musselburgh’s champion, as was the referee, who gave the following written decision in the course of the forenoon: ‘As referee in the match between Morris and Park on Musselburgh Links, I have to certify that the first thirty holes were played on April 22, and, in terms of my decision, the remaining six holes were played by Morris this day. I therefore declare Morris to be the winner. (Signed) R. Chambers, Jun – Musselburgh April 23 1870.’