 THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP |
THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP |
| The British Open Championship has been played at Royal Troon on eight occasions. Arthur Havers won in 1923 and he was followed by golfing greats Bobby Locke, Arnold Palmer, Tom Weiskopf, Tom Watson, Mark Calcavecchia, Justin Leonard and Todd Hamilton. |
| 1923 | A.G. Havers |
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| 1950 | A.D. Locke | |
| 1962 | A.D. Palmer | |
| 1973 | T.D. Weiskopf | |
| 1982 | T.S. Watson | |
| 1989 | M.J. Calcavecchia | |
| 1997 | J.C.G. Leonard | |
| 2004 | T. Hamilton |
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This was the first Open Championship to be held at Troon where 222 entries started their quest for the Claret Jug. Arthur Havers, who finished fourth the previous year at St. Andrews, was to prove himself in this Championship. Walter Hagen, the defending Champion, was runner-up and, alas, Gene Sarazen, who held the national title of his own country, failed to qualify by one stroke. |
| A.G. Havers | (England) | 73 73 73 76 = 295 |
| W. Hagen | (U.S.A.) | 76 71 74 75 = 296 |
| MacDonald Smith | (U.S.A.) | 80 73 69 75 = 297 |
| J. Kirkwood | (Australia) | 72 79 69 78 = 298 |
| T.R. Fernie | (Scotland) | 73 78 74 75 = 300 |
| G. Duncan | (Scotland) | 79 75 74 74 = 302 |
| C.A. Whitcombe | (England) | 70 76 74 82 = 302 |
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Bobby Locke won the
Championship with a score of 279, becoming the first player to score
less than 280 in an Open Championship. The weather was warm,
the Course dry and playing short, which suited the eventual winner.
Good as his game was through the Greens, it was on them that Bobby
Locke won the title. |
| A.D. Locke | (South Africa) | 69 72 70 68 = 279 |
| R. de Vicenzo | (Argentina) | 72 71 68 70 = 281 |
| F. Daly | (Ireland) | 75 72 69 66 = 282 |
| D.J. Rees | (Wales) | 71 68 72 71 = 282 |
| E. Moore | (South Africa) | 74 68 73 68 = 283 |
| M. Faulkner | (England) | 72 70 70 71 = 283 |
| F. Bullock | (England) | 71 71 71 71 = 284 |
| A. Lees | (Scotland) | 68 76 68 72 = 284 |
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This Open was won by Arnold Palmer, retaining the title he won at Royal Birkdale in 1961. A winning total of 276 was some six shots better than the runner up Kel Nagle who triumphed at St Andrews two years earlier. |
| A D Palmer | (USA) | 71 69 67 69 = 276 |
| K D G Nagle | (Australia) | 71 71 70 70 = 282 |
| P Rodgers | (USA) | 75 71 74 69 = 289 |
| B Huggett | (England) | 75 70 72 72 = 289 |
| B Charles | (New Zealand) | 75 70 70 75 = 290 |
| P W Thomson | (Australia) | 70 77 75 70 = 292 |
| S Snead | (USA) | 76 73 72 71 = 292 |
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Tom Weiskopf came to Troon
having recently won the Colonial National, The Kemper
Open, and the Philadelphia Classic.
His form was high,and so it continued for the duration of the
Championship. During the first two rounds Gene Sarazen played the
Postage Stamp in three shots. He holed his Tee shot on the first day and
his second shot from sand on day 2. This was a sentimental return,
having played in the 1923 Championship at Troon. |
| T.D. Weiskopf | (USA) | 68 67 71 70 = 276 |
| J Miller | (USA) | 71 72 70 66 = 279 |
| N Coles | (England) | 70 68 69 72 = 279 |
| J Nicklaus | (USA) | 69 70 76 65 = 280 |
| B Yancey | (USA) | 69 69 73 70 = 281 |
| P J Butler | (England) | 71 72 74 69 = 286 |
| L Wadkins | (USA) | 71 73 70 74 = 288 |
| C O.Connor (Sr) | (Ireland) | 73 68 74 73 = 288 |
| R B Charles | (New Zealand) | 73 71 73 71 = 288 |
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Tom Watson started the
Championship as strong favourite, having just won the U.S. Open at
Peeble Beach. After two rounds, however, he was seven shots behind Bobby
Clampett who looked to be in charge of this Championship. The
third round changed the whole complexion with Clampett taking 78 shots
and Watson taking much closer order. On the last day a steady round of
70 was good enough for Watson to edge out Nick Price and Peter
Oosterhuis by a single shot. |
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| T S Watson | (USA) | 69 71 74 70 = 284 |
| P A Oosterhuis | (England) | 74 67 74 70 = 285 |
| N Price | (South Africa) | 69 69 74 73 = 285 |
| N Faldo | (England) | 73 73 71 69 = 286 |
| D Smyth | (Ireland) | 70 69 74 73 = 286 |
| T Purtzer | (USA) | 76 66 75 69 = 286 |
| M Kuramoto | (Japan) | 71 73 71 71 = 286 |
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Mark Calcavecchia won a thrilling play-off against Wayne Grady and Greg Norman to gain his first major Championship. To secure his place in the play-off Greg Norman birdied the first six holes in his final round and scored a magnificent 64, a new Course Record, which still stands. This was the first four hole play-off in the Championship. |
| M J Calcavecchia | (USA) | 71 68 68 68 = 275 |
| W Grady | (Australia) | 68 67 69 71 = 275 |
| G Norman | (Australia) | 69 70 72 64 = 275 |
| T S Watson | (USA) | 69 68 68 72 = 277 |
| J Mudd | (USA) | 73 67 68 70 = 278 |
| F Couples | (USA) | 68 71 68 72 = 279 |
| D Feherty | (N Ireland) | 71 67 69 72 = 279 |
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After three rounds Jesper
Parnevik had a two shot lead over Darren Clarke with Americans Fred
Couples and Justin Leonard a further three shots adrift. Parnevik
started his final round with an early birdie at the third but a bogey at
the long 6th where he took four to get down from a greenside
bunker halted his momentum. Leonard had a wonderful streak of six
birdies over the front nine and his closing round of 65 won the title by
three shots. |
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| J C G Leonard | (USA) | 69 66 72 65 = 272 | |
| D Clarke | (N Ireland) | 67 66 71 71 = 275 | |
| J Parnevik | (Sweden) | 70 66 66 73 = 275 | |
| J Furyk | (USA) | 67 72 70 70 = 279 | |
| S Ames | (Trinidad/Tobago) | 74 69 66 71 = 280 | |
| P Harrington | (Ireland) | 75 69 69 71 = 280 | |
| F Couples | (USA) | 69 68 70 74 = 281 | |
| E Romero | (Argentine) | 74 68 67 72 = 281 | |
| P O’Malley | (Australia) | 73 70 70 68 = 281 | |
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| T Hamilton | (USA) | 71 67 67 69 = 274 | |
| E Els | (South Africa) | 69 69 68 68 = 274 | |
| P Mickelson | (USA) | 73 66 68 68 = 275 | |
| L Westwood | (England) | 72 71 68 67 = 278 | |
| D Love III | (USA) | 72 69 71 67 = 279 | |
| T Levet | (France) | 66 70 71 72 = 279 | |
| S Verplank | (USA) | 69 70 70 71 = 280 | |
| R Goosen | (South Africa) | 69 70 68 73 = 280 | |
| M Weir | (Canada) | 71 68 71 71 = 281 | |
