This is the first biography in over 100 years of the great Tom Morris of St Andrews, who presided over one of the most illustrious periods in the history of golf, who – more than anyone before or since in any game – stamped his individual character upon his sport and how, in large measure, made golf what it is today.

Born in a humble weaver’s cottage in St Andrews in 1821, by the time of his death in 1908, he had become a figure of international renown. When he was buried with all the pomp and ceremony befitting an eminent Victorian, newspapers around the world reported his funeral, followed by his internment below the effigy of his son, Tommy, amidst the ruins of St Andrews Cathedral.

In the course of his long life, he witnessed huge social and scientific changes in the world, none more so than in the game of golf that he had, in many respects, overseen and directed. By the time of his death, the game had expanded to become the most popular and geographically widespread of all sports and the essential recreational pursuit of gentlemen. Tom Morris was a sporting hero in an age of heroes, as well as golf’s first iconic figure.

About the Authors
David Malcolm was born and raised in St Andrews. He is a past Captain and Life Member of The New Golf Club, St Andrews. A graduate of Edinburgh University, he was a research geneticist in the USA and Europe before returning to work in St Andrews University and latterly at Madras College. A life-long student of golf history, he has written numerous articles for golfing magazines, periodicals and the national press.

Peter E. Crabtree, a retired Yorkshire businessman, has been a life-long golfer and a golf historian for over 30 years. A Founder and Past Captain of The British Golf Collectors Society, he has for many years collected early golfing artifacts, particularly those associated with St Andrews and Tom Morris.

Another popular book on Morris is: