Mungo Park (pictured left)

Mungo Park (1835-1904)

Mungo Park was brother to the famous Willie Park Senior. He was born at Quarry Houses in Musselburgh.  He learned golf as a boy, but then spent 20 years as a seaman. On returning to his home town in the early 1870s he won the 1874 Open, the first to be held at Musselburgh. His winning score was 159 for the 36 holes. He spent his later life working as a teacher, golf course designer and clubmaker.

Mungo Park's brother, Willie, and his nephew, Willie Park Jnr., both won The Open Championship.

MUNGO PARK WINS THE FIRST MUSSELBURGH OPEN - REPORT

The Open Championship was held over the nine-hole links at Musselburgh for the first time in 1874. Many of the 32 competitors were local players but a strong contingent also travelled from St Andrews. The rain and hail of the morning had cleared by the time play began at 12 o'clock on April 10, but a stiff breeze blew throughout the four rounds of nine holes.

Local player Willie Park, the first Open champion in 1860 and already a winner three times, was paired with Tom Morris Junior, four times a champion. Not surprisingly they took the biggest crowd of the day with them, but neither was at his best. Young Tom missed the second fairway by such a margin that his ball finished on a road and both players completed the first 18 holes in 83.

That left them eight shots behind Willie's younger brother, Mungo Park, whose 75 put him well ahead of the field. His putting touch deserted him over the closing 18 holes, but an 84 established a 159 total that set a tough target for the rest. Willie Park slipped further and further out of contention, adding an 87 for the second 18 holes to finish 11 shots behind his brother and only Young Tom had any chance of catching the leader. But he missed a short putt at the penultimate hole and dropped two shots at the last when he drove through the green. Despite a 78 for the final 18 holes he finished two shots behind new champion Mungo Park.