John,
Why yes, John. I can top that. Max Marston left Baltusrol to marry and settle down in Philadelphia as a member of Merion GC. In 1923 he had the second best year ever for an amateur (after Jones in 1930). This was his record that year (excerpted from an old rough draft from my book on Flynn):
Maxwell Rolston Marston was born in Buffalo, New York in 1892 and raised in northern New Jersey where he played his golf at Baltusrol Country Club. Marston served in the United States Navy in World War I and soon after moved to Philadelphia. Marston married, became an investment banker and joined the Merion Cricket Club and Pine Valley Golf Club where he continued his successes in amateur golf.
In 1923, Marston would have one of the greatest years by an amateur golfer. In May of 1923 in the second Walker Cup matches at St. Andrews on the Old Course, Marston teamed with Francis Ouimet, Bob Gardner and Jess Sweetser. The United States team would face the British Isles team without their two greatest players, Bob Jones and Chick Evans. Marston partnered with Bob Gardner to win the only point on opening day foursomes, the 36-hole alternate shot format so rarely played in America, as they soundly beat Robert Harris and C.V.L. Hooman by a score of 7 and 6.
On the second day, the Americans would need to win 5 matches and tie one of the eight singles matches to be played that day. After falling behind early in six of the matches, the Americans rallied to retain the cup. Marston scored a 5 and 4 victory over W.L. Hope in 32 holes.
Upon his return to Philadelphia, Marston competed in the Patterson Cup at Philadelphia Cricket Club’s Tillinghast layout. The Patterson Cup was donated by friends of Joseph Patterson, a Philadelphia Cricket Club member and to this day is the premier 36-hole stroke play amateur tournament in the Golf Association of Philadelphia. Marston won the tournament; play ended on Memorial Day, with scores of 79 and 72 for a 151 total and a three shot victory.
The next week was the Philadelphia Amateur tournament on Merion’s East Course. Marston’s total score of 146 took the medal in qualifying. Marston would win all his matches, defeating George Hoffner, a past champion, 7 and 6 over 30 holes. Taking both the Patterson Cup and medallist honors in the Philadelphia Amateur meant that Marston also won the Silver Cross for lowest aggregate score in the Patterson Cup and the stroke play qualifying for the Philadelphia Amateur Championship.
In early July, the Pennsylvania Amateur was played over the Huntingdon Valley Country Club course. Marston again was the medallist in qualifying and Marston went on to take the title defeating Ducky Corkran 6 and 5.
Marston won the Merion Cricket Club championships in August.
Although there were no club championships at Pine Valley during this era, there was the Crump Cup, a select amateur invitational tournament in honor of the club’s founder and guiding force. In 1923 the tournament was played as a single day 36-hole stroke play tournament. Marston won the Crump Cup that year with a pair of 80s (39-41 in both rounds), 20 strokes over par.
The United States Amateur was played in mid-September at Flossmoor Country Club outside of Chicago. Bob Jones and Chick Evans would tie for medallist honors at 149, one over par as the course had four short par 5 holes on the second nine. In the second round, Jones, the favorite, would face Marston. After the first 18-holes Marston trailed by two as Jones set the unofficial course record. Over the next 16 holes, Marston had thirteen pars and three birdies to lead by two with two to play. A twelve-foot par putt on the seventeenth halved the hole and Marston took the title 2 and 1.
Marston defeated Joseph Wills 4 and 3 in the quarterfinals. His semifinal match was again as an underdog against the favored Francis Ouimet. At the short 13th Ouimet hit a precise niblick to two feet. Marston pushed his shot and hit a boy’s leg, which caromed onto the green and left him with a 45-foot putt. The putt did fall, though just barely rolled in. Ouimet failed to remove the mud on his ball and the putt wobbled towards the hole but hung on the lip of the cup. Ouimet was shaken by the turn of events and would lose two of the next three holes and the match.
In the final, Marston faced the defending champion, 21-year old Jess Sweetser of Siwanoy Country Club. Although Sweetser would take a two hole lead at the end of the first eighteen holes and lead by one after Marston’s three-putt on the 34th hole. Marston took the next hole, a short par 5 with a birdie to even the match. Both men birdied the 36th hole and a playoff would decide the championship. On the second playoff hole, a 220-yard par 3, Marston’s birdie try stymied Sweetser’s attempt for par so Marston added the coveted U.S. Amateur title to his outstanding 1923 championship season.
How's that for a year, John?