1954 Open Championship
Tournament information | |
---|---|
Dates | 7–9 July 1954 |
Location | Southport, England |
Course(s) | Royal Birkdale Golf Club |
Statistics | |
Par | 73 |
Length | 6,837 yards (6,252 m)[1] |
Field | 97 players, 50 after cut[2] |
Cut | 151 (+5) |
Prize fund | £3,500 |
Winner's share | £750 |
Champion | |
Peter Thomson | |
283 (−9) | |
«1953 1955» |
The 1954 Open Championship was the 90th Open Championship, played 7–9 July at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England. Peter Thomson, age 23, won the first of his five Open titles by one stroke over runners-up Bobby Locke, Dai Rees, and Syd Scott.[1]
The total prize money was increased from £2,500 to £3,500. The winner received £750 with £500 for second, £350 for third, £200 for fourth, £150 for fifth, £100 for sixth, £75 for seventh and eighth, £50 for ninth and tenth, £30 for next 15 places and then £25 each for the next 25 players. The £3,500 was completed with a £25 prize for winning the qualification event and four £25 prizes for the lowest score in each round.[3]
Qualifying took place on 5–6 July. Entries played 18 holes on the Championship course and 18 holes at Hillside Golf Club. The number of qualifiers was limited to a maximum of 100. Ties for 100th place would not qualify. The qualifying score was 151 and 97 players qualified. On the first day the Irish professional John McGonigle set a new course record of 65 on the Hillside course. Norman Von Nida led the qualifiers on 137, four ahead of the rest. The Americans Toney Penna and Jim Turnesa were amongst the group on 151 who just qualified.[4] A maximum of 50 players could make the cut after 36 holes. Ties for 50th place did not make the cut.
Sam King and Bill Spence established a new course record in the first round with 69s. The record would last just one round, however, as Syd Scott bettered it in the second round with a 67, but Spence still held the 36-hole lead after a 72, one ahead of Antonio Cerdá and two in front of Scott, Dai Rees, Peter Thomson, and King. Scott continued his hot play in the third round, scoring a 69. Thomson and Rees also carded 69 and joined him at the top of the leaderboard going into the final round. Scott shot a 72 over the last 18-holes, posting a clubhouse lead of 284. Rees also posted 284 after missing a putt at the 18th. Thomson missed a short putt at the 12th, but managed to get up-and-down from a bunker at 16. He went to the 17th needing a par and a 5 to win the championship. He got the par, but at 18 he found trouble in a bunker. He again managed a superb recovery, and while he missed his first putt he easily tapped in for a round of 71 and a 283 total.[5] Bobby Locke had a chance to tie Thomson with a 3 at the last, but his putt came up just short.
This win was the first in a run of three consecutive Open Championship titles by Thomson, becoming the first player since Bob Ferguson from 1880-82 to win three straight Opens. Altogether he would win three of the next four Opens and add another win in 1965, which was also held at Royal Birkdale. Thomson was the first Australian to win the Open Championship, and the youngest champion since Bobby Jones.
Three-time Masters champion Jimmy Demaret made his only Open Championship appearance this year, finishing in 10th place. This was the first Open Championship to be played at Royal Birkdale. Defending champion Ben Hogan did not compete; his victory in 1953 at Carnoustie was his only Open Championship.
Past champions in the field
Made the cut
Player | Country | Year(s) won | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Total | To par | Finish |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bobby Locke | South Africa | 1949, 1950, 1952 | 74 | 71 | 69 | 70 | 284 | −8 | T2 |
Gene Sarazen | United States | 1932 | 75 | 74 | 73 | 70 | 292 | E | T17 |
Max Faulkner | England | 1951 | 73 | 78 | 69 | 73 | 293 | +1 | T20 |
Fred Daly | Northern Ireland | 1947 | 74 | 72 | 74 | 77 | 297 | +5 | T35 |
Missed the cut
Player | Country | Year(s) won | R1 | R2 | Total | To par |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alf Padgham | England | 1936 | 75 | 77 | 152 | +6 |
Henry Cotton | England | 1934, 1937, 1948 | 77 | 76 | 153 | +7 |
Round summaries
First round
Wednesday, 7 July
Place | Player | Country | Score | To par |
---|---|---|---|---|
T1 | Sam King | England | 69 | −4 |
Bill Spence | England | |||
3 | Norman Sutton | England | 70 | −3 |
T4 | Antonio Cerdá | Argentina | 71 | −2 |
George Howard | England | |||
John Jacobs | England | |||
T7 | Jean-Baptiste Ado | France | 72 | −1 |
Peter Alliss | England | |||
Harry Bradshaw | Ireland | |||
Fred Bullock | Scotland | |||
Ugo Grappasonni | Italy | |||
Robert Halsall | England | |||
Eric Lester | England | |||
Dai Rees | Wales | |||
Bill Shankland | Australia | |||
Peter Thomson | Australia | |||
Peter Toogood (a) | Australia | |||
Jim Turnesa | United States |
Second round
Thursday, 8 July
Place | Player | Country | Score | To par |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Bill Spence | England | 69-72=141 | −5 |
2 | Antonio Cerdá | Argentina | 71-71=142 | −4 |
T3 | Sam King | Argentina | 69-74=143 | −3 |
Dai Rees | Wales | 72-71=143 | ||
Peter Thomson | Australia | 72-71=143 | ||
Syd Scott | England | 76-67=143 | ||
T7 | Harry Bradshaw | Ireland | 72-72=144 | −2 |
Jimmy Demaret | United States | 73-71=144 | ||
John Jacobs | Wales | 71-73=144 | ||
Bill Shankland | Australia | 72-72=144 | ||
Jim Turnesa | England | 72-72=144 |
Amateurs: Toogood (+1), Stranahan (+2), Stockdale (+6), Timms (+6), Bachli (+7), Brews (+8), Coogan (+8), Shephard (+8), Wroe (+10), Wolstenholme (+11), Heard (+12), Stevens (+19).
Third round
Friday, 9 July (morning)
Place | Player | Country | Score | To par |
---|---|---|---|---|
T1 | Dai Rees | Wales | 72-71-69=212 | −7 |
Syd Scott | England | 76-67-69=212 | ||
Peter Thomson | Australia | 72-71-69=212 | ||
4 | Bobby Locke | South Africa | 75-71-69=214 | −5 |
T5 | Antonio Cerdá | Argentina | 71-71-73=215 | −4 |
Bill Spence | England | 69-72-74=215 | ||
Jim Turnesa | United States | 72-72-71=215 | ||
T8 | Jimmy Adams | Scotland | 73-75-69=217 | −2 |
Peter Alliss | England | 72-74-71=217 | ||
Harry Bradshaw | Ireland | 72-72-73=217 | ||
Sam King | England | 69-74-74=217 |
Final round
Friday, 9 July (afternoon)
Place | Player | Country | Score | To Par | Money (£) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Peter Thomson | Australia | 72-71-69-71=283 | −9 | 750 |
T2 | Bobby Locke | South Africa | 74-71-69-70=284 | −8 | 350 |
Dai Rees | Wales | 72-71-69-72=284 | |||
Syd Scott | England | 76-67-69-72=284 | |||
T5 | Jimmy Adams | Scotland | 73-75-69-69=286 | −6 | 108 |
Antonio Cerdá | Argentina | 71-71-73-71=286 | |||
Jim Turnesa | United States | 72-72-71-71=286 | |||
T8 | Peter Alliss | England | 72-74-71-70=287 | −5 | 62 |
Sam King | England | 69-74-74-70=287 | |||
T10 | Jimmy Demaret | United States | 73-71-74-71=289 | −3 | 40 |
Flory Van Donck | Belgium | 77-71-70-71=289 |
Amateurs: Toogood (−1), Stranahan (+3).
References
- 1 2 "Peter Thomson wins British Open with 283". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. 10 July 1954. p. 11. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
- ↑ "Media Guide". The Open Championship. 2011. p. 82. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
- ↑ "Open prize money again increased - Incentive to Americans". The Times. 18 December 1953. p. 11.
- ↑ "Harman lowers course record in qualifying round - Open golf survivors get down to real business to-day". The Times. 7 July 1953. p. 11.
- ↑ Thomson, Peter (12 July 1954). "Three Opens his new ambition". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 9. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
External links
Preceded by 1954 U.S. Open |
Major Championships | Succeeded by 1954 PGA Championship |
Coordinates: 53°37′17″N 3°01′57″W / 53.6215°N 3.0325°W