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Arnaud Massy
Golf Professional
Born: 1877, Biarritz France Died: 1958, Edinburgh Scotland
![[Arnaud Massy]](images/massy_1.jpg)
Arnaud Massy at La Boulie
© Digitalsport UK
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Bass Rock Sea Bird Sanctuary
![[Canty Bay]](images/cantybay_1.jpg)
Canty Bay, North Berwick
© Digitalsport UK
West Links
East Course
Gullane
Muirfield
Dunbar
Musselburgh
![[Quadrant, North Berwick]](images/quadrant.jpg)
Quadrant, North Berwick
© Digitalsport UK
Tournament Record
French Open :1906 1907,1911, 1925
British Open :1907
Belgium Open :1910
Spanish Open :1911,1927,1928
British Open : runner-up,1911
French Open :runner-up,1908,1910,1926
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Frenchman grasps the coveted silver jug
By
Douglas Seaton
North Berwick Factfile
ARNAUD MASSY was born in 1877 at Biarritz in southern France. On leaving school he was employed as a sardine fisherman and from the age of fourteen caddied at Biarritz, for mostly English visitors to the Basque region.
He carried for many well known players including Horace Hutchison, Charles Hutchings and Everard Hambro. It was Hambro who brought Massy to North Berwick for the summer season when he was twenty-one. He was met at Drem station by Davie Grant a pro golfer and excellent teacher of the game. Hambro had made arrangements for Massy to learn the craft of clubmaking in James Hutchison's workshop at the West Links, North Berwick.
Massy was a popular figure with a keen sense of humour, and returned to the West Links on six occasions, teaching for four months during the summer season. He was enormously impressed with Harry Vardon when he watched him at North Berwick during a match against Willie Park in 1899.
Massy used a two-handed grip and an open stance. A powerful man, he was a long hitter and highly thought of as a cleek player. Massy played regularly with the best Scottish 'cracks', amateur and professional, until he gained the necessary experience to compete at the highest level. He entered his first Open Championship from Biarritz G.C in 1902, and finished eleventh.
" He had a distinctive twirl at the top of his backswing which dated back to when he played left handed as a youngster."
In 1903 he married North Berwick girl Janet 'Jinty' Henderson, daughter of Captain Henderson and in 1905 entered the Open Championship at St. Andrews from North Berwick, where he finished in 5th place and received £7-10s. The following year he won the inaugural French Open at La Boulie where he was later appointed professional, this was his first of a record four wins in the French Open.
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The growth in the popularity of golf in Europe can be attributed to Arnaud Massy, Ben Sayers, Jack White and Davie Grant, who took part in exhibition matches throughout the continent.
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He finished in 6th place at the 1906 Open at Muirfield, and in 1907, Massy described by the press as a " Frenchman with the soul of a Scot " became the first overseas player to win the Open Championship.
The weather was appalling at Hoylake in 1907, but Massy had the game to combat the strong winds and torrential rain. He led, or tied for the lead, throughout and scored 76, 81, 78, and 77, for an aggregate of 312, two stokes ahead of J.H. Taylor one of the best bad-weather players of them all.
The entry for the 1907 Open was over subscribed, and a qualifying round was introduced for the first time, which Massy also won. During the championship, his wife gave birth to a daughter, and he cut short his celebrations to return to Scotland. He arrived back in North Berwick accompanied by Ben Sayers and when news spread that the Champion was arriving at 3 o'clock, a large crowd gathered at the Railway Station. A string-band in town for the summer season was hastily assembled, and an open top charabanc put at their disposal. As Massy alighted from the carriage the crowd cheered, and waved their caps in the air, as the band played 'See the Conquering Hero'. Massy and Sayers then took their seats in the vehicle which proceeded down Station Hill and east into Westgate, then a two way thoroughfare.
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Massy holding the claret jug aloft, acknowledged their applause. The motorcade continued slowly along Westgate, the streets lined with people, until the procession reached Captain Henderson's house at Harmony Cottage, 5 Forth Street. There with the cheers still ringing in his ears, and clutching the Open Trophy, Massy was reunited with his wife and new born daughter, who they later christened Margaret Lockhart 'Hoylake' Massy after his triumph.
As part of the summer season in North Berwick many of the local golfers and visiting personalities took part in a putting competition in aid of the North Berwick Parish Church Funds. In 1908, Dorothy Campbell, the current Scottish Ladies Champion, Arnaud Massy, and Ben Sayers were among the competitors.
The tournament was played over a week on the nine-hole putting green at the Royal Hotel, now occupied by Craigleith View. Sixpence being charged per round with seven hundred rounds played, raising over £17.
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Massy tied for first place along with another five on 21 strokes, but scratched to his opponents in the play-off. Campbell tied for second place in the Ladies competition, which was won with 23 strokes by Miss Faith Laidlay Invereil House, the sister of the famous amateur golfer John E. Laidlay.
Massy came close to winning another Open on 30th June 1911, when he made up four strokes on Harry Vardon to tie at Sandwich. In the playoff, however, he conceded on the 35th. He bounced back quickly, crossing the channel to win his third French Open, by seven strokes with all the top players in the field.
The following year he entered the Open at Muirfield from La Nivelle Golf Club, St Jean de Luz, when he finished in 10th place. Arnaud Massy had an outstanding record in the Open Championship, consistently finishing in the top twenty from 1902 until 1922. Among his pupils at Nivelle Golf Club, were Andre Vagliano, Pierre Maneuvrier, and Simone Thion de la Chaume. Massy was involved in the first matches between France and the United States in 1913. He wrote a book titled "Golf" which was translated into English in 1914. On 9th October 1925 he won his record fourth French Open. That winter Massy visited the USA with Archie Compston the British PGA Champion. They played a number of matches in Florida and the Southern States.
During the First World War he joined the French Army and was wounded while attached to a grenade company. Following the conflict he continued his duties as pro at Nivelle, St Jean de Lux and returned to North Berwick in July 1919. In 1921, Massy finished 6th in the Open Championship at St Andrews while living at 118 Findhorn Place, Newington, Edinburgh. His daughter Margaret married George Edgar in 1929 and his wife Janet died in 1935. During the 1930s he was the private professional to the Pasha of Marakesh in Morocco. Arnaud Massy died in 1958 in Edinburgh and remains to this day the greatest French golfer ever.
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Copyright © Douglas Seaton 2008, All Rights Reserved.
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