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1950 Open Championship

Coordinates: 55°31′55″N 4°39′04″W / 55.532°N 4.651°W / 55.532; -4.651
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1950 Open Championship
Tournament information
Dates5–7 July 1950
LocationTroon, South Ayrshire, Scotland
Course(s)Troon Golf Club
Old Course
Statistics
Par70[1]
Length6,583 yards (6,019 m)[2][3]
Field93 players,[4] 35 after cut[5][6]
Cut148
Prize fund£1,500
Winner's share£300
Champion
South Africa Bobby Locke
279 (−1)
← 1949
1951 →
Troon Golf Club is located in Scotland
Troon Golf Club
Troon Golf Club
Troon Golf Club is located in South Ayrshire
Troon Golf Club
Troon Golf Club

The 1950 Open Championship was the 79th Open Championship, held 5–7 July at Troon Golf Club in Troon, South Ayrshire, Scotland. Defending champion Bobby Locke of South Africa won the second of his four Open titles, two strokes ahead of runner-up Roberto De Vicenzo of Argentina.[1][7] His total of 279 was a record for the Open Championship, beating the previous best of 283. It was the second Open Championship at Troon, which had previously hosted the Championship in 1923; it became "Royal Troon" in 1978.[8]

Qualifying took place on 3–4 July, Monday and Tuesday, with 18 holes on the Old Course at Troon and 18 holes on the Lochgreen municipal course.[2][9] Johnny Bulla led the scoring at 140 with Norman Von Nida next on 141.[10] The field for the Open proper was limited to a maximum of 100 participants and did not include ties. The qualifying score was 153 and 93 players advanced to the first round on Wednesday.[4]

Arthur Lees led after the first round with 68, a shot ahead of playing partner Eddie Whitcombe and Locke.[11][12] Dai Rees was the 36-hole leader at 139, followed by Bill Branch (140) and Locke (141).[5][6] Lees and Whitcombe both slipped back after Thursday rounds of 76, and Locke scored 72 after a six at the short fifth hole.[13] The maximum number of players making the cut after 36 holes was again set at 40. Ties for 40th place at 149 did not make the cut and only 35 players advanced to the final two rounds.[5][6][14]

After the third round on Friday morning, Locke, Rees, and De Vicenzo were tied for the lead at 211, Branch dropping back after a 78. In the final round that afternoon, De Vicenzo was out in 33 and at the par-3 8th hole (the "Postage Stamp"), he put his tee shot into one of its penalizing bunkers. Finding it to be "plugged" he declared it unplayable and returned to the teeing ground. From there he put his second attempt "stone dead" and holed the short putt. The rules had recently been changed so that there was no penalty stroke for returning to the tee, and he ended up with a par. Coming home he dropped a shot at the tenth, two more at the twelfth and another at the thirteenth, but a good finish gave him a 70 and the clubhouse lead on 281. Locke was also out in 33 and finished with a round of 68 to lead De Vicenzo by two. Rees was the remaining challenger for the championship and he too was out in 33. However, he had a six at the tenth hole and finished with 71 to tie for third place. On a day of low scoring, Eric Moore was out in 32 and finished with 68; Fred Daly and Frank Stranahan both scored 66.[15]

Course

Old Course

Hole Name Yards Par Hole Name Yards Par
1 Seal 355 4 10 Sandhills 436 4
2 Black Rock 372 4 11 The Railway 326 4
3 Gyaws 378 4 12 The Fox 385 4
4 Dunure 443 4 13 Burmah 400 4
5 Greenan 180 3 14 Alton 170 3
6 Turnberry 580 5 15 Crosbie 450 4
7 Tel-el-Kebir 368 4 16 Well 566 5
8 Postage Stamp 120 3 17 Rabbit 223 3
9 The Monk 427 4 18 Craigend 410 4
Out 3,217 35 In 3,366 35
Source:[2][3] Total 6,583 70

Opens from 1962 through 1989 played the 11th hole as a par-5;
4th hole was lengthened and a par-5 since 1962.

Past champions in the field

Made the cut

Player Country Year won R1 R2 R3 R4 Total To par Finish
Bobby Locke South Africa South Africa 1949 69 72 70 68 279 −1 1
Fred Daly  Northern Ireland 1947 75 72 69 66 282 +2 T3
Alf Padgham  England 1936 77 71 74 69 291 +11 T20
Alf Perry  England 1935 73 74 76 75 298 +18 T33

Source:[1][5][7]

Missed the cut

Player Country Year won R1 R2 Total To par
Reg Whitcombe  England 1938 77 72 149 +9
Dick Burton  England 1939 73 78 151 +11

Source:[5][6]

Did not enter:

Round summaries

First round

Wednesday, 5 July 1950

Place Player Country Score To par
1 Arthur Lees  England 68 −2
T2 Bobby Locke  South Africa 69 −1
Eddie Whitcombe  England
4 Sam King  England 70 E
T5 Bill Branch  England 71 +1
Fred Bullock  England
Dai Rees  Wales
Norman Sutton  England
Hector Thomson  Scotland
T10 Fred Allott  England 72 +2
David Blair (a)  Scotland
George Boomer  England
Roberto De Vicenzo  Argentina
Max Faulkner  England
John Fallon  Scotland
James Wilson (a)  England

Source:[11][16]

Second round

Thursday, 6 July 1950

Place Player Country Score To par
1 Dai Rees  Wales 71-68=139 −1
2 Bill Branch  England 71-69=140 E
3 Bobby Locke  South Africa 69-72=141 +1
T4 Fred Bullock  England 71-71=142 +2
Max Faulkner  England 72-70=142
Eric Moore  South Africa 74-68=142
T7 Fred Allott  England 72-71=143 +3
Johnny Bulla  United States 73-70=143
Roberto De Vicenzo  Argentina 72-71=143
Hector Thomson  Scotland 71-72=143

Source:[5][6]

Third round

Friday, 7 July 1950 (morning)

Place Player Country Score To par
T1 Roberto De Vicenzo  Argentina 72-71-68=211 +1
Bobby Locke  South Africa 69-72-70=211
Dai Rees  Wales 71-68-72=211
T4 Max Faulkner  England 72-70-70=212 +2
Arthur Lees  England 68-76-68=212
T6 Fred Bullock  England 71-71-71=213 +3
Sam King  England 70-75-68=213
8 Johnny Bulla  United States 73-70-71=214 +4
9 Eric Moore  South Africa 74-68-73=215 +5
T10 Fred Daly  Northern Ireland 75-72-69=216 +6
Hector Thomson  Scotland 71-72-73=216
Flory Van Donck  Belgium 73-71-72=216

Source:[1][7]

Final round

Friday, 7 July 1950 (afternoon)

Place Player Country Score To par Money (£)
1 Bobby Locke  South Africa 69-72-70-68=279 −1 300
2 Roberto De Vicenzo  Argentina 72-71-68-70=281 +1 200
T3 Fred Daly  Northern Ireland 75-72-69-66=282 +2 87
Dai Rees  Wales 71-68-72-71=282
T5 Max Faulkner  England 72-70-70-71=283 +3 35
Eric Moore  South Africa 74-68-73-68=283
T7 Fred Bullock  England 71-71-71-71=284 +4 20
Arthur Lees  England 68-76-68-72=284
T9 Sam King  England 70-75-68-73=286 +6
Flory Van Donck  Belgium 73-71-72-70=286
Frank Stranahan (a)  United States 77-70-73-66=286 0

Source:[1][7]
Amateurs: Stranahan (+6), McHale (+10), Blair (+15), Wilson (+19)

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Bobby Locke wins British Open with record 279". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. 8 July 1950. p. 11.
  2. ^ a b c "Old Troon test for golfers". Glasgow Herald. Scotland. 3 July 1950. p. 5.
  3. ^ a b "Rees leads British Open golf at 36 holes; Bulla near top". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. 7 July 1950. p. 15.
  4. ^ a b "Overseas strength among Open qualifiers". Glasgow Herald. Scotland. 7 July 1950. p. 7.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Media guide". The Open Championship. 2011. pp. 86, 203. Archived from the original on 18 April 2012. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Rees leads 35 qualifiers for last day of Open". Glasgow Herald. Scotland. 7 July 1950. p. 7.
  7. ^ a b c d "Locke retains Open Championship". Glasgow Herald. Scotland. 8 July 1950. p. 5.
  8. ^ "Now it's Royal Troon". Glasgow Herald. Scotland. 5 June 1978. p. 16.
  9. ^ ""Open" begins with records on both courses". Glasgow Herald. Scotland. 4 July 1950. p. 6.
  10. ^ a b "British trials led by Bulla". Chicago Daily Tribune. Associated Press. 5 July 1950. p. 5, sec. 3.
  11. ^ a b "Old Course wins first round in Open". Glasgow Herald. Scotland. 6 July 1950. p. 7.
  12. ^ "Golf - A. Lees in the lead at Troon". The Times. 6 July 1950. p. 4.
  13. ^ "Golf - Exciting play at Troon". The Times. 7 July 1950. p. 2.
  14. ^ "Golf - Open Championship qualifiers". The Times. London. 5 July 1950. p. 4.
  15. ^ "Golf - Locke champion again - A record aggregate". The Times. London. 8 July 1950. p. 4.
  16. ^ "Art Lee takes British Open golf lead with 68". Pittsburgh Post Gazette. Associated Press. 6 July 1950. p. 15.
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55°31′55″N 4°39′04″W / 55.532°N 4.651°W / 55.532; -4.651