Christmas Card signed by Ivo Whitton

The Royal & Ancient Golf Club's emblem adorns the front of this Christmas card signed by Ivo Whitton, one of Australia's greatest amateur golfers.

Ivo Whitton won the Australian Open five times: 1912, 1913, 1926, 1929 and 1931. Other major golfing victories included Australian, Victorian, Queensland and NSW amateur titles, and the Queensland Open in 1928. In 1920, he won the Helms Award for the outstanding amateur athlete of the year. Ivo was committed to golf as an administrator as well as a player. He was Australia’s delegate to a meeting in Britain in 1951 to unify golf rules. In 1985, Ivo Whitton was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.

The gentleman featured in the centre of the card is Mr Samuel Messieux. He is reputed to have hit the longest recorded drive of 361 yards in 1836 at the Old Course in St. Andrews.