Phil Gaudin

Phillip John Gaudin (born 4 March 1879) was a professional golfer from Jersey who played in the late 19th and early 20th century. He had three top-10 finishes in the Open Championship. His best result was a tie for eighth place in the 1914 Open Championship. He tied for ninth place in both the 1901 and 1908 Open Championships.

Early life Gaudin was born 4 March 1879 in Grouville, Jersey, Channel Islands. He married in 1908 to Eliza Frances Kell and the couple had two daughters, Iris and Alice. He emigrated to the United States in 1916. Gaudin had four brothers who were also professional golfers, his older brothers Willie and Jack and younger brothers Ernest and Herbert.

Golf career In 1905, Gaudin was posted as the professional at Trafford Park Golf Club in Manchester, England, where he won an open competition with two fine cards of 72-69=141. When the Fulwell course first opened in June 1906, Gaudin played a match there against J. H. Taylor who had designed the Fulwell course. By January 1919 he was professional at the Onwentsia Club and taught golf at an indoor school in Chicago during the winter months. He later moved to Skokie Country Club in 1920.

In a 36-hole match played on 21 August 1920 at Skokie Country Club, Gaudin paired up with Chick Evans against the touring British duo of Ted Ray and Harry Vardon. Playing in a steady rain, Evans' play for the first 18 holes was wild and ineffective, but Gaudin carried the day with steady play by carding a 74 which gave the Americans a 3 up advantage at the midway point in the match. Evans managed to resurrect his game on the first nine holes of the second round by shooting a 34 which gave he and Gaudin an insurmountable lead. They ended up finishing off the British players, whose play was described as "erratic", by the score of 6 and 5. At the time, Gaudin was serving as the head professional at Skokie Country Club which hosted the U.S. Open in 1922.

On 11 March 1921, Gaudin and his wife sailed from Liverpool bound for Quebec, Canada, aboard the RMS Empress of France. Their ship's manifest indicated that the couple's final destination was Chicago, Illinois. Gaudin was returning to the United States after an apparent visit or vacation in England.

On the morning of 22 July 1921 Gaudin was paired with Kenneth Edwards, an Olympic gold medal winner in golf at the 1904 Summer Olympics, in a foursomes match against Chick Evans and Warren Wood at the Riverside Club in Indianapolis. It is unclear what the result of the match was, but Evans shot a 4-under-par 70 and the match was said by Evans to be "successful". In another match at the public course at Lincoln Park on 19 August, Jock Hutchison and Gaudin took on Evans and Wood—the latter also being an Olympic gold medal winner in the 1904 Summer Olympics—in a match that was attended by a throng of 2,000 spectators. Sailors from the nearby Naval Station Great Lakes had been tasked to hold the ropes to control the huge crowd that had gathered to follow the match.

1908 Open Championship The 1908 Open Championship was held 18–19 June at Prestwick Golf Club in Prestwick, South Ayrshire, Scotland. Gaudin fired rounds of 77-76-75-80=308 and tied for ninth place with the French professional Arnaud Massy. No prize money was won by either player.

Tooting Bec Cup Gaudin won the 1912 Tooting Bec Cup Tournament contested at Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club in Old Deer Park in Richmond, southwest London. He beat James Braid in an 18-hole playoff.

Death and legacy Gaudin's date of death is unknown. He is best remembered for having three top-10 finishes in the Open Championship.

Results in the major championships Note: Gaudin played only in The Open Championship and the PGA Championship.

NYF = Tournament not yet founded NT = No tournament WD = Withdrew CUT = missed the half-way cut "T" indicates a tie for a place R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play

Team appearances England–Scotland Professional Match (representing England): 1905 (tie), 1906 (winners), 1907 (winners), 1909 (winners), 1912 (tie), 1913 (winners)