1919 - Sports

Sports

Scotland's 165-year-old Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews takes over management of the British Open and amateur championship tournaments.

Gerald Leighton Patterson, 23, (Australia) wins in men's singles at Wimbledon, Suzanne Lenglen, 20, (Fr) in women's singles (she defeats Mrs. Dorothea Lambert Chambers, now 46, after 44 games in three grueling sets); William M. Johnston, 24, wins in U.S. men's singles, Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman in women's singles.

Jack Dempsey wins the world heavyweight boxing championship July 4 by a third round knockout over champion Jess Willard at Toledo, Ohio. William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey, 24, of Mannassa, Colorado (the "Manassa Mauler"), has learned his effective left hook from his Michigan-born manager Jack Kearns (originally John Leo McKernan), 36, who met fight promoter Tex Rickard at Nome, Alaska, during the 1897 gold rush and met Dempsey 2 years ago at Oakland, California. Dempsey will hold the crown until 1926 (see 1921).

U.S. thoroughbred racing has its first Triple Crown winner as the chestnut colt Sir Barton wins the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes in a feat that will not be repeated until 1930.

The Green Bay Packers professional football team is founded August 11 by Indian Packing Co. shipping clerk Earl Louis "Curly" Lambeau, 21, who has been a halfback at Notre Dame and will coach the Wisconsin team from 1921 until 1949 (see NFL, 1920).

The Cincinnati Reds win the World Series, defeating the Chicago White Sox 5 games to 3, but heavy wagering on the underdog Reds raises suspicions that Sox players have been bribed to throw some games (see 1920).