Alexander Campbell (28 November 1876 – 16 December 1942) was a Scottish

professional golfer A professional golfer is somebody who receives payments or financial rewards in the sport of golf that are directly related to their skill or reputation. A person who earns money by teaching or playing golf is traditionally considered a "golf pr ...

and

golf course architect A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". T ...

of the late 19th and early 20th century. In total, Campbell had five top-10 finishes in major championships.

Early life

Alex/Alec "Nipper" Campbell was born in Scotland on 28 November 1876, the son of Alexander Campbell and Margaret Campbell

née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...

Patterson. He had five brothers who also became golf professionals.

Golf career

Campbell was the head professional at several golf clubs, including

The Country Club The Country Club, located in Brookline, Massachusetts, is the oldest golf-oriented country club in the United States. (The Philadelphia Cricket Club, founded in 1854, was the first country club for any sport.) It holds an important place in ...

(

Brookline, Massachusetts Brookline () is an affluent town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, and part of the Greater Boston, Boston metropolitan area. An exclave of Norfolk County, Brookline borders six of Boston's neighborhoods: Brighton, Boston, Brighton ...

, 1896–1916),

Baltimore Country Club Baltimore Country Club is a private club in Baltimore, Maryland, with two campuses, one in the city's Roland Park neighborhood and the other in the north suburb of Lutherville. It is one of only twelve clubs nationwide to operate two campuses. T ...

(

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...

), Northmoor Golf Club (

Celina, Ohio Celina ( ) is a city in Mercer County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. The population was 10,935 at the 2020 census. Located about northwest of Dayton, Celina is situated on the northwestern shores of Grand Lake St. Marys. History ...

), Losantiville Country Club (

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

), Miami Valley Golf Club and Moraine Country Club (

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...

). He was also a golf course architect, designing the Moraine Country Club. In 1913, at The Country Club, he played a friendly match against

Wilfrid Reid Wilfrid Ewart "Wilfie" Reid (3 November 1884 – 24 November 1973) was an English professional golfer and golf course designer. Reid was born in Bulwell, Nottingham, England, and died in West Palm Beach, Florida, United States. He posted three ...

upon the Englishman's arrival in Boston to play in the 1913 U.S. Open. During his 20-year career at The Country Club, he was involved in the development of caddy

Francis Ouimet Francis DeSales Ouimet () (May 8, 1893 – September 2, 1967) was an American amateur golfer who is frequently referred to as the "father of amateur golf" in the United States. He won the U.S. Open (golf), U.S. Open in 1913 U.S. Open (golf), 1 ...

as a player.

1901 U.S. Open

Campbell finished in eighth place in the 1901 U.S. Open at Myopia Hunt Club. Willie Anderson won his first of four U.S. Open titles in a playoff over

Alex Smith Alexander Douglas Smith (born May 7, 1984) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He played college football for the Utah Utes, earning first-team All-American ho ...

. Campbell had rounds of 84-91-82-82=339—the high second round 91 being detrimental to this overall scoring—however he finished strongly and won $25 as his share of the purse.

1905 U.S. Open

In the 1905 U.S. Open held September 21–22, 1905, at Myopia Hunt Club, Willie Anderson won his third consecutive U.S. Open title, and his record 4th overall, by two strokes over

. Campbell finished in sixth place, carding rounds of 82-76-80-81=319, and won $70.

1907 U.S. Open

Campbell's best finish in the U.S. Open was third in the 1907 U.S. Open, held June 20–21, 1907, at

Philadelphia Cricket Club The Philadelphia Cricket Club, founded in 1854 in southeastern Pennsylvania, is the oldest country club in the United States. Its two locations are in Chestnut Hill and Flourtown, north-northwest of downtown Philadelphia. History Founde ...

in Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania.

Alex Ross Nelson Alexander Ross (born January 22, 1970) is an American comic book creator, comic book writer and artist known primarily for his painted interiors, covers, and design work. He first became known with the 1994 miniseries ''Marvels'', on which ...

posted four sub-80 rounds to win his first U.S. Open title by two strokes over

Gilbert Nicholls Gilbert Ernest Nicholls (July 23, 1878 – January 17, 1950) was an English-American professional golfer, prominent in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He had eight top-10 finishes in the U.S. Open (golf), U.S. Open. Early life Nicholls w ...

. Campbell played consistently good golf, posting rounds of 78-74-78-75=305, and won $100.

1912 U.S. Open

The 1912 U.S. Open was the 18th

U.S. Open U.S. Open or US Open are open championship sporting tournaments that are hosted in the United States and in which anyone, especially amateur and professional, or American and non-American, may compete. The term may also be applied to non-sporting ev ...

. The golf tournament was held August 1–2, 1912, at the

Country Club of Buffalo A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, or de ...

, which is now Grover Cleveland Golf Course (the Country Club of Buffalo has since relocated to

Amherst, New York Amherst () is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Erie County, New York, Erie County, New York (state), New York, United States. It is a suburb of Buffalo, New York, Buffalo. As of 2020, the town had a total population of 129,595. ...

). 20-year-old John McDermott successfully defended his U.S. Open title with a two-stroke victory over Tom McNamara. Campbell fired rounds of 74-77-80-71=302, finishing 8 strokes behind the winner, and won $70 for his excellent performance.

Death

Campbell died at his home on 16 December 1942 in Dayton, Ohio. He had suffered from a heart ailment for some time. He is interred in the

Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum (200 acres), located at 118 Woodland Avenue, Dayton, Ohio, is one of the oldest garden cemeteries in the United States. Woodland was incorporated in 1842 by John Whitten Van Cleve, the first male child born in ...

Results in major championships

''Note: Campbell never played in the

Masters Tournament The Masters Tournament (usually referred to as simply the Masters, or as the U.S. Masters outside North America) is one of the four men's major championships in professional golf. Scheduled for the first full week in April, the Masters is the ...

The Open Championship The Open Championship, often referred to as The Open or the British Open, is the oldest golf tournament in the world, and one of the most prestigious. Founded in 1860, it was originally held annually at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. Later th ...

.'' NT = no tournament
CUT = missed the half-way cut
R16, QF, SF = round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play
"T" indicates a tie for a place
? = unknown

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Campbell, Alex Scottish male golfers British golf course architects Golfers from Massachusetts Golfers from Maryland Golfers from Ohio Scottish emigrants to the United States Burials at Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum 1876 births 1942 deaths