“My father’s life changed when he met Francis"

Marvin Pave profiles Cynthia Wilcox, the only surviving child of Francis Ouimet looper Eddie Lowery, who is on every serious golfer's mind this week with the 100th anniversary of the historic U.S. Open at The Country Club.

A hundred years later, their win at TCC remains the seminal moment in American golf history and Pave reminds us it was all a bit of an accident.

In his 1963 memoir, Lowery said it was “pure accident’’ that he caddied for Ouimet at the Open.

“My older brother Jack had caddied at Woodland Golf Club [in Newton] which was near our home and where Francis was then playing and Jack knew Francis,’’ he recalled. “We read in the paper about the two Englishmen — Vardon and Ray — who were going to play at Brookline.’’

The brothers arrived at The Country Club, and Ouimet asked Jack Lowery to be his caddie because the person he originally had engaged had hooked up with French professional Louis Tellier.

“So Jack caddied for Francis in the qualifying round and I went out to watch Vardon and Ray,’’ wrote Lowery, who along with his brother was caught by the truant officer and then given a stern lecture by their mother.

When Jack balked at caddying the next day, Eddie ran to the railroad station, hooked school, caught the last train to Brookline and subbed for his brother.

“I said to Francis, whatever you decide to do, you keep your head down and I will watch the ball. I have never lost a ball yet,’’ wrote Lowery, who went on to become caddie master at Woodland, a sportswriter for a Boston newspaper, and an advertising executive before moving to California.