1955 Open Championship

The 1955 Open Championship was the 84th Open Championship, played 6–8 July at the Old Course in St Andrews, Scotland. Peter Thomson won the second of three consecutive Open titles, two strokes ahead of runner-up John Fallon.[3][4][5] Thomson won a total of five Claret Jugs, the last in 1965.

1955 Open Championship
Tournament information
Dates6–8 July 1955
LocationSt Andrews, Scotland
Course(s)Old Course at St Andrews
Statistics
Par72[1]
Length6,936 yards (6,342 m)[1]
Field94 players, 49 after cut[2]
Cut148 (+4)
Prize fund£3,750
$10,500
Winner's share£1,000
$2,800
Champion
Peter Thomson
281 (–7)
St Andrews 
Location in Scotland
St Andrews 
Location in Fife, Scotland

Qualifying took place on 4–5 July, Monday and Tuesday, with 18 holes on the Old Course and 18 holes on the New Course. The number of qualifiers was limited to a maximum of 100, and ties for 100th place did not qualify. On Monday, Frank Jowle scored 63 on the New Course,[6] and after a 72 on the Old Course the next day he led the qualifiers at 135, a shot ahead of Laurie Ayton.[7][8] The qualifying score was 148 and 94 players advanced to the first round on Wednesday.[7]

Three shot 69 in the opening round on Wednesday;[2][9] after the second round on Thursday, three shared the 36-hole lead at 139: Eric Brown, Dennis Smalldon, and Thomson, with Fallon a stroke back in fourth. The maximum number of players making the cut was set at fifty, and ties for 50th place were not included. Five Americans were in the field of 94, three professionals and two amateurs.[10][11] All five made the cut,[12] and the top U.S. finisher was Ed Furgol in a tie for 19th place.[3][4][5] Byron Nelson, whose only previous appearance at The Open was a fifth-place finish in 1937, tied for 32nd. The two amateurs finished in the top thirty.

Previously the 17th hole (the "Road Hole") was a par 5; for this Open it became a par 4, which reduced the course par from 73 to 72.[1]

The winner's share was increased from £750 to £1,000, while the others were unchanged, bringing the total purse to £3,750.[13]

Past champions in the field
PlayerCountryYear(s) wonR1R2R3R4TotalTo parFinish
Peter Thomson Australia195471687072281–71
Bobby Locke South Africa1949, 1950, 195274697072285–34
Fred Daly Northern Ireland194775727071288ET12
Henry Cotton England1934, 1937, 194870727876296+8T32
Max Faulkner England195173747476297+9T35

Round summaries

First round

Wednesday, 6 July 1955

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
T1Eric Brown Scotland69–3
Dai Rees Wales
Syd Scott England
T4Henry Cotton England70–2
Cecil Denny England
Bernard Hunt England
Frank Jowle England
Jimmy Martin Ireland
Dennis Smalldon Wales
T10John Anderson Scotland71–1
Romualdo Barbieri Argentina
Ken Bousfield England
Ed Furgol United States
Robert Halsall England
John Jacobs England
Christy O'Connor Snr Ireland
Norman Sutton England
Peter Thomson Australia
Flory Van Donck Belgium
Harry Weetman England

Source:[2][9]

Second round

Thursday, 7 July 1955

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
T1Eric Brown Scotland69-70=139–5
Dennis Smalldon Wales70-69=139
Peter Thomson Australia71-68=139
4John Fallon Scotland73-67=140–4
T5Bernard Hunt England70-71=141–3
John Jacobs England71-70=141
Frank Jowle England70-71=141
T8Romualdo Barbieri Argentina71-71=142–2
Harry Bradshaw Ireland72-70=142
Henry Cotton England70-72=142
Jimmy Martin Ireland70-72=142
Harry Weetman England71-71=142

Source:[2][10][11][12]
Amateurs: Bucher (+2), Conrad (+4), McHale (+4), Lawrie (+5), Carr (+9), Murray (+11), Orr (+13), Robertson (+15)

Third round

Friday, 8 July 1955 (morning)

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1Peter Thomson Australia71-68-70=209–7
2Frank Jowle England70-71-69=210–6
T3Eric Brown Scotland69-70-73=212–4
John Jacobs England71-70-71=212
Harry Weetman England71-71-70=212
T6John Fallon Scotland73-67-73=213–3
Bobby Locke South Africa74-69-70=213
8Flory Van Donck Belgium71-72-71=214–2
T9Romualdo Barbieri Argentina71-71-73=215–1
Harry Bradshaw Ireland72-70-73=215
Antonio Cerdá Argentina73-71-71=215
Bernard Hunt England70-71-74=215

Source:[2][3][4][5]

Final round

Friday, 8 July 1955 (afternoon)

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo parMoney (£)
1Peter Thomson Australia71-68-70-72=281–71,000
2John Fallon Scotland73-67-73-70=283–5500
3Frank Jowle England70-71-69-74=284–4350
4Bobby Locke South Africa74-69-70-72=285–3200
T5Ken Bousfield England71-75-70-70=286–290
Antonio Cerdá Argentina73-71-71-71=286
Bernard Hunt England70-71-74-71=286
Flory Van Donck Belgium71-72-71-72=286
Harry Weetman England71-71-70-74=286
T10Romualdo Barbieri Argentina71-71-73-72=287–140
Christy O'Connor Snr Ireland71-75-70-71=287

Source:[2][3][4][5]
Amateurs: Conrad (+5), McHale (+7), Bucher (+23).

References
  1. "Three tied for lead in British Open golf". Pittsburgh Post Gazette. Associated Press. 8 July 1955. p. 19.
  2. "Media guide". The Open Championship. 2011. p. 81. Archived from the original on 18 April 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  3. "P.W. Thomson's second victory". Glasgow Herald. 9 July 1955. p. 5.
  4. "Thomson edges Fallon by two strokes in British Open". Montreal Gazette. Associated Press. 9 July 1955. p. 9.
  5. "Thomson's 281 keeps British Open crown". Chicago Daily Tribune. Associated Press. 9 July 1955. p. 4, sec. 3.
  6. "Lowest score ever returned in Open golf championship". Glasgow Herald. 5 July 1955. p. 4.
  7. "Ninety-four qualifiers for "Open"". Glasgow Herald. 6 July 1955. p. 4.
  8. "Thomson goes easily and efficiently on - Chance of retaining his Open Golf Championship". The Times. 6 July 1955. p. 4.
  9. "Only three players beat 70 in first round". Glasgow Herald. 7 July 1955. p. 2.
  10. "Holder shares halfway lead in Open title golf". Glasgow Herald. 8 July 1955. p. 4.
  11. "Thomson, Brown, Smalldon lead British Open with 139". Montreal Gazette. Associated Press. 8 July 1955. p. 19.
  12. "Thomson's 68 ties for lead in British Open". Chicago Daily Tribune. Associated Press. 8 July 1955. p. 3, sec. 3.
  13. "Larger prize for "Open"". Glasgow Herald. 24 December 1954. p. 7.
Preceded by
1955 U.S. Open		 Major Championships Succeeded by
1955 PGA Championship

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