Alfred
Henry Toogood ("AHT")
Born
on 1 May 1872 in St. Helen's on the Isle of Wight to Helen and
Emily Toogood (nee Wade). He started his golf at the Bembridge
links, a course founded in 1882.
AHT
started competing in the Open Championship in 1894 at Royal St.
George's (Sandwich), the first time it was played outside Scotland,
finishing fourth and leaving illustrious names like Vardon, Braid,
Ball, Herd and Fernie in his wake. However this would be AHT's
best performance as he finished ninth, seventeenth and twenty-second
in the following three years. A new addition to the family meant
he could ill afford the time needed to play tournament golf and
concentrated on his bread and butter job as a club professional.
AHT
had taken up appointments at the following golf clubs; Eltham
Warren (1893-1895), Minchinhampton (1895-1900), Headingly, Leeds
(1900-1902), West Essex Golf Club (1902-1907), Tramore (1907-1909)
and finally Beckenham, Kent (1909-1911). Testament to his ability
as a golfer, despite being referred to a journeyman, was highlighted
at an exhibition match at Rockford Hall, in 1904 when he defeated
Harry Vardon, James Braid, and Jack White (the reigning Open
champion).
There
were only three to four major professional tournaments around
the turn of the century, he won two of them and was beaten finalist
in another (i.e. News of the World) but the Open Championship
always alluded him. He died in 1921, at which time his son, Alfred
Jnr., emigrated to Australia where he became a relatively successful
professional golfer and his grandson would become one of Australia's
leading amateurs. In 1954 at the British Amateur at Muirfield
it was felt he was denied his best opportunity of taking the title
in the sixth round. Joe Carr had a very favourable ruling which
decided the sixth round match in what was infamously referred
to as the "Toogood Incident". [Partially sourced from
Des Tobin's book - "Simply Toogood"]
Note:
Tramore centenary indicates 1906 was the year of appointment
but AHT was still entering competitions as a West Essex player
in 1907.
