| Robert Gardner | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Robert Abbe Gardner |
| Born | (1890-04-09)April 9, 1890 Hinsdale, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | June 21, 1956(1956-06-21) (aged 66) Lake Forest, Illinois, U.S. |
| Sporting nationality |  United States |
| Spouse | Katherine Keep |
| Children | Mary (1919) |
| Career | |
| College | Yale University |
| Status | Amateur |
| Best results in major championships (wins: 2) | |
| Masters Tournament | DNP |
| PGA Championship | DNP |
| U.S. Open | T23: 1911 |
| The Open Championship | DNP |
| U.S. Amateur | Won: 1909, 1915 |
| British Amateur | 2nd: 1920 |
Robert Abbe Gardner (April 9, 1890 – June 21, 1956) was an American multi-sport athlete best known for winning theU.S. Amateur in golf twice.
In 1890, Gardner was born inHinsdale, Illinois. He spent most of his life in theChicago area. He attendedPhillips Academy inAndover, Massachusetts. He graduated fromYale University in 1912, where he was a member ofSkull and Bones.[1]
While a sophomore at Yale, Gardner won the 1909U.S. Amateur golf tournament overChandler Egan at theChicago Golf Club. He was the youngest winner, at 19 years, 5 months, of the U.S. Amateur.[2] His record stood for 85 years untilTiger Woods won his first of three amateurs. Gardner also finished runner-up at the 1911Western Amateur while still in college.
Golf was not the only sport Gardner excelled at. On June 1, 1912, at an intercollegiatetrack and field competition inPhiladelphia, he set the worldpole vault record at 13 feet 1 inch (3.99 m).[3] This record would be short lived asMarc Wright vaulted 13 feet2+1⁄4 inches (4.020 m) one week later at theOlympic trials inCambridge, Massachusetts.[4]
After college, Gardner would continue to have success at theU.S. Amateur. Gardner won the event in 1915.[5] The following year, he also reached the finals but lost.[6]
Gardner enlisted in theArmy in 1917 and served inFrance duringWorld War I as a lieutenant in a field artillery unit. After the war he returned to Chicago and joined a stock brokerage firm where he spent the rest of his career. He served as president of the Chicago District Golf Association (CDGA) for many years and also served on severalUnited States Golf Association committees.
Gardner continued to have success as an amateur golfer. In 1920 and 1921, respectively, he reached the finals of the British Amateur and U.S. Amateur.[7] He won the CDGA Amateur Championship three times: in 1916, 1924, and 1925.[8]
Gardner also was national champion in another sport,racquets. He and Howard Linn won the national doubles racquets championship in 1926 and 1929.
In the 1910s, Gardner married Katherine; they had one daughter.
In 1956, Gardner died inLake Forest, Illinois. He was 66 years old.
| Year | Championship | Winning score | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1909 | U.S. Amateur | 4 & 3 |  Chandler Egan |
| 1915 | U.S. Amateur | 5 & 4 | John G. Anderson |
| Tournament | 1909 | 1910 | 1911 | 1912 | 1913 | 1914 | 1915 | 1916 | 1917 | 1918 | 1919 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Open | T23 | NT | NT | ||||||||
| U.S. Amateur | 1 | DNQ | R32 | R32 | QF | 1 | 2 | NT | NT | R16 | |
| British Amateur | NT | NT | NT | NT | NT |
| Tournament | 1920 | 1921 | 1922 | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Open | ||||||||||
| U.S. Amateur | R16 | 2 | R16 | SF | R32 | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | ||
| British Amateur | 2 | R256 | R256 |
| Tournament | 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Open | |||||
| U.S. Amateur | R256 | ||||
| British Amateur |
LA = Low Amateur
NT = No tournament
"T" indicates a tie for a place
DNQ = Did not qualify for match play portion
R256, R128, R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in match play
Source for U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur:USGA Championship Database
Source for 1920 British Amateur:The American Golfer, June 19, 1920, pg. 8.Archived March 8, 2012, at theWayback Machine
Source for 1923 British Amateur:The American Golfer, July, 1923, pg. 10.
Source for 1926 British Amateur:The American Golfer, July, 1926, pg. 58.
Amateur
| International | |
|---|---|
| Other | |
