Olympic Lyon

The Untold Story of the Last Gold Medal for Golf

Before Tiger Woods—and before Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Ben Hogan, and even Bobby Jones, there was the great Canadian George S. Lyon.

This first account of Canada’s little-known golf legend, Olympic Lyon traces his incredible journey from small-town Ontario to the final match of the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis.

At age thirty-seven, the fire insurance salesman and natural athlete from Toronto picked up a golf club for the first time. Just a few years later, he faced the world’s best golfers—men half his age—in a grueling week of competition for the ultimate prize: the first Olympic gold medal for golf and a magnificent Championship Trophy.

A meticulously researched and wildly entertaining work of historical fiction, Olympic Lyon chronicles Lyon’s remarkable career and the sudden rise in popularity of golf in North America. It weaves in such momentous events as the War of 1812, the Louis Riel Rebellion, the St. Louis World’s Fair, and the Great Fire of Toronto. Above all else, it restores the memory of Canada’s champion and ensures that his name will be forever bound to the great game of golf.

PRAISE FOR OLYMPIC LYON
“I felt transported to another time and particularly enjoyed the settings [Michael Cochrane] described and the conversations he imagined. [Cochrane’s] book is an important contribution to the game’s literature as we move toward the Summer Olympics.”
—Lorne Rubenstein, columnist, SCOREGolf Magazine, author of Moe & Me: Encounters with Moe Norman, Golf’s Mysterious Genius

“An extraordinary story ‎of a nearly forgotten Canadian athletic champion, wonderfully told. Michael Cochrane brings to life the success of Torontonian George Lyon winning the gold medal in the 1904 Olympics in a compelling re-creation that is literally impossible to put down.”
—David Miller, former Mayor of Toronto, 2003–10

“An amazing book. All sports fans—whether golfers or not—will enjoy the masterful job Cochrane does of making you feel you are right there beside Lyon on his journey to Olympic gold in 1904.”
—Dan Ferrone, Canadian Football Hall of Fame, 2013

“The story of George Lyon is inspirational and encouraging to golfers at all levels. It reminds me to continue to be true to myself and to compete with passion no matter what the perceived odds are. In a time of my life when I struggle with the physical demands of winning, Mr. Lyon’s story will motivate me to persevere.”
—Fareen “Far” Samji, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 ILDC Canadian Women’s Long Drive Champion  
2013 ILDC World Team Champion, Team Canada 1
2015 ILDC International Women’s Long Drive Champion

 “Who knows the Canadian sports pioneer who won an Olympic gold medal in 1904? In golf? Michael Cochrane knows, and now he tells the story of the Lyon before Tiger—plus some surprising golf history and some fondly told golf stories.”
—Christopher Moore, historian, author, and two-time recipient of the Governor General’s Literary Award

“I absolutely loved Olympic Lyon… Once I started reading it, I didn’t want to put it down. It gave me a personal connection to a vitally important period in golf’s history, evolution, and spirit that goes back to the beginning era of golf in North America. After reading Olympic Lyon, 1904 doesn’t seem so long ago. I found myself totally connected to George Lyon’s story. [Michael Cochrane’s] writing is a lovely gift to the game of golf. Thank you.”
—Dick Zokol, 1981 Canadian Amateur Champion, NCAA Team Championship, 1981