1926 Open Championship

The 1926 Open Championship was the 61st Open Championship, held 23–25 June at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club in Lytham St Annes, England. Amateur Bobby Jones won the first of his three Claret Jugs, two strokes ahead of runner-up Al Watrous.[2][3][4] Jones was the first amateur to win the title in 29 years, last by Harold Hilton in 1897.[5] Americans finished in the top four spots and it was the fifth victory by an American in six years.[6][7]

1926 Open Championship

Tournament information
Dates	23–25 June 1926
Location	Lytham & St Annes, England
Course(s)	Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club
Statistics
Field	117 players, 53 after cut[1]
Cut	158
Prize fund	£200
Winner's share	(£75)
Champion
Bobby Jones (a)
291

Lytham &
St Annes

Location in England

Lytham &
St Annes

Location in Lancashire. England

This was the first Open Championship in which there was both qualifying and a 36-hole cut. A 36-hole cut had been introduced in 1898 to reduce numbers on the final day. However with an ever increasing number of entries, in 1907 the cut was replaced with a qualification competition. This had continued until 1925, except in 1910–11 when there was again no qualification but a 36-hole cut. To make the cut players would need to be within 14 strokes of the leader after 36 holes. A new rule by the The Royal and Ancient was also put into place in the 1926 Open Championship; it stated that no competitors would be allowed more than two practice rounds prior to the event. In the past some players had spent weeks on the championship course practicing. This new rule allowed the American players to compete on more equal terms with the British entrants.[8]

This was also the first time there was regional qualifying. A southern section played at Sunningdale, a central section at St Annes Old Links and a northern section at Western Gailes. Each section played 36 holes, although for the southern and central sections this took place on two days (16–17 June) while for the northern section it was on just one day (16 June). 49 places (and ties) were allocated to the southern section, 42 places (and ties) to the central section and 10 places (and ties) to the northern section.[9] 55 players qualified from the southern section, 51 from the central section and 11 from the northern section giving a total of 117. Tom Wilson won the northern section with a score of 148. In the southern section Bobby Jones dominated, scoring 134 (66-68) and leading by seven clear strokes. During the two rounds on only one hole did he score more than four, a five at the 10th in his second round. After his first round of 66, The Times reported that "the crowd dispersed awe-stricken. They had watched the best round they had ever seen, or ever would see, and what the later players did they neither knew nor cared".[10] Walter Hagen led the central section with a score of 143, one of nine Americans qualifying there.[11][12]

Hagen opened with 68 on Wednesday to take the lead,[13][14] but a 77 in the second round dropped him back to third. In his second Open and already the winner of two U.S. Amateurs and a U.S. Open, Jones played steady golf and carded two rounds of 72 to co-lead with Bill Mehlhorn at the midway point. Hagen was a stroke back and one behind him were Watrous and Fred McLeod.[15][16]

Jones had 73 in the third round on Friday morning, but Watrous shot 69 and took a two-stroke lead after 54 holes.[2] In the final round that afternoon, Jones was still two behind Watrous with five holes to play. After picking up two strokes to forge a tie, Jones hit a wayward drive on 17 which appeared to swing the tournament back to Watrous. However, Jones hit a remarkable recovery shot from the sand dunes onto the green, closer to the hole than Watrous' approach from the fairway. Jones wound up taking the decisive lead in the tournament on this hole after Watrous three-putted. Jones played the tough final 5 holes in 4-3-4-4-4 to post 74 for 291, while Watrous struggled to 78 and 293.[2] Hagen, playing behind Jones and Watrous, had a chance to tie by holing his second shot on the 18th, but his shot rolled past the hole and into a bunker and he settled for third place.[3][4]

Jones, age 24, won his first Open Championship in just his second appearance. His first was five years earlier in 1921 and was less than pleasant: he walked off the Old Course at St Andrews in frustration after taking several shots to get out of a bunker. He went on to win two more Opens; his successful defense in 1927 was back at the Old Course, and his third in 1930 at Royal Liverpool was the second leg of his celebrated grand slam. Its first leg was the 1930 British Amateur, won three weeks earlier,[17][18] Jones' win 91 years ago in 1930 is the last by an amateur.

For the first time, an admission fee was charged for spectators. Six-time champion Harry Vardon missed his first cut in the Open Championship at age 56; he had made the cut in every Open he played since 1893.

Past champions in the field

Made the cut

Player	Country	Year(s) won	R1	R2	R3	R4	Total	Finish
Walter Hagen	United States	1922, 1924	68	77	74	76	295	T3
J.H. Taylor	England	1894, 1895 1900, 1909, 1913	75	78	71	80	304	T11
Jim Barnes	England	1925	77	80	72	78	307	T17
George Duncan	Scotland	1920	75	79	80	74	308	T21
Sandy Herd	Scotland	1902	81	76	75	76	308	T21
James Braid	Scotland	1901, 1905, 1906, 1908, 1910	82	75	75	79	311	T28
Arthur Havers	England	1923	75	76	82	78	311	T28
Ted Ray	Jersey	1912	78	80	74	80	312	T30

Source:[1][3]

Missed the cut

Player	Country	Years won	R1	R2	Total
Harry Vardon	Jersey	1896, 1898, 1899, 1903, 1911, 1914	80	82	162

Source:[1][16]

Did not enter:

• Jock Hutchison (1921), Arnaud Massy (1907), Jack White (1904).[1]

Round summaries

First round

Wednesday, 23 June 1926

Place	Player	Country	Score
1	Walter Hagen	United States	68
2	Bill Mehlhorn	United States	70
T3	Fred McLeod	Scotland  United States	71
	Al Watrous	United States
5	Bobby Jones (a)	United States	72
T6	Reg Whitcombe	England	73
	Tom Wilson	Scotland
T8	Tommy Armour	Scotland  United States	74
	Harry Walker	England
T10	Syd Ball	England	75
	Fred Bradbeer	England
	George Duncan	Scotland
	Arthur Havers	England
	Jimmy McDowall	Scotland
	J.H. Taylor	England
	George Von Elm (a)	United States

Source:[13][14]

Second round

Thursday, 24 June 1926

Place	Player	Country	Score
T1	Bobby Jones (a)	United States	72-72=144
	Bill Mehlhorn	United States	70-74=144
3	Walter Hagen	United States	68-77=145
T4	Fred McLeod	Scotland  United States	71-75=146
	Al Watrous	United States	71-75=146
6	George Von Elm (a)	United States	75-72=147
T7	Tommy Armour	Scotland  United States	74-76=150
	Tom Barber	England	77-73=150
	Archie Compston	England	76-74=150
	Cyril Walker	United States	79-71=150

Source:[15][16]

Third round

Friday, 25 June 1926 (morning)

Place	Player	Country	Score
1	Al Watrous	United States	71-75-69=215
2	Bobby Jones (a)	United States	72-72-73=217
3	Walter Hagen	United States	68-77-74=219
4	Fred McLeod	Scotland  United States	71-75-76=222
T5	Bill Mehlhorn	United States	70-74-79=223
	George Von Elm (a)	United States	75-72-76=223
7	J.H. Taylor	England	75-78-71=224
T8	Tommy Armour	Scotland  United States	74-76-75=225
	Emmet French	United States	76-75-74=225
T10	Herbert Gaudin	Jersey	78-78-71=227
	José Jurado	Argentina	77-76-74=227

Source:[1][3]

Final round

Friday, 25 June 1926 (afternoon)

Place	Player	Country	Score	Money (£)
1	Bobby Jones (a)	United States	72-72-73-74=291	0
2	Al Watrous	United States	71-75-69-78=293	75
T3	Walter Hagen	United States	68-77-74-76=295	40
	George Von Elm (a)	United States	75-72-76-72=295	0
T5	Tom Barber	England	77-73-78-71=299	20
	Abe Mitchell	England	78-78-72-71=299
7	Fred McLeod	Scotland  United States	71-75-76-79=301	10
T8	Emmet French	United States	76-75-74-78=303	8 6s 8d
	José Jurado	Argentina	77-76-74-76=303
	Bill Mehlhorn	United States	70-74-79-80=303

Source:[1][3][19]

Amateurs: Jones (291), Von Elm (295), L. Hartley (306)

References

1. "Media guide". The Open Championship. 2011. pp. 111, 203–8. Archived from the original on 18 April 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
2. Skene, Don (26 June 1926). "Bobby Jones wins British Open title". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 17.
3. "Jones wins". Glasgow Herald. 26 June 1926. p. 8.
4. "Bobby Jones triumphs in spite of bad start". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. 25 June 1926. p. 25.
5. Spalding, Anthony (26 June 1926). "Bobby Jones' 291 captured British Open golf honors". Montreal Gazette. p. 17.
6. "Bobby Jones is champion". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. 25 June 1926. p. 1.
7. "Jones' British golf win proves popular". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. 26 June 1926. p. 6.
8. "British Golf Ruling On Tourney Practice Will Help Americans". The Evening Review. East Liverpool, Ohio. 16 March 1926. p. 10.
9. "Golf - The Open Championship". The Times. 16 June 1926. p. 8.
10. "Golf - The Open Championship - Southern Section at Sunningdale". The Times. 17 June 1926. p. 7.
11. "Record score". Glasgow Herald. 18 June 1926. p. 6.
12. "Golf - The Open Championship - Great Play by Mr Jones". The Times. 18 June 1926. p. 8.
13. Skene, Don (24 June 1926). "Five Yankees lead British Open play". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 15.
14. "Americans lead". Glasgow Herald. 24 June 1926. p. 8.
15. Skene, Don (25 June 1926). "Six Americans top British Open golf". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 19.
16. "An increased lead". Glasgow Herald. 25 June 1926. p. 8.
17. "Weathered v. Jones". Glasgow Herald. 31 May 1930. p. 9.
18. "Jones wins". Glasgow Herald. 2 June 1930. p. 11.
19. Brenner, Morgan G. (2009). The Majors of Golf: Complete Results of the Open, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and the Masters, 1860-2008. 1. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-3360-5.

External links

• 61st Open - Royal Lytham & St Annes 1926 (Official site)
• 1926 Open Championship (about.sports)