Tournament information | |
---|---|
Dates | 16−17 November 1883 |
Location | Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland |
Course(s) | Musselburgh Links |
Statistics | |
Field | 34 players [1] |
Prize fund | £20 |
Winner's share | £8 |
Champion | |
![]() | |
158, playoff | |
The 1883 Open Championship was the 23rd Open Championship, held 16 November at the Musselburgh Links, Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland. Willie Fernie and Bob Ferguson were tied on 158 each. They had a 36-hole playoff on 17 November, Fernie winning by a single stroke from Ferguson. [2]
The weather was dull with light winds. Play did not begin until about 11:30 and with an early sunset the final groups played their last few holes in near darkness.
Fernie led at lunch with rounds of 38 and 37. His total of 75 was two ahead of Willie Park Jr. and three ahead of Ferguson, the defending champion who had had rounds of 38 and 40.
Fernie continued playing well although he took eight at the 3rd hole of his third round. Disaster came at the 2nd hole of the final round where he took 10. Despite this he had rounds of 40 and 43 and a total of 158. Park dropped out of contention in the afternoon and finished on 165. Interest now switched to Ferguson who was playing in the second to last group. His third round 42 seemed to put him out of the running but, playing in near darkness, he had a good last round of 38 to finish on 158 and tie with Fernie. Willie Brown was the best scorer in the afternoon with two rounds in the thirties but he finished on 160, two behind the leaders.
The playoff on the following day was close throughout. Light rain fell during the first and last rounds but, despite this, there was a large crowd to watch the play. Ferguson got off to the better start and was soon two strokes up. Ferguson dropped two strokes at the 8th but Fernie took four at the last to drop a shot behind again. In the second round Ferguson again dropped two strokes on the 8th to level the scores again and dropping another at the last was now behind for the first time.
When play resumed after lunch, the first three holes were halved before Ferguson levelled the match again at the short 4th. Fernie dropped another shot at the short 7th so Ferguson took the lead again. In the last round, Fernie again took the lead but by the time they reached the 8th tee the scores were level. Both players were on the green in two but Fernie three-putted and Ferguson took the lead to the last hole. Ferguson had the honour and hit his tee shot left of the hole while Fernie put his to four yards. Ferguson's first putt was short and then Fernie holed his putt for a two. "Quietness having been restored" [2] Ferguson missed his putt and took four to give Fernie the Championship.
Friday, 16 November 1883
Place | Player | Score | Money |
---|---|---|---|
T1 | ![]() | 38-40-42-38=158 | Playoff |
![]() | 38-37-40-43=158 | ||
3 | ![]() | 40-43-39-38=160 | £3 |
4 | ![]() | 40-39-38-44=161 | £2 |
T5 | ![]() | 38-42-38-45=163 | £1 |
![]() | 38-42-41-42=163 | ||
7 | ![]() | 42-39-40-43=164 | |
8 | ![]() | 39-38-46-42=165 | |
9 | ![]() | 43-42-40-41=166 | |
T10 | ![]() | 40-41-44-42=167 | |
![]() | 42-44-40-41=167 | ||
![]() | 46-39-39-43=167 | ||
![]() | 45-37-41-44=167 |
Source: [2]
Saturday, 17 November 1883
Place | Player | Score | Money |
---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 42-39-39-38=158 | £8 |
2 | ![]() | 41-41-37-40=159 | £5 |
Morning rounds
Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 1st | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 2nd | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | 5 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 42 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 39 | 81 |
![]() | 4 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 41 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 41 | 82 |
Afternoon rounds
Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 3rd | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 4th | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | 4 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 39 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 38 | 77 |
![]() | 4 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 37 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 40 | 77 |
William Fernie was a Scottish professional golfer and golf course architect from St Andrews. He won the 1883 Open Championship at Musselburgh Links. The tournament was scheduled to last four rounds of the nine-hole course on a Friday in November. Fernie tied with defending champion Bob Ferguson, with both men shooting 158. The following day Fernie won a playoff by a single stroke.
The 1874 Open Championship was the 14th Open Championship, held 10 April at Musselburgh Links, Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland. Mungo Park won the Championship, by two strokes from runner-up Tom Morris, Jr. This was the first Open Championship played at Musselburgh.
The 1877 Open Championship was the 17th Open Championship, held 6 April at Musselburgh Links, Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland. Jamie Anderson won the Championship, by two strokes from runner-up Bob Pringle.
The 1880 Open Championship was the 20th Open Championship, held 9 April 1880 at Musselburgh Links, Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland. Bob Ferguson won the Championship, by five strokes from runner-up Peter Paxton.
The 1882 Open Championship was the 22nd Open Championship, held 30 September at the Old Course at St Andrews, Fife, Scotland. Bob Ferguson won the Championship for the third successive time, by three strokes from Willie Fernie.
The 1885 Open Championship was the 25th Open Championship, held 3 October at the Old Course at St Andrews, Fife, Scotland. Bob Martin won the Championship for the second time, by a stroke from Archie Simpson.
The 1886 Open Championship was the 26th Open Championship, held 5 November at the Musselburgh Links, Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland. David Brown won by two strokes from Willie Campbell.
The 1889 Open Championship was the 29th Open Championship, held 8 November at the Musselburgh Links, Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland. Andrew Kirkaldy and Willie Park Jr. were tied on 155 each. They had a 36-hole playoff on 11 November, Park winning by five strokes from Kirkaldy. This was the sixth and last time the Open was played at Musselburgh. It was replaced by Muirfield as the venue for the 1892 Open Championship.
The 1891 Open Championship was the 31st Open Championship, held 6 October at the Old Course at St Andrews, Fife, Scotland. Hugh Kirkaldy won by two strokes from his brother Andrew Kirkaldy and Willie Fernie. This was the last Open Championship contested in a single day over 36 holes. The 1892 Open was contested over 72 holes played on two successive days.
The 1892 Open Championship was the 32nd Open Championship, held 22–23 September at Muirfield in Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland. Harold Hilton, an amateur, won the Championship by three strokes from another amateur John Ball and two professionals: Sandy Herd and Hugh Kirkaldy. This was the second win by an amateur following Ball's victory in 1890.
The 1896 Open Championship was the 36th Open Championship, held 10–11 and 13 June at Muirfield in Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland. Harry Vardon won the Championship after a playoff against J.H. Taylor.
The 1902 Open Championship was the 42nd Open Championship, held 4–5 June at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, England. Sandy Herd won the Championship, a stroke ahead of runners-up James Braid and Harry Vardon.
The 1916 PGA Championship was the first PGA Championship, which is now considered one of golf's major championships. It was held October 10–14 at Siwanoy Country Club in Bronxville, New York, just north of New York City in Westchester County.
William Doleman was a Scottish amateur golfer. Doleman placed sixth in the 1865 Open Championship. He placed fifth in the 1869 Open Championship and was third in the 1872 Open Championship. He is reputed to have been the first person to have played golf in Canada when he visited as a sailor in 1854.
William Cosgrove was a Scottish professional golfer who played in the late 19th century. Cosgrove had one top-10 finish in The Open Championship. His best performance was a third place tie in the 1877 Open Championship.
Peter Paxton was a Scottish professional golfer who played in the late 19th century. Paxton had three top-10 finishes in the Open Championship. He took second place in the 1880 Open Championship five shots behind winner Bob Ferguson. Paxton was an expert club and ball maker. His golf ball inventions included the Bramble and Sirdar models, the former being the ball of choice for Harry Vardon at one time. Paxton was also the designer of a number of golf courses, with Coventry Golf Club and East Berkshire Golf Club being among those designs.
Willie Brown was a Scottish professional golfer who played in the late 19th century. Brown had three top-10 finishes in the Open Championship: he tied for 8th place in 1880, finished third in 1883, was in 23rd place in 1885, and was tied for seventh in 1889.
John Erskine Douglas Stewart Rolland was a Scottish professional golfer who played in the late 19th century. Rolland had a total of three top-10 finishes in the Open Championship, two of which were second-place finishes in the 1884 Open Championship and again in the 1894 Open Championship.
Ben Campbell was a Scottish professional golfer who played in the late 19th century. Campbell had three top-10 finishes in The Open Championship. In the 1886 Open Championship he played fine golf, finishing alone in third place. The next year, in the 1887 Open Championship, he tied for tenth place.
Thomas Grossett was a Scottish professional golfer who competed in the late 19th century. He achieved a tie for fourth place in the 1886 Open Championship.