John Henry “J.H.” Taylor (19 March 1871 – 10 February 1963) was an English professional golfer and one of the pioneers of the modern game of golf.

Taylor was born in Devon. He was a member of the fabled Great Triumvirate of the sport in his day, along with Harry Vardon and James Braid, and he won The Open Championship five times. Born into a working class family, and orphaned as a boy, he began work as a caddy and labourer at Westward Ho Golf Club at the age of eleven. He became a professional golfer at nineteen, and was employed by the Royal Mid Surrey Golf Club from 1899 until his retirement in 1946.

Taylor was a co-founder and the first chairman of the British Professional Golfers’ Association. Bernard Darwin wrote that Taylor “had turned a feckless company into a self-respecting and respected body of men”.

Open Championship wins:

1894 - Royal St George’s
1895 - St Andrews
1900 - St Andrews
1909 - Royal Cinque Ports
1913 - Royal Liverpool GC, Hoylake

Taylor captained the 1933 Great Britain Ryder Cup team to a win over the United States and remains the only captain on either side to have never played in the matches.

Taylor was also involved in designing courses in the south of England such as Andover Golf Club in 1907 and also Heaton Park Golf Course, Manchester in 1912. He was made an honorary member of the R&A in 1949, and was president of Royal Birkdale, whose course he had designed, in 1957.

Tournament wins
1894 The Open Championship
1895 The Open Championship
1900 The Open Championship
1904 News of the World Match Play
1908 French Open, News of the World Match Play
1909 The Open Championship, French Open
1912 German Open
1913 The Open Championship
1929 Dutch Open