1948 Open Championship

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1948 Open Championship
Tournament information
Dates30 June – 2 July 1948
Location Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland
Course(s) Muirfield
Statistics
Par71
Field97 players, 36 after cut [1]
Cut148 (+6)
Prize fund £1,000
$4,000
Winner's share£150
$600 [2]
Champion
Flag of England.svg Henry Cotton
284 (E)
  1947
1949  
Scotland relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Muirfield
East Lothian UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Muirfield
Location in East Lothian, Scotland

The 1948 Open Championship was the 77th Open Championship, held 30 June to 2 July at Muirfield in Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland. Henry Cotton, age 41, won his third and final Open title, five strokes ahead of runner-up and defending champion Fred Daly. [2] [3]

Contents

Qualifying took place on 28–29 June, Monday and Tuesday, with 18 holes at Muirfield and 18 holes at the number 1 course Gullane. The number of qualifiers was limited to a maximum of 100, and ties for 100th place would not qualify. [4] Henry Cotton led on 138; the qualifying score was 152 and 97 players advanced. [5] [6] Cotton had led the qualification in 1935, the previous time the Open had been held at Muirfield.

Charlie Ward, Sam King, and Flory Van Donck shot 69 to share the first round lead. [7] Cotton opened with a 71, then led by four strokes after a 66 in the second round, [8] one off his own tournament record set in 1934. While scoring conditions in the first two rounds were ideal, with five other rounds of sub-70 in the second, the change in weather on the final day caused scores to soar. The maximum number of players making the cut after 36 holes was again set at 40, and ties for 40th place were not included. The cut was at 148 (+6) and 36 players advanced. [8]

Over the final two rounds, the lowest round was 70. Cotton carded rounds of 75-72 to set a clubhouse lead of 284 that no one came close to matching. Fred Daly came closest with a 289, five shots behind. [2] [3]

Roberto De Vicenzo made his Open Championship debut and finished in third place. Over the next two years he followed with another third and a runner-up finish. He won the title nineteen years later, in 1967.

Round summaries

First round

Wednesday, 30 June 1948

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
T1 Flag of England.svg Sam King 69−2
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Flory Van Donck
Flag of England.svg Charlie Ward
T4 Flag of Argentina.svg Roberto De Vicenzo 70−1
Flag of England.svg Frank Jowle
T6 Flag of England.svg Henry Cotton 71E
Flag of England.svg Reg Horne
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Norman Von Nida
T10 Ulster Banner.svg Fred Daly 72+1
Flag of England.svg Arthur Lacey
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Lawson Little
Flag of Scotland.svg Walter Lyle
Flag of England.svg Norman Sutton

Source: [7]

Second round

Thursday, 1 July 1948

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
1 Flag of England.svg Henry Cotton 71-66=137−5
T2 Flag of England.svg Sam King 69-72=141−1
Flag of England.svg Charlie Ward 69-72=141
T4 Flag of England.svg Arthur Lees 73-69=142E
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Flory Van Donck 69-73=142
T6 Ulster Banner.svg Fred Daly 72-71=143+1
Flag of Argentina.svg Roberto De Vicenzo 70-73=143
Flag of England.svg Alf Padgham 73-70=143
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Norman Von Nida 71-72=143
T10 Flag of England.svg Dick Burton 74-70=144+2
Flag of England.svg Jack Hargreaves 76-68=144
Flag of Wales (1807-1953).svg Dai Rees 73-71=144
Flag of England.svg Reg Whitcombe 77-67=144

Source: [8]

Third round

Friday, 2 July 1948 (morning)

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
1 Flag of England.svg Henry Cotton 71-66-75=212−1
1 Flag of England.svg Alf Padgham 73-70-71=214+1
T3 Flag of Argentina.svg Roberto De Vicenzo 70-73-72=215+2
Flag of England.svg Sam King 69-72-74=215
Flag of England.svg Arthur Lees 73-69-73=215
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Flory Van Donck 69-73-73=215
T7 Ulster Banner.svg Fred Daly 72-71-73=216+3
Flag of England.svg Charlie Ward 69-72-75=216
Flag of England.svg Alan Waters75-71-70=216
10 Flag of England.svg Jack Hargreaves 76-68-73=217+4

Source: [2] [3]

Final round

Friday, 2 July 1948 (afternoon)

PlacePlayerScoreTo parMoney (£)
1 Flag of England.svg Henry Cotton 71-66-75-72=284E150
2 Ulster Banner.svg Fred Daly 72-71-73-73=289+5100
T3 Flag of Argentina.svg Roberto De Vicenzo 70-73-72-75=290+6   41 ¼
Flag of England.svg Jack Hargreaves 76-68-73-73=290
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Norman Von Nida 71-72-76-71=290
Flag of England.svg Charlie Ward 69-72-75-74=290
T7 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Johnny Bulla 74-72-73-72=291+715
Flag of England.svg Sam King 69-72-74-76=291
Flag of England.svg Alf Padgham 73-70-71-77=291
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Flory Van Donck 69-73-73-76=291

Source: [2] [3]

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References

  1. "Media guide". The Open Championship. 2011. p. 90. Archived from the original on 18 April 2012. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Cotton captures third British Open golf title". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . Associated Press. 3 July 1948. p. 11. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Cotton's third Open Championship". Glasgow Herald. 3 July 1948. p. 3.
  4. "Golf – The Open Championship". The Times. 15 June 1948. p. 6.
  5. "Cotton leads qualifiers in Open". Glasgow Herald. 30 June 1948. p. 3.
  6. "Golf – Open Championship qualifiers". The Times. 30 June 1948. p. 2.
  7. 1 2 "Greens baffle "Open" golfers". Glasgow Herald. 1 July 1948. p. 6.
  8. 1 2 3 "Cotton's "royal" round to lead in "Open"". Glasgow Herald. 2 July 1948. p. 6.

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