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Arnaud Massy, born July 6, 1877 in Biarritz,
Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France - died April 16,
1950 in Étretat, Seine-Maritime, France, was his
country's greatest golfer.


The son of a sheep farmer, Massy worked on a
sardine boat and supplemented his income by
caddying at the new Biarritz golf course where a
great many of the best professional golfers from
United Kingdom|Britain came to practice during the
off-season in the warm climate of southern France.
Blessed with natural abilities, he learned from
these pro golfers and in 1898 traveled to North
Berwick, Scotland to develop his skills for a
professional career.

In 1906, Arnaud Massy won the first edition of the
French Open (golf)|French Open played at a Paris
course. The following year he won it again,
defeating a strong contingent of British players
including the great Harry Vardon. But Massy wasn't
through, he followed up his French national
championship by becoming the first non-Brit to win
the British Open (golf)|British Open. His victory
raised the profile of the game in his native
France, and with three other major players, Massy
put on exhibition matches in various European
cities that contributed significantly to the
increased popularity of golf on the continent.

In 1910, he won the inaugural Belgian Open
(golf)|Belgium Open and in 1911 was the runner-up
at the British Open to Harry Vardon. That year,
Massy completed his book on golfing that was
successfully published in France then translated
into English for the British market. In 1912, he
won the first Spanish Open (golf)|Spanish Open
ever played.

Massy's golfing career had to be put on hold as a
result of World War I. While serving in the French
army he was wounded at Battle of Verdun|Verdun but
at war's end was able to return to golfing. At age
41, he had lost four prime years and struggled to
compete. Remarkably, in 1925 at age 48, he won the
French Open for the fourth time and then won
back-to-back Spanish Opens in 1927/28. When his
career finally wound down he worked as a pro at
courses in England, France and Morocco. Married to
an English woman, he lived in Edinburgh, Scotland
during the Second World War.

Arnaud Massy retired in Etretat in Normandy where
he passed away in 1950. He remains the only French
golfer to ever have won any of golf's four major
championships.

Principal wins:
*Belgian Open (golf)|Belgium Open : 1910 
*British Open (golf)|British Open: 1907
*French Open (golf)|French Open : 1906, 1907,
1911, 1925
*Spanish Open (golf)|Spanish Open : 1912, 1927,
1928

Adapted from the article
http://www.wikinfo.org/wiki.phtml?title=Arnaud_Mas
sy Arnaud Massy, from Wikinfo, licensed under the
GNU Free Documentation License.