The SOCIETY Newsletter #78

The Footwedge That Cost Him the Open

The 1921 Open Championship at St Andrews remains one of the strangest conclusions in the tournament’s storied history. For it was here that an amateur, Roger Wethered, nearly etched his name on the Claret Jug – until a careless ‘footwedge’ robbed him of his place in history.

The Rising Star: Roger Wethered

Roger Wethered was a gifted amateur golfer from England, renowned for his smooth swing and calm demeanor. Though he would never fully devote himself to golf as a professional  – his passion for cricket ran just as deep. Roger was widely regarded as one of Britain’s finest amateur players of the 1920s.

The 1921 Open Championship was filled with historical occurrences - in the third round a nineteen year old Bobby Jones played wretchedly and reportedly tore up his scorecard on the 11th hole and walked off the course. (It should be noted, that there are several accounts that conflict with this story.)

The Champion in Waiting: Jock Hutchison

Facing Wethered that week was Jock Hutchison, born in St Andrews, Scotland. Jock, who had just the year prior, had become a naturalized American citizen. Hutchison had emigrated to the United States in 1909 to build a career as a golf professional. His first position in the U.S. was none other than the Pittsburgh Golf Club (see the TalkinGolf History Podcast: “The Club Without a Course”). His return to the St Andrews was marked with quiet determination to win in front of his native crowd – his eventual victory would be regarded as one of the most awkward celebrations in Open history.

The Fatal Footwedge

As the final round of the 1921 Open unfolded, Wethered played with impressive composure, beating his lowest round by shooting a 71 . But one mistake cost him dearly. At a critical moment, Roger accidentally kicked his ball with his foot – the foot wedge was purely an accident and did not improve his position. Unfortunately for Roger, the rules of golf don’t permit accidents and the action was deemed a one stroke penalty under the Rules of Golf. With the untimely penalty stroke added to his score, Roger was dropped into a tie with Hutchison, resulting in an 18-hole playoff the following day.

Cricket over the Claret Jug?

Astonishingly, upon finishing tied, Wethered briefly considered withdrawing from the playoff altogether. His reason? He had committed to play in a cricket match the following day. Fortunately, Roger came to his senses and sought to finish what he started.

The Playoff: Victory and Disappointment

On paper the playoff represented a win-win for the R&A and St Andrews. A former citizen of St Andrews coming back for a triumphant homecoming or the first amateur golfer to claim the Open since Harold Hilton in 1897.

The American Triumph that Fell Flat

Hutchison played brilliantly in the playoff, defeating Wethered by nine strokes to capture his first and only Open Championship title. In his moment of triumph, standing on the grandest stage in golf with the coveted Claret Jug in hand, Hutchinson celebrated by proudly declaring himself an “American Champion,” rather than a Home Bred Hero reclaiming the crown for the glory of St Andrews. The stunned crowd fell silent for Hutchinson and turned their cheers towards the runner up, amateur golfer Roger Weathered.

Legacy of the Footwedge

Roger Wethered’s careless penalty remains one of the Open’s greatest ‘what ifs.’ Had he not kicked his ball, the Claret Jug might have borne the name of an amateur who nearly skipped a playoff for a cricket match. Instead, Jock Hutchison’s win stood as the first by a U.S. citizen at St Andrews – a victory remembered both for its fine golf and its awkward celebration.

Aftermath

Roger just two years later would claim the British Amateur Championship.

Years later in 1930 he would play a supporting role once more as he faced off against Bobby Jones in what would be Jones’ Grand Slam year.

Sad to think that Roger’s life has been a bit overshadowed by his sister Joyce, who claimed 4 British Amateur Championships and claimed the English Amateur every year between 1920 and 1924.

As for Jock Hutchison, he ended his career with two Majors, the Open and PGA Championship. Jock also became the first male golfer to win a Senior Major Championship, when he claimed the inaugural 1937 Senior PGA Championship hosted by Augusta National Golf Club. That victory at Augusta National led to Jock becoming one of the first honorary starters at the Masters Tournament.

One of my favorite artifacts from the 1921 Open Championship is Jock’s Gold Medal which is engraved “British Open Championship” highlighting perhaps Jock’s newly claimed American citizenship.

Click below to listen to the final chapter of the History of James Braid on the TalkinGolf History Podcast.

Thank you once again for taking the time to read our newsletter. Once we conclude our countdown to the Open Championship we will dive a bit deeper into what lies ahead for the Society of Golf Historians.