The Greatest Game Ever Played
Golfers from the British Isles won every U.S. Open Championship golf tournament from its inception in 1895 until 1910. In 1913 Harry Vardon, a genius in the sport of golf, who won the U.S. Open in 1900, returned to compete against the American winner of the 1911 and 1912 games, John McDermott.
Neither of the two professional golfers expected that their most challenging opponent would be a twenty-year-old amateur.
The Greatest Game Ever Played, starring Stephen Dillane and Shie LaBeouf, is based on the true story of the 1913 U.S. Open held at the Brookline, Massachusetts country club, location of the most challenging course in New England.
Young Harry Vardon was awakened early one morning in 1879 by four men wearing top hats. They told Harry that the Isle of Jersey tract of land on which he lived had been chosen for the site of a golf links. Harry had never heard of golf. He was told that it was a 'game played by gentlemen, not for the likes of you.'
Although Harry Vardon had been reared in a humble dwelling, he would become one of the greatest golfers of all times. Nevertheless, he was forbidden to join the golf clubs of the British upper class.
Francis Ouimet (LaBeouf), like Harry, began life in humble surroundings and became interested in golf at a young age. He worked as a caddy at the Brookline country club across the street from his home. There Francis found a golf ball in the rough stamped 'Vardon Flyer.'
Back at the caddy shack he connected the name with a picture of the three-time British champion. He used the ball to practice putting into a tin cup late into the night. In 1900 he skipped school to see Mr. Vardon (Dillane) at a local sporting goods shop.
The seven-year old Francis jumped on stage when Mr. Vardon called for a volunteer. Francis’s first swing brought laughter from the crowd. Before showing Francis his famous 'overlapping grip' Mr. Vardon wisely advised him, 'Even in our darkest hour we must always remember - never despair.'
Practicing with Mr. Vardon’s instructions and advice Francis wins the Massachusetts Public High School Championship tournament. But before playing golf with the gentlemen at the U.S. National Amateur Championship tournament, Francis, like Harry before him, is told by a gentleman that the game is 'not for your kind.'
Francis has the support of his mother. His father, fearing the disappointment his son is sure to experience, emphatically states, 'No matter what you do, they will never let you cross that street.'
After persuasive prodding, Mr. Ouimet grants Francis permission to play but with the promise that if he loses he will give up the idea of playing golf.
Studying Harry Vardon’s book, How to Play Golf, Francis practices as never before. One piece of advice resonates with Francis, 'There are two types of players, those who keep their nerves in control and win championships and those who do not.'
At the eighteenth hole of the qualifying round Francis looks up to see the disapproving face of his father and misses the putt that would have secured his eligibility into the tournament. Back in his room Francis crumples a newspaper article announcing Mr. Vardon’s fifth British Open win.
Overcome by self-doubt Francis had failed to apply Mr. Vardon’s advice at the moment he needed it. Harry Vardon had learned this practical wisdom from first-hand experience. It wasn’t a skill that had became second nature to him the way placing his hands on the golf club had become. It was a resource he relied upon when experiencing the sting of class differences.
In 1913 the officials of the U.S. Open need a local amateur to round out the roster of golfers. Robert Watson, President of the U.S. Golf Association asks Francis to compete. When he declines Mr. Watson tells him, 'You are awfully young to be giving up on your dreams.'
There comes a time in life when we must trust our instincts and balance our needs against conventional wisdom. Sometimes that means defying someone we love. Francis doesn’t know if he is capable of placing among the champions, but he knows that he has to try.
After the qualifying round ends Francis loses two caddies. His third caddy, Eddie Lowery (Josh Flitter), a ten-year old, proves to be a valuable assistant. McDermott, Reid (a British amateur and gentleman) and Vardon lead going into the first round of the tournament. Francis begins at position #26.
On the first day of the tournament Francis keeps his mind focused and climbs up the roster until he is tied with Vardon for second place. But he loses his composure when he looks up to see William Howard Taft, President of the United States.
McDermott is in the lead. Reid moves up to tie with Vardon for second place. At the fourteenth hole Eddie gives Francis a pep talk and his game improves. At the seventeenth hole Vardon and Ted Ray (a British professional from Jersey and friend of Vardon) tie for the lead when Ray breaks the course scoring record.
A steady rain is falling from the gray sky on the morning of the second day as round #3 begins. Reid drops behind. McDermott drops behind. At the end of round #3 Ray and Vardon remain tied for the lead. Francis is one stroke behind Vardon and Ray.
The rain-washed air gives way to bright sunlight for round #4. A wild drive by McDermott puts him out of reach of the championship. Francis holds his position throughout the afternoon and an eighteen-hole three-way playoff is scheduled for the next day.
Before the round begins Mr. Watson tries to persuade Francis to replace Eddie with a more experienced caddy. Eddie is upset. But Francis and Eddie have become a team. With wit and adoration Eddie keeps Francis’s spirits high. Francis asserts his license as a golfer to choose his own caddy.
At the ninth hole Francis looks up and meets Vardon’s gaze. After a long pause Francis breaks the gaze and says, 'They’re human. I can beat these guys, Eddie.'
At the thirteenth hole Francis misses the putt. In an intimidating move Vardon skillfully stymies his ball so that it lies directly between Francis’s ball and the hole. (Later the use of markers eliminated the strategic maneuver of the stymie.) At the fourteenth hole Ray is 'done in by an American forest.' Francis advances to second place.
Eddie’s knowledge of the course gives Francis an edge at the seventeenth hole. When Francis suffers from the yips, shaking hands, at the eighteenth hole, Eddie says to Francis, 'Read it, roll it and hole it.'
The Greatest Game Ever Played is a lesson in how to be a winner. Talent and a belief in oneself are the fundamentals. Practice, love of the endeavor and dedication are equally essential. Perseverance in the face of self-doubt and the inevitable setbacks is the quality required to improve our performance under pressure.
Not taking ourselves too seriously is what keeps us coming back to the challenge. As Francis told his father, 'It’s just a game,' as if to say, 'We’ll keep it in perspective, but let’s see what I can accomplish.'
Although this movie is an engaging drama, an innocent romantic attraction unfolds between Francis and the daughter of a member of the country club. The humor of Ted Ray and Eddie keep us smiling and remind us that this challenge is meant to be enjoyed.
You, gentle viewer, do not have to be familiar with the game of golf to enjoy this movie. The cinematographic technology places us up close as we view the skill of the players and the flight of their balls. It’s an action film that demonstrates how social dynamics, personal temperament and grace under pressure are played out on the course.
Francis Ouimet made his place in the world and blazed the trail for others by crossing the social/economic divide that ruled the world of amateur golf at the turn of the twentieth century. However, all great men stand on the shoulders of giants.
Francis looked to Harry Vardon for instruction and inspiration. Today Francis Ouimet is considered the father of amateur golf. Both men played the game of golf as gentlemen - fair-minded, well mannered and respectful.