Isaac Mackie Explained

Isaac Mackie
Fullname:Isaac Sutherland Mackie
Birth Date:1880 9, df=yes
Birth Place:Earlsferry, Fife, Scotland
Death Place:Scotch Plains,
New Jersey, U.S.
Nationality:
Spouse:Annie Schacht
Status:Professional
Prowins:2
Masters:DNP
Usopen:T4: 1909
Open:CUT: 1900
Pga:T17: 1920

Isaac S. Mackie (23 September 1880 – 22 June 1963) was a Scottish-American professional golfer who played in the late 19th and early 20th century. He apprenticed as a club maker under George Forrester. Following his brother Jack—who had emigrated to the United States in 1899—Mackie also made the trans-Atlantic journey in 1901. He took a job as professional at Fox Hills Golf Club on Staten Island soon after his arrival and remained in that post until 1914. In 1916, he was appointed the head professional at Canoe Brook Country Club, replacing Louis Tellier. In 1953 he was the head professional at Netherwood Golf Club in North Plainfield, New Jersey.[1]

He was a frequent competitor in the U.S. Open, with at least 12 starts between 1901 and his final appearance in 1921. He won the 1914 Shawnee Open.

Early life and family

Mackie was born on 23 September 1880 in Earlsferry, Fife, Scotland. He emigrated to the United States in 1901, following his brother Jack who had moved to the United States in 1899.[2] He grew to be a tall man of stout build. While in his early 20s he married Annie Schacht, a native-born New Yorker. His brother, Jack Mackie, was one of the early pioneers in American golf being one of the founders of the PGA of America.

Golf career

He accepted a job as professional at the Fox Hills Golf Club on Staten Island soon after his arrival and remained in that post until 1914. He played a match against Walter Clark in 1905,[3] the result of which is unknown. On 13 July 1905 he won an Open Tournament at the Van Cortlandt Park links by shooting 152 on a course that had been soaked with rain. He held off joint second-place finishers Willie Anderson and Bernard Nicholls who finished at 157. It was the first ever professional tournament held on a public links golf course in the United States.[4]

In a $500 four-ball match held on 26 August 1905 at Hollywood Golf Club in Deal, New Jersey, Mackie partnered with Willie Anderson of the Apawamis Club to defeat George Low and Bernard Nicholls. The winners were described as being "at the top of their game" as they played before a large gallery. The play was described by a writer for the New York Tribune as "the finest exhibition of golf that has ever been seen upon the course, and the match was greatly enjoyed".[5]

Mackie was runner-up to George Low Sr. in the 1906 Metropolitan Open and was victorious in the 1914 Shawnee Open which was contested at The Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort in Smithfield Township, Monroe County, Pennsylvania.

Canoe Brook Country Club

Canoe Brook Country Club's original course was designed by Jack Vickery and his assistant Alex Smith. The first nine holes opened for play in 1902 and the second nine followed in 1905. In 1916, Canoe Brook hired Walter Travis to completely overhaul and extend the original course under the supervision of Mackie who was appointed as head professional to replace former French champion, Louis Tellier, the preceding January.[6] By February 1953 he was the head professional at Netherwood Golf Club in North Plainfield, New Jersey.[1]

1909 U.S. Open

In the 1909 U.S. Open, contested at the Englewood Golf Club in New Jersey, Mackie played very well and finished tied for fourth place. He shot rounds of 77-75-74-73=299, tying with Jack Hobens, and won $70.[7] It was his best major championship finish in a long career that included at least 12 starts in the U.S. Open.

1920 PGA Championship

Mackie played in the 1920 PGA Championship, which was still a match play event at that time. In the tournament—played from August 17–21 at the Flossmoor Country Club outside Flossmoor, Illinois, a suburb south of Chicago—he lost his match 3 & 2 to George Thompson.[8] Previously, Mackie had won the Eastern PGA Championship on his home course at Fox Hills in 1908, before the national PGA was founded.[9]

WW I draft registration

Mackie registered for the World War I draft on 12 September 1918.[10]

Death and legacy

Mackie died on 22 June 1963 in Scotch Plains, New Jersey. He was a frequent competitor in the U.S. Open in the early 20th century. He had a fine T4 U.S. Open finish in 1909 and was the winner of the 1914 Shawnee Open.

Results in major championships

Tournament1900190119021903190419051906190719081909191019111912191319141915191619171918191919201921
U.S. OpenDNP16?T13T33T29T37T22T23T4T36????T15?NTNTT13?63
The Open ChampionshipCUTDNPDNPDNPDNPDNPDNPDNPDNPDNPDNPDNPDNPDNPDNPNTNTNTNTNTDNPDNP
PGA ChampionshipNYFNYFNYFNYFNYFNYFNYFNYFNYFNYFNYFNYFNYFNYFNYFNYFDNPNTNTDNPR32DNP
Note: Mackie never played in the Masters Tournament.

NYF = Tournament not yet founded
NT = No tournament
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play
? = Unknown
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Yellow background for top-10

Notes and References

  1. News: Graffis . Herb . Herb Graffis . Jack Mackie, Pro Pioneer, Dies . 78 . 25 August 2015 . Golfdom . 3 February 1952.
  2. Web site: Isaac Mackie: Staten island/Summit. antiquegolfscotland.com. 24 August 2015.
  3. Web site: 1900: The Goats That Goaded the Fox Hill Golfers on Staten Island. hatchingcatnyc.com. 9 April 2015. 24 August 2015.
  4. News: Professional Golfers: Caddy Graduate Led a Field of Fifty-Two Players. 24 August 2015. Evening Star. Washington, D.C.. 14 July 1905.
  5. News: Anderson and Mackie Outplay Nicholls and Low. 24 August 2015. New York Tribune. 27 August 1905.
  6. News: Isaac Mackie's New Job . The New York Times . 30 January 1916.
  7. Book: Brenner, Morgan G. . The Majors of Golf: Complete Results of the Open, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and the Masters, 1860-2008 . 1 . 2009 . McFarland . 978-0-7864-3360-5.
  8. Web site: 1920 PGA Championship . PGA Media Guide 2015 . . 105 . 25 August 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304134715/https://www.pga.org/sites/default/files/assets/library/Media/mg_2015_pga-champ-complete.pdf . 4 March 2016 . dmy-all .
  9. Web site: Before the PGA: 1895 to 1915 . Peter C. . Trenham . Philadelphia Section PGA . 11 . May 2016 . 4 March 2019.
  10. Web site: Draft Registration Card - Serial No. 3359. 12 September 1918. United States of America. 24 August 2015.