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1938 Open Championship

Coordinates: 51°16′26″N 1°22′01″E / 51.274°N 1.367°E / 51.274; 1.367
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1938 Open Championship
Tournament information
Dates6–8 July 1938
LocationSandwich, England
Course(s)Royal St George's Golf Club
Statistics
Par70 [1]
Field120 players, 37 after cut[2]
Cut148 (+8)
Prize fund£500
Winner's share£100
Champion
England Reg Whitcombe
295 (+15)
← 1937
1939 →
Sandwich  is located in England
Sandwich 
Sandwich 
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Location in England
Sandwich is located in Kent
Sandwich
Sandwich
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Location in Kent. England

The 1938 Open Championship was the 73rd Open Championship, held 6–8 July at Royal St George's Golf Club in Sandwich, England. In terrible weather conditions that caused scores to soar, Reg Whitcombe prevailed by two strokes over runner-up Jimmy Adams to win his only major title.[3][4] The purse was £500 with a winner's share of £100.[2]

It was planned to play the Championship at Royal Cinque Ports in nearby Deal, but abnormally high tides that February caused severe flooding to the course, leaving it like "an inland sea several feet deep."[5] The venue was switched to Royal St George's, and Prince's replaced Royal Cinque Ports as the venue for one of the qualifying rounds.[6]

Qualifying took place on 4–5 July, Monday and Tuesday, with 18 holes at St. George's and 18 holes at Prince's.[7] The number of qualifiers was reduced this year to a maximum of 130, and ties for 130th place did not qualify.[6] John Fallon led the qualifiers on 142; the qualifying score was 157 and 120 players advanced,[8] with none from the United States.[2]

Dick Burton, Jack Busson, and Bill Cox shared the 36-hole lead at even par 140, with Whitcombe two strokes back after consecutive rounds of 71.[1] A maximum of 40 players after 36 holes made the cut to play on the final day, and ties for 40th place did not make the cut. It was at 148 (+8) and 37 advanced.[9]

In the last two rounds on Friday, the weather turned from challenging to treacherous. Gale force winds ripped apart the large exhibition tent and scattered debris for a mile around. Alf Padgham drove the green on the 384-yard (351 m) 11th hole, while Cyril Tolley cleared the water on the 14th only to have the wind blow his ball back into the hazard. Only seven sub-80 scores were recorded in the final round. The leaders suffered terribly in the conditions: Burton finished 78-85, Busson shot 83-80, while Cox went 84-80. Whitcombe's scores of 75-78 were enough to post a 295 total, two ahead of Adams and three clear of defending champion Henry Cotton.

Past champions in the field

Made the cut

Player Country Year(s) won R1 R2 R3 R4 Total To par Finish
Henry Cotton  England 1934, 1937 74 73 77 74 298 +18 3
Alf Padgham  England 1936 74 72 75 82 303 +23 T4
Alf Perry  England 1935 71 74 77 86 308 +28 T15

Source:[2]

Missed the cut

Player Country Year(s) won R1 R2 Total To par
James Braid  Scotland 1901, 1905,
1906, 1908, 1910		 74 78 152 +12
Arthur Havers  England 1923 78 79 157 +17

Source:[2]

Did not advance past qualifying rounds (Monday & Tuesday):

Did not enter:

Round summaries

First round

Wednesday, 6 July 1938

Place Player Country Score To par
T1 Jimmy Adams  Scotland 70 E
Jimmy Bruen (a)  Ireland
Bill Cox  England
Marcel Dallemagne  France
John Fallon  Scotland
Ernest Whitcombe  England
T7 Dick Burton  England 71 +1
Jack Busson  England
Bert Gadd  England
Ted Jarman  England
Alf Perry  England
Charles Whitcombe  England
Reg Whitcombe  England

Source:[10]

Second round

Thursday, 7 July 1938

Place Player Country Score To par
T1 Dick Burton  England 71-69=140 E
Jack Busson  England 71-69=140
Bill Cox  England 70-70=140
T4 Jimmy Adams  Scotland 70-71=141 +1
Bert Gadd  England 71-70=141
6 Reg Whitcombe  England 71-71=142 +2
7 Bob French  England 72-71=143 +3
T8 Jimmy Black  Wales 72-72=144 +4
Marcel Dallemagne  France 70-74=144
T10 Allan Dailey  Scotland 73-72=145 +5
John Fallon  Scotland 70-75=145
Bobby Locke  South Africa 73-72=145
Alf Perry  England 71-74=145
Dai Rees  Wales 73-72=145
Cyril Tolley (a)  England 77-68=145

Source:[9]

Third round

Friday, 8 July 1938 (morning)

Place Player Country Score To par
1 Reg Whitcombe  England 71-71-75=217 +7
2 Dick Burton  England 71-69-78=218 +8
3 Jimmy Adams  Scotland 70-71-78=219 +9
4 Alf Padgham  England 74-72-75=221 +11
5 Alf Perry  Scotland 71-74-77=222 +12
6 Jack Busson  England 71-69-83=223 +13
T7 Fred Bullock  England 73-74-77=224 +14
Henry Cotton  England 74-73-77=224
Bill Cox  England 70-70-84=224
Dai Rees  Wales 73-72-79=224

Source:[2][4]

Final round

Friday, 8 July 1938 (afternoon)

Place Player Country Score To par Money (£)
1 Reg Whitcombe  England 71-71-75-78=295 +15 100
2 Jimmy Adams  Scotland 70-71-78-78=297 +17 75
3 Henry Cotton  England 74-73-77-74=298 +18 50
T4 Dick Burton  England 71-69-78-85=303 +23 23
15s
Jack Busson  England 71-69-83-80=303
Allan Dailey  Scotland 73-72-80-78=303
Alf Padgham  England 74-72-75-82=303
T8 Fred Bullock  England 73-74-77-80=304 +24 15
Bill Cox  England 70-70-84-80=304
T10 Bert Gadd  England 71-70-84-80=305 +25 10
Bobby Locke  South Africa 73-72-81-79=305
Charles Whitcombe  England 71-75-79-80=305

Source:[2][4]

Amateurs: Storey (+36), Tolley (+37), Thomson (+39), Pennink (+42).

References

  1. ^ a b "Archer leads qualifiers in Amateur golf – 3 share British Open Lead". Montreal Gazette. Associated Press. 8 July 1938. p. 13. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Media guide". The Open Championship. 2011. p. 95. Archived from the original on 18 April 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  3. ^ "Reginald Whitcombe win British Open crown". Miami News. Associated Press. 8 July 1938. p. 12. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  4. ^ a b c "Reggie Whitcombe scores 295 to win". Montreal Gazette. Associated Press. 9 July 1938. p. 13. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  5. ^ "Gales and snow - Damage on east coast - Widespread flooding". The Times. 14 February 1938. p. 12.
  6. ^ a b "Golf - The Open and Amateur Championships - New Conditions". The Times. 12 February 1938. p. 4.
  7. ^ "Assault on Cotton's title". Glasgow Herald. 5 July 1938. p. 3.
  8. ^ a b c "Decks cleared for action". Glasgow Herald. 6 July 1938. p. 6.
  9. ^ a b "Golfers' changing fortunes". Glasgow Herald. 8 July 1938. p. 12.
  10. ^ "Fascinating day's golf". Glasgow Herald. 7 July 1938. p. 2.
Preceded by Major Championships Succeeded by

51°16′26″N 1°22′01″E / 51.274°N 1.367°E / 51.274; 1.367

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