John Matthew Shippen Jr. (December 2, 1879 – May 20, 1968) was an American
golf
Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various Golf club, clubs to hit a Golf ball, ball into a series of holes on a golf course, course in as few strokes as possible.
Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standa ...
er who competed in several of the early
U.S. Opens. Born in
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, he was the son of a former slave and
Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...
minister, John Shippen Sr. and Eliza Spotswood Shippen,
and is believed to be the first American-born golf professional.
Shippen, was of African American and Native American descent. At the age of 16, Shippen earned an assistant professional post at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club where he began giving lessons to some of the club members and became an accomplished player in his own right.
[ Shippen's best finishes came at the 1896 U.S. Open held at ]Shinnecock Hills Golf Club
Shinnecock Hills Golf Club is a links-style golf club located in an unincorporated area of the Town of Southampton on Long Island, New York, situated between the Peconic Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Founded in 1891, it is one of the oldest golf ...
in Southampton, New York
Southampton, officially the Town of Southampton, is a town in southeastern Suffolk County, New York, partly on the South Fork of Long Island. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the town had a population of 69,036. Southampton is included in the stre ...
, and the 1902 U.S. Open held at Garden City Golf Club in Garden City, New York, where he tied for fifth place at both.
Early life
When he was nine his father was sent to serve as minister on the Shinnecock Indian Reservation—close to Shinnecock Hills—one of America's earliest golf clubs. John Jr. worked as a caddie
In golf, a caddie (or caddy) is a companion to the player, providing both practical support and strategic guidance on the course. Caddies are responsible for carrying the player’s bag, managing clubs, and assisting with basic course maintena ...
at the course and was taught to play by the club's Scottish professional, Willie Dunn Jr.
1896 U.S. Open
The Shinnecock Hills course was chosen to host the second U.S. Open in 1896. Shippen played superb golf, finishing in fifth place.Theodore Havemeyer
Theodore Augustus Havemeyer (May 17, 1839 – April 26, 1897) was an American businessman who was the first president of the U.S. Golf Association and co-founder of the Newport Country Club, host to both the first U.S. Amateur and the first U.S. ...
stated that the tournament would proceed even if only Shippen and Dunn took part. Shippen was paired with Charles B. Macdonald
Charles Blair Macdonald (November 14, 1855 – April 21, 1939) was a major figure in early American golf. He built the first 18-hole course in the United States, was a driving force in the founding of the United States Golf Association, won the ...
, winner of the first U.S. Amateur
The United States Amateur Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Amateur, is the leading annual golf tournament in the United States for amateur golfers. It is organized by the United States Golf Association and is currently held each August ov ...
in 1895. He was tied for second place after the first of the two rounds, and remained in contention until he drove his ball onto a sandy road at the 13th hole and scored an eleven. If he had made par on that hole, he would have made a playoff for the championship, but he still finished in a tie for fifth and won $10 as the fourth-placed non-amateur. Scottish-born James Foulis
James Foulis (22 August 1871 – 3 March 1928), also known as James Foulis Jr., was a Scottish professional golfer who won the second U.S. Open in 1896. He also finished tied for third in the inaugural 1895 U.S. Open held at Newport Golf Clu ...
won the $150 first prize.
Golf career
Shippen played in five more U.S. Opens, and his best finish was a tie for fifth in 1902.New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
, where he worked from 1932 until the club was acceded to the township of Scotch Plains in 1964.Ted Rhodes
Theodore Rhodes (November 9, 1913 – July 4, 1969) was an American professional golfer in the mid-twentieth century, a time when African American golfers were a rarity. Rhodes helped break golf's Racial segregation, color barrier. A native of N ...
took part in 1948.
Posthumous PGA of America membership
In 2009, the PGA of America
The Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA of America) is an American organization of golf professionals that was founded in 1916. Consisting of nearly 29,000 members, the PGA of America's undertaking is to establish and elevate t ...
granted posthumous membership to Shippen, Rhodes, and Bill Spiller
Bill Spiller (October 25, 1913 – 1988) was an American professional golfer who helped break the color barrier in the sport.
Biography
Spiller was born in Tishomingo, Oklahoma and moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma with his father when he was nine yea ...
who were denied the opportunity to become PGA members during their professional careers. The PGA also granted posthumous honorary membership to boxer Joe Louis
Joseph Louis Barrow (May 13, 1914 – April 12, 1981) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1934 to 1951. Nicknamed "the Brown Bomber", Louis is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential boxers of all time. He r ...
.
Legacy and death
He died on May 20, 1968, at a nursing home in Newark, New Jersey
Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, the county seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, and a principal city of the New York metropolitan area. ...
. He is buried at the Rosedale Cemetery in Linden, New Jersey
Linden is a City (New Jersey), city in southeastern Union County, New Jersey, Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the New York metropolitan area, located about southwest of Manhattan and bordering Staten Island, a boro ...
.
When the U.S. Open was played at Shinnecock Hills in 1986, Shippen was remembered during the ABC television broadcast. For many members of the former Shady Rest club, it was the first time they had learned of his accomplishments. The John Shippen Museum is located in the clubhouse of the Shady Rest Golf and Country Club in Scotch Plains. The John Shippen National Invitational Golf Tournament for Black Golfers was established by Intersport
INTERSPORT International Corporation ("IIC"), commonly known as INTERSPORT, is an international sporting goods retailer with its headquarters based in Bern, Switzerland.
IIC is the purchasing and brand management company of the INTERSPORT grou ...
in 2021.
Results in major championships
''Note: Shippen played only in the U.S. Open Championship.''
"T" indicates a tie for a place
? = Unknown
Yellow background for top-10
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Shippen, John
American male golfers
African-American golfers
Golfers from Washington, D.C.
Golfers from New York (state)
Golfers from New Jersey
Sportspeople from Scotch Plains, New Jersey
1879 births
1968 deaths
20th-century African-American sportsmen