Francis Ouimet (1893-1967), shocked the golfing world in 1913 by defeating the great Harry Vardon and his countryman Ted Ray in the U.S. Open.  He was only 20 years old.  A biography of Ouimet on the website of the Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund says:  "There were very few players in America, no public courses, and the game was confined mostly to the wealthy. Ouimet's victory changed all of that.  His victory and unlikely background combined to create an inspirational moment. Within ten years the number of players tripled."

Adding to the folklore is the fact that Ouimet won on a course he grew up on - The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts.  The week before the tournament he was having trouble breaking 90, but as fate would have it he found his game a few days later and ended up making history.  Timing is everything in life.  For a wonderful telling of Ouimet's 1913 victory  read Mark Frost's The Greatest Game Ever Played.  It's a fantastic book.

Says the World Golf Hall of Fame: "Ouimet's stunning triumph captured the imagination of sports fan across the globe, sweeping away the notion that golf was a stuffy game for the old and rich."  His accomplishments extended beyond just that one event.  Ouimet won the U.S. Amateur twice, in 1914 and 1931, before retiring from competitive golf.  He was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974.