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1957 Open Championship

Coordinates: 56°20′35″N 2°48′11″W / 56.343°N 2.803°W / 56.343; -2.803
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1957 Open Championship
Tournament information
Dates3–5 July 1957
LocationSt Andrews, Scotland
Course(s)Old Course at St Andrews
Statistics
Par72
Length6,936 yards (6,342 m)[1]
Field96 players, 46 after cut[2]
Cut148 (+4)
Prize fund₤3,750
$10,500
Winner's share₤1,000
$2,800
Champion
South Africa Bobby Locke
279 (–9)
← 1956
1958 →
St Andrews  is located in Scotland
St Andrews 
St Andrews 
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Location in Scotland
St Andrews  is located in Fife
St Andrews 
St Andrews 
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Location in Fife, Scotland

The 1957 Open Championship was the 86th Open Championship, played 3–5 July at the Old Course 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 Opens.[3][4][5][6]

The Open, last played at the Old Course just two years prior, was originally scheduled for Muirfield,[7] but the "Suez Crisis" in Egypt in late 1956 led to serious fuel shortages in Britain and rationing of petrol. In early 1957, the R&A decided that St Andrews, on a railway line, would be an easier place for players and spectators to get to than Muirfield, and so it was moved.[8] Petrol rationing ended in May 1957 but it was then too late to switch back to the original venue and Muirfield was allocated the 1959 edition.

Qualifying took place on 1–2 July, Monday and Tuesday, with 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.[9] The number of qualifiers was limited to a maximum of 100, and ties for 100th place were not included. Bernard Hunt and Bobby Locke led the qualifiers at 137; the qualifying score was 149 and 96 players advanced to the opening round on Wednesday.[10]

There were fifteen American entries, many of them amateurs,[9] but only four qualified for the field of 96:[11] professionals Cary Middlecoff and Frank Stranahan finished in the top twenty and the two amateurs missed the cut.[12]

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.[13] The maximum number of players making the cut after 36 holes was set at fifty, and ties for 50th place were not included.[1]

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.[14] 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.[1]

A mini-controversy surrounded the ending of the championship. Lying two, Bobby Locke was only four feet (1.2 m) from the cup on the 72nd hole when he moved his ball marker one putter-head length to avoid the line of fellow competitor Bruce Crampton's putt. After Crampton holed out, Locke forgot to replace his ball to its original position and sank his putt. Only much later were officials made aware of Locke's mistake; the Championship Committee decreed that no advantage had been gained and that the result, and Locke's three-stroke victory, stood.[15]

Card of the course

Hole Name Yards Par Hole Name Yards Par
1 Burn 374 4 10 Tenth ^ 338 4
2 Dyke 411 4 11 High (In) 170 3
3 Cartgate (Out) 400 4 12 Heathery (In) 360 4
4 Ginger Beer 439 4 13 Hole O'Cross (In) 427 4
5 Hole O'Cross (Out) 567 5 14 Long 560 5
6 Heathery (Out) 377 4 15 Cartgate (In) 413 4
7 High (Out) 364 4 16 Corner of the Dyke 380 4
8 Short 163 3 17 Road 453 4
9 End 359 4 18 Tom Morris 381 4
Out 3,454 36 In 3,482 36
Source:[1] Total 6,936 72

^ The 10th hole was posthumously named for Bobby Jones in 1972

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 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
T1 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

Source:[2]

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

Source:[2]
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 74-70-71=215
Dickson Smith (a)  Scotland 71-72-72=215

Source:[2][3][4]

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

Source:[2][3][4]
Amateurs: Smith (–2), Galloway (+12).

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Prospect of close finish in Open golf championship". Glasgow Herald. 5 July 1957. p. 4.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Media guide". The Open Championship. 2011. p. 79. Archived from the original on 18 April 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ a b c "Locke again Open golf champion". Glasgow Herald. 6 July 1957. p. 5.
  4. ^ a b c "Bobby Locke wins his 4th British Open". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. 6 July 1957. p. 11.
  5. ^ "Locke wins British Open". Chicago Daily Tribune. Associated Press. 6 July 1955. p. 1, sec. 2.
  6. ^ Longhurst, Henry (15 July 1957). "The Butler's day". Sports Illustrated. p. 14.
  7. ^ "1957 golf events in Scotland - "Open" at Muirfield". Glasgow Herald. 5 January 1956. p. 2.
  8. ^ "Change of courses for important events - "Open" switched to St. Andrews". Glasgow Herald. 19 January 1957. p. 9.
  9. ^ a b "Draw for the Open golf Championship - Forty players from overseas". The Times. 13 June 1957. p. 3.
  10. ^ "Locke and Hunt lead qualifiers for Open golf Championship - field of 96 to contest title". Glasgow Herald. 3 July 1957. p. 4.
  11. ^ "U.S. forces led by Stranahan in British Open". Chicago Daily Tribune. Associated Press. 3 July 1957. p. 3, sec.4.
  12. ^ "Middlecoff fires 71 for 143 in British Open". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. 5 July 1957. p. 15.
  13. ^ "Middlecoff cards 72 in British Open". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. 4 July 1957. p. 39.
  14. ^ "Draw for the Open Golf Championship". The Times. 13 June 1957. p. 3.
  15. ^ "86th Open, St Andrews". Open Championship. 1957. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
Preceded by Major Championships Succeeded by

56°20′35″N 2°48′11″W / 56.343°N 2.803°W / 56.343; -2.803

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