Francis Ouimet & Eddie Lowery

Francis Ouimet & Eddie Lowery, 2 names that means nothing to you and neither did for me until yesterday.

I met these guys on TV while watching a movie called The Greatest Game Ever Played. But my blog post is not about the movie itself but from the lessons that came out of it and you will most probably understand what i am writing after watching it.

Francis DeSales Ouimet (May 8, 1893 – September 2, 1967) was an American amateur golfer, who is frequently referred to as the “father of amateur golf” in the United States. He won the U.S. Open in 1913, and was the first non-Briton elected Captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974.

Edward Edgar Lowery (October 14, 1902 – May 4, 1984) was an American caddy, amateur golfer and businessman. Lowery is best known as the 10-year-old caddy of Francis Ouimet during the 1913 U.S. Open, held at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, which Ouimet won in a playoff over Harry Vardon and Ted Ray.

When you have a dream, pursue it no matter what
Francis had a dream of being a golf player but he was from a poor family and golf was was a gentlemen game, but he had his chance and never gave up on his dream, he kept practicing in his room at the light of a candle and keeping his little brother awake after midnight, he held to his dream.

Try, fail, try again
He tried and he failed, he asked his dad to borrow him 50$ back in 1913 and he promised him that if he does not make it to the final, he will totally drop the idea of being a golf player and will get a decent job to bring back home a good wage. But at one point in time, he broke his promise to his dad and went back on the golf field one more time to pursue his dream, he could not let go his dream.

Never let down those who supported you
Francis was honest and loyal to his little friend Eddie. Eddie supported Francis blindly and gave him little hints that pushed his morale higher and higher. During the last round of the US Open, the organizers wanted that Francis gets a elder caddy boy to replace Eddie and informed Eddie before telling Francis and here was when Francis did not give up on Eddie and kept him as his close caddy and asked the organizers to never talk to his caddy. A lifetime friendship was born.

Your mum and dad will always be there for you
Francis’s dad was against this golf thing from day 1 and he was even angrier when Francis decided to participate in the US Open after refusing the 1st request, but he knew that this was his dream, even one night his dad asked him when all this was over to find another place to live. But the big surprise was when he won the US Open in 1913, his dad was there supporting him. Family will never let you down.