Mungo Park (1 Open.)

1836 - 1904

Mungo Park (22 October 1836 – 19 June 1904) was a member of a famous family of Scottish golfers. He won the 1874 Open Championship held at Musselburgh Links.[1]

He was born 22 October 1836 to James Park (1797–1873) and his wife Euphemia Park née Kerr (1806–1860) at Quarry Houses in Musselburgh, which was to become one of the three towns that shared hosting responsibilities for The Open Championship through the 1870s and 1880s. He learned golf as a boy, but then spent 20 years as a seaman.

After his career as a seaman concluded he returned to his home town in the early 1870s and won the 1874 Open Championship on the Musselburgh Links.[1] His winning score was 159 for 36 holes.[2] He spent his later life working as a teacher, golf course designer and clubmaker. Park would go on to post four more top-10 finishes in The Open Championship between 1875 and 1881.[2]

Park was the first club professional at Alnmouth Golf Club and it is believed by those associated with the club that he was also responsible for the design of the course.[3]

Park's brother Willie and his nephew Willie Park, Jr. both won The Open Championship.[2] Mungo Park had a nephew, Mungo Park Jr., who was Wille, Jr's younger brother, who was also a professional golfer. Mungo Jr. spent some time in Argentina and won the Argentine Open three times, in 1905, 1907 and 1912.[4]

Park died of pernicious anemia in the Inveresk poorhouse.[5]