1957 Open Championship
Tournament information | |
---|---|
Dates | 3–5 July 1957 |
Location | St Andrews, Scotland |
Course(s) | Old Course at St Andrews |
Statistics | |
Par | 72 |
Length | 6,936 yards (6,342 m) |
Field | 96 players, 46 after cut[1] |
Cut | 148 (+4) |
Prize fund |
₤3,750 $10,500 |
Winner's share |
₤1,000 $2,800 |
Champion | |
Bobby Locke | |
279 (–9) | |
«1956 1958» |
The 1957 Open Championship was the 86th Open Championship, played 3–5 July at the Old Course at St Andrews in St Andrews, Scotland. Bobby Locke, age 39, won his fourth and final Open title, three strokes ahead of runner-up Peter Thomson, who had won the three previous titles.[2][3]
The 1957 Open was originally scheduled for Muirfield.[4] However the "Suez Crisis" in late 1956 led to serious fuel shortages in Britain and rationing of petrol. In early 1957, the R&A decided that St Andrews, being served by a railway line, would be an easier place for players and spectators to get to than Muirfield, and so the Championship was moved there.[5] Petrol rationing ended in May 1957 but it was then too late to switch back to the original venue. St Andrews had hosted the Open just two years earlier. Muirfield was allocated the 1959 Championship instead.
Qualifying took place on 1–2 July. Entries played 18 holes on the Old Course and 18 holes on the New Course. With an entry of 295 compared to the record 360 entries the previous year qualifying was in pairs rather than the three-balls used in 1956.[6] The number of qualifiers was limited to a maximum of 100. Ties for 100th place would not qualify. The qualifying score was 149 and 96 players qualified. Bernard Hunt and Bobby Locke led the qualifiers on 137.[7] The maximum number of players making the cut after 36 holes was set at 50. Ties for 50th place did not make the cut.
There were 15 American entries, many of them amateurs[6] but only four were in the field of 96: professionals Cary Middlecoff and Frank Stranahan finished in the top twenty and the two amateurs missed the cut.[8]
During the first round on Wednesday, competitors playing behind Middlecoff demonstratively complained of his slow play. They officially protested to the R&A, which sided with Middlecoff, who had completed his 18-hole round with Antonio Cerdá in three hours and 18 minutes.[9]
This was the first Open Championship in which the leaders after 36 holes went off last for the final 36 holes. Previously a random draw had been used.[10] Flory Van Donck and Eric Brown, the leading two players after 36 holes were paired together in the final group for the final two rounds.[11]
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 | 69 | 72 | 68 | 70 | 279 | –9 | 1 |
Peter Thomson | Australia | 1954, 1955, 1956 | 73 | 69 | 70 | 70 | 282 | –6 | 2 |
Henry Cotton | England | 1934, 1937, 1948 | 74 | 72 | 69 | 72 | 287 | –1 | T9 |
Max Faulkner | England | 1951 | 74 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 287 | –1 | T9 |
Missed the cut
Player | Country | Year(s) won | R1 | R2 | Total | To par |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dick Burton | England | 1939 | 77 | 72 | 149 | +5 |
Fred Daly | Northern Ireland | 1947 | 80 | 74 | 154 | +10 |
Round summaries
First round
Wednesday, 3 July 1957
Place | Player | Country | Score | To par |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Laurie Ayton, Jnr | Scotland | 67 | –5 |
Eric Brown | Scotland | |||
3 | Bruce Crampton | Australia | 68 | –4 |
T4 | Jimmy Hitchcock | England | 69 | –3 |
Bobby Locke | South Africa | |||
Keith MacDonald | England | |||
Norman Sutton | England | |||
T8 | Roberto De Vicenzo | Argentina | 70 | –2 |
Norman Drew | Northern Ireland | |||
Robin Galloway (a) | Scotland |
Second round
Thursday, 4 July 1957
Place | Player | Country | Score | To par |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Eric Brown | Scotland | 67-72=139 | –5 |
2 | Flory Van Donck | Belgium | 72-68=140 | –4 |
T3 | Bruce Crampton | Australia | 68-73=141 | –3 |
Bobby Locke | South Africa | 69-72=141 | ||
T5 | Antonio Cerdá | Argentina | 71-71=142 | –2 |
John Fallon | Scotland | 75-67=142 | ||
Peter Thomson | Australia | 73-69=142 | ||
T8 | Laurie Ayton, Jnr | Scotland | 67-76=143 | –1 |
Jimmy Hitchcock | England | 69-74=143 | ||
Keith MacDonald | England | 69-74=143 | ||
Cary Middlecoff | United States | 72-71=143 | ||
John Panton | Scotland | 71-72=143 | ||
Dickson Smith (a) | Scotland | 71-72=143 |
Amateurs: Smith (–1), Galloway (+2), Joe Carr (+6), Shepperson (+7), Sinclair (+7), Butler (+8), Texier (+8), Will (+8), Lawrie (+9), Andrews (+10), Allan (+12), Reid (+12), Keck (+21).
Third round
Friday, 5 July 1957 - (morning)
Place | Player | Country | Score | To par |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Bobby Locke | South Africa | 69-72-68=209 | –7 |
T2 | Eric Brown | Scotland | 67-72-73=212 | –4 |
Peter Thomson | Australia | 73-69-70=212 | ||
T4 | Tom Haliburton | Scotland | 72-73-68=213 | –3 |
Ángel Miguel | Spain | 72-72-69=213 | ||
T6 | Antonio Cerdá | Argentina | 71-71-72=214 | –2 |
Flory Van Donck | Belgium | 72-68-74=214 | ||
T8 | Henry Cotton | England | 74-72-69=215 | –1 |
John Fallon | Scotland | 75-67-73=215 | ||
Max Faulkner | England | 73-70-71=215 | ||
Dickson Smith (a) | Scotland | 71-72-72=215 |
Final round
Friday, 5 July 1957 - (afternoon)
Place | Player | Country | Score | To par | Money (₤) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Bobby Locke | South Africa | 69-72-68-70=279 | –9 | 1,000 |
2 | Peter Thomson | Australia | 73-69-70-70=282 | –6 | 500 |
3 | Eric Brown | Scotland | 67-72-73-71=283 | –5 | 350 |
4 | Ángel Miguel | Spain | 72-72-69-72=285 | –3 | 200 |
T5 | Tom Haliburton | Scotland | 72-73-68-73=286 | –2 | 108 |
Dickson Smith (a) | Scotland | 71-72-72-71=286 | – | ||
Dave Thomas | Wales | 72-74-70-70=286 | 108 | ||
Flory Van Donck | Belgium | 72-68-74-72=286 | |||
T9 | Antonio Cerdá | Argentina | 71-71-72-73=287 | –1 | 58 |
Henry Cotton | England | 74-72-69-72=287 | |||
Max Faulkner | England | 74-70-71-72=287 |
Amateurs: Smith (–2), Galloway (+12).
References
- ↑ "Media guide". The Open Championship. 2011. p. 79. Retrieved 21 July 2012.
- ↑ "Bobby Locke wins his 4th British Open". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. 6 July 1957. p. 11.
- ↑ Longhurst, Henry (15 July 1957). "The Butler's day". Sports Illustrated. p. 14.
- ↑ "1957 golf events in Scotland - "Open" at Muirfield". The Glasgow Herald. 5 January 1956. p. 2.
- ↑ "Change of courses for important events - "Open" switched to St. Andrews". The Glasgow Herald. 19 January 1957. p. 9.
- 1 2 "Draw for the Open golf Championship - Forty players from overseas". The Times. 13 June 1957. p. 3.
- ↑ "Locke and Hunt lead qualifiers for Open golf Championship - field of 96 to contest title". The Glasgow Herald. 3 July 1957. p. 4.
- ↑ "Middlecoff fires 71 for 143 in British Open". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. 5 July 1957. p. 15.
- ↑ "Middlecoff cards 72 in British Open". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. 4 July 1957. p. 39.
- ↑ "Draw for the Open Golf Championship". The Times. 13 June 1957. p. 3.
- ↑ "Prospect of close Finish in Open Golf Championship - To-day's Starting Times". The Glasgow Herald. 5 July 1957. p. 4.
External links
Preceded by 1957 U.S. Open |
Major Championships | Succeeded by 1957 PGA Championship |
Coordinates: 56°20′36″N 2°48′10″W / 56.3433°N 2.8028°W