Introduction
Harold Horsfall Hilton (12 January 1869 – 5 May 1942) was an English amateur golfer of the late 19th and early 20th century.
Biography
Hilton was born in West Kirby and attended West Buckland School in Devon. In 1892, he won The Open Championship at Muirfield, becoming the second amateur to do so. He won again in 1897 at his home club, Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake. The only other amateurs who have won the Open Championship are John Ball and Bobby Jones.
Hilton also won The Amateur Championship on four occasions, including 1911, when he became the only British player to win the British and U.S. Amateurs in the same year. Hilton retired with a 99–29 record (77.3%) at The Amateur Championship.
From 1905 to 1915, Hilton was a member at Ashford Manor Golf Club in Middlesex (now Surrey), the club having been incorporated in 1902. In 1912, he played a major part in designing Ferndown Golf Club in Dorset which became an Open Championship qualifying course and one of the top 100 courses in the UK.
Death
Hilton died on 5 May 1942 at Westcote, Gloucestershire, England, at age 73.
Legacy
Hilton was also a golf writer. He was the first editor of Golf Monthly, and also the editor of Golf Illustrated. He also designed many courses and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1978.
Tournament wins (47)
- 1889 Royal Liverpool Summer Lubbock Gold Medal, Royal Liverpool Autumn Kennard Gold Medal, Royal Liverpool St. Andrew's Gold Cross Medal, West Lancashire Golf Club Challenge Gold Medal, West Lancashire Golf Club Mayor's Prize, West Lancashire Golf Club St. Andrew's Challenge Gold Cross Medal
- 1891 Royal Liverpool Spring Club Gold Medal, Royal Liverpool Summer Lubbock Gold Medal, Birkdale Golf Club Crowther Cup
- 1892 The Open Championship, Formby Cullen Silver Medal, Royal Liverpool Summer Lubbock Gold Medal, West Lancashire Golf Club Gold Medal, West Lancashire Golf Club Silver Challenge Cup, West Lancashire Golf Club St. Andrew's Gold Cross, West Lancashire Golf Club Easter Challenge Cup, Southport Golf Club Pilkington Centenary Gold Medal,
- 1893 St. George's Challenge Cup, Formby Prestwich Gold Medal, Formby Cullen Silver Medal, Royal Liverpool Spring Club Gold Medal, Royal Liverpool Spring Connaught Challenge Star Medal, Royal Liverpool Autumn Kennard Gold Medal, West Lancashire Golf Club Cookson Prize, West Lancashire Golf Club Silver Cup, West Lancashire Golf Club St. Andrew's Challenge Gold Cross Medal, Lytham & St. Anne's Golf Club Silver Iron, Lytham & St. Anne's Golf Club Thistleton Medal
- 1894 St. George's Challenge Cup
- 1897 The Open Championship, Irish Amateur Open Championship
- 1899 Formby Prestwich Gold Medal, Formby Cullen Silver Medal, Formby St. Andrew's Medal, Royal Liverpool Spring Club Gold Medal, Royal Liverpool Spring Connaught Challenge Star Medal, Royal Liverpool Autumn Kennard Gold Medal, Royal Liverpool Milligan St. Andrew's Gold Cross
- 1900 The Amateur Championship, Irish Amateur Open Championship
- 1901 The Amateur Championship, Irish Amateur Open Championship
- 1902 Irish Amateur Open Championship
- 1911 The Amateur Championship, U.S. Amateur
- 1913 The Amateur Championship
- 1914 Golf Illustrated Gold Vase
Major championships
Professional wins (2)
| Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1892 | The Open Championship | 2 shot deficit | 78-81-72-74=305 | 3 strokes |  John Ball,  Sandy Herd, Hugh Kirkaldy |
| 1897 | The Open Championship (2) | 3 shot deficit | 80-75-84-75=314 | 1 stroke | James Braid |
Amateur wins (5)
| Year | Championship | Winning score | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | The Amateur Championship | 8 & 7 | James Robb |
| 1901 | The Amateur Championship | 1 up | John L. Low |
| 1911 | The Amateur Championship | 4 & 3 | Edward Lassen |
| 1911 | U.S. Amateur | 37 holes |  Fred Herreshoff |
| 1913 | The Amateur Championship | 6 & 5 | Robert Harris |
Results timeline
Note: Hilton played in only The Open Championship, U.S. Amateur, and The Amateur Championship.
| Tournament | 1887 | 1888 | 1889 |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Open Championship | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| The Amateur Championship | R16 | DNP | R16 |
| U.S. Amateur | NYF | NYF | NYF |
| Tournament | 1890 | 1891 | 1892 | 1893 | 1894 | 1895 | 1896 | 1897 | 1898 | 1899 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Open Championship | DNP | T8 | 1 LA | T8 | WD | WD | 23 | 1 LA | 3 LA | T12 |
| The Amateur Championship | QF | 2 | 2 | R32 | QF | R32 | 2 | R32 | R16 | QF |
| U.S. Amateur | NYF | NYF | NYF | NYF | NYF | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| Tournament | 1900 | 1901 | 1902 | 1903 | 1904 | 1905 | 1906 | 1907 | 1908 | 1909 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Open Championship | T16 | 4 LA | T6 | T25 | WD | CUT | DNP | DNP | DNP | WD |
| The Amateur Championship | 1 | 1 | QF | R64 | QF | R64 | R128 | R16 | R64 | R32 |
| U.S. Amateur | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| Tournament | 1910 | 1911 | 1912 | 1913 | 1914 | 1915 | 1916 | 1917 | 1918 | 1919 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Open Championship | DNP | T3 LA | DNP | WD | WD | NT | NT | NT | NT | NT |
| The Amateur Championship | SF | 1 | R16 | 1 | R32 | NT | NT | NT | NT | NT |
| U.S. Amateur | DNP | 1 M | R32 | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | NT | NT | DNP |
| Tournament | 1920 | 1921 | 1922 | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Open Championship | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| The Amateur Championship | R32 | R64 | QF | DNP | R128 | R256 | DNP | R256 |
| U.S. Amateur | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
M = Medalist
LA = Low amateur
NYF = Tournament not yet founded
NT = No tournament
DNP = Did not play
"T" indicates a tie for a place
R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in match play
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10
Source for British Open: www.opengolf.com
Source for 1887 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, August 4, 1887, pg. 6.
Source for 1889 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 9, 1889, pg. 10.
Source for 1890 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 2, 1890, pg. 8.
Source for 1893 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 10, 1893, pg. 11.
Source for 1894 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, April 27, 1894, pg. 11.
Source for 1895 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 9, 1895, pg. 3.
Source for 1897 British Amateur: The Scotsman, April 29, 1897, pg. 4.
Source for 1898 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 26, 1898, pg. 11.
Source for 1899 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 26, 1899, pg. 11.
Source for 1902 British Amateur: Golf, June, 1902, pg. 397.
Source for 1903 British Amateur: Golf, July, 1903, pg. 8.
Source for 1904 British Amateur: Golf, July, 1904, pg. 9.
Source for 1905 British Amateur: Golf, June, 1905, pg. 341.
Source for 1906 British Amateur: Golf, July, 1906, pg. 29.
Source for 1907 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 30, 1907, pg. 14.
Source for 1908 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 27, 1908, pg. 14.
Source for 1909 British Amateur: The American Golfer, July, 1909, pg. 12.
Source for 1910 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, June 3, 1910, pg. 10.
Source for 1912 British Amateur: The American Golfer, July, 1912, pg. 199.
Source for 1914 British Amateur: Golf Illustrated, July, 1914, pg. 28.
Source for 1920 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, June 10, 1920, pg. 9.
Source for 1921 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 25, 1921, pg. 6.
Source for 1922 British Amateur: The American Golfer, July 1, 1922, pg. 31.
Source for 1924 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 28, 1924, pg. 8.
Source for 1925 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 26, 1925, pg. 15.
Source for 1927 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 24, 1927, pg. 10.
Source for U.S. Amateur: USGA Championship Database