Tournament information | |
---|---|
Dates | 24–27 July 1997 |
Location | Portrush, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom 55°12′00″N6°38′06″W / 55.200°N 6.635°W |
Course(s) | Royal Portrush Golf Club Dunluce Links |
Organised by | The R&A |
Tour(s) | |
Format | 72 holes stroke play |
Statistics | |
Par | 72 |
Length | 6,692 yd (6,119 m) |
Field | 121 players, 71 after cut |
Cut | 150 (+6) |
Prize fund | €352,665 |
Winner's share | €81,662 |
Champion | |
Gary Player | |
278 (−10) | |
Location Map | |
The 1997 Senior British Open was a professional golf tournament for players aged 50 and above and the 11th British Senior Open Championship, held from 24 to 27 July at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Portrush, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
In 2018, the tournament was, as all Senior British Open Championships played 1987–2002, retroactively recognized as a senior major golf championship and a PGA Tour Champions (at the time named the Senior PGA Tour) event. [1] [2]
62-year-old Gary Player won in a playoff over John Bland to win his third Senior British Open title and ninth senior major championship victory. [3] [4] [5] [6]
The event was the third Senior Open Championship in a row held at Royal Portrush Golf Club. [7]
121 professionals, no amateurs, entered the competition. One of them withdrew and one was disqualified. 71 players made the 36-hole cut.
Seven past Senior British Open champions participated. Six of them made the 36-hole cut; 1988 and 1990 champion Gary Player (won), 1991 champion Bobby Verwey (tied 5th), 1994 champion Tom Wargo (tied 6th), 1992 champion John Fourie (tied 15th), 1987 champion Neil Coles (tied 24th) and 1989 and 1993 champion Bob Charles (tied 34th). 1995 and 1996 champion Brian Barnes withdraw after a first round 2-under-par 70.
The field included two former winners of The Open Championship. Both of them made the cut, 1959, 1968 and 1974 Open champion Gary Player (won) and 1963 Open champion Bob Charles (tied 34th).
The field also included three former runners-up at The Open Championship. Neil Coles (24th), Brian Huggett (tied 26th) and Christy O'Connor Snr (missed the cut).
Sunday, 27 July 1997
Gary Player, South Africa and his fellow countryman John Bland tied the lead after the fourth round, to meet in a sudden death playoff, to decide the winner. Player scored a bogey-free 68 in the final round, to catch up Bland, who led by two strokes before the final round.
Noel Ratcliffe scored a bogey 5 on the 18th hole of the final round to came one shot short of joining the playoff.
Place | Player | Score | To par | Money (€) |
---|---|---|---|---|
T1 | John Bland | 66-72-70-70=278 | −10 | Playoff |
Gary Player | 68-70-72-68=278 | |||
T3 | Noel Ratcliffe | 70-65-75-69=279 | −9 | 27,589 |
Jim Rhodes | 69-71-71-68=279 | |||
5 | Bobby Verwey | 71-70-72-68=281 | −7 | 20,776 |
T6 | José María Cañizares | 76-72-68-66=282 | −6 | 15,925 |
Tom Wargo | 71-70-69-72=282 | |||
T8 | Dave Eichelberger | 68-71-75-69=283 | −5 | 11,613 |
Walter Hall | 75-70-71-67=283 | |||
T10 | Tommy Horton | 71-72-72-70=285 | −3 | 9,408 |
Paul Leonard | 72-70-74-69=285 |
Sunday, 27 July 1997
The sudden-death playoff went on, to be played until one of the players had a lower score on the hole than the other. Gary Player beat John Bland with a birdie at the second extra hole, the par 5 17th hole, by holing a 15-foot putt.
Place | Player | Score | To par | Money (€) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Gary Player | 5-4 | −1 | 81,662 |
2 | John Bland | 5-5 | E | 54,390 |
Lee John Westwood is an English professional golfer. Noted for his consistency, he is one of the few golfers who has won tournaments on five continents – Europe, North America, Asia, Africa and Oceania – including victories on the European Tour and the PGA Tour. He has also won tournaments in four decades, the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s and 2020s. He was named European Tour Golfer of the Year for the 1998, 2000, 2009 and 2020 seasons. He has won the 2000 European Tour Order of Merit, and the renamed 2009 and 2020 Race to Dubai. He has frequently been mentioned as one of the best golfers without a major championship victory, with several near misses including three runner-up finishes.
Justin Charles Garrett Leonard is an American professional golfer. He has twelve career wins on the PGA Tour, including one major, the 1997 Open Championship.
The Senior Open Championship, or simply The Senior Open, is a professional golf tournament for players aged 50 and over. It is jointly owned and run by The R&A, the same body that organises The Open Championship, and the PGA European Tour. Prize money won in the event is official money on both PGA Tour Champions and the European Senior Tour. The purse, which is fixed in United States dollars, had increased to $2.75 million for 2023.
Michael Daniel Reid is an American professional golfer. Reid was one of the top amateurs in the mid-1970s, winning the 1976 Pacific Coast Amateur and leading the 1976 U.S. Open after the first round. As a professional, Reid won two PGA Tour events and finished in the top-10 70 times. In 1989, Reid came close to winning two major championships, the Masters and the PGA Championship, leading both of them during closing holes of the final round. On the Champions Tour, Reid won two senior majors, the 2005 Senior PGA Championship and the 2009 Tradition.
Graham Vivian Marsh MBE is an Australian golfer. He was one of the leading Australian players of his generation. During his career he won more than 70 tournaments around the world, including 10 on the European Tour, 20 on the Japan Golf Tour and two senior major championships.
Graeme McDowellMBE is a professional golfer from Northern Ireland. He has a total of eleven tournament victories on the European Tour, and four on the PGA Tour, including one major championship, the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. In 2022, he joined LIV Golf. McDowell has also represented Ireland at the World Cup and he has been a member of the European Ryder Cup team on four occasions. He has appeared in the top-10 in the Official World Golf Ranking, with a highest ranking position of 4th.
Alexander Čejka is a Czech-German professional golfer.
Timothy Henry Clark is a South African professional golfer who formerly played on the PGA Tour. His biggest win was The Players Championship in 2010, which was also his first PGA Tour win.
Shane Lowry is an Irish professional golfer who plays on the European Tour and the PGA Tour. His notable achievements include winning the 2019 Open Championship, the Irish Open as an amateur in 2009, and the 2015 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.
The 2019 Open Championship was the 148th Open Championship, played 18–21 July at Royal Portrush Golf Club in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It was the second Open Championship at Portrush, which last hosted in 1951, won by Max Faulkner. Royal Portrush saw major alterations in preparation for the tournament, including replacing two of the holes.
The 2003 Senior British Open was a senior major golf championship and the 17th Senior British Open, held from 24–27 July at Turnberry in South Ayrshire, Scotland. It was the 5th Senior British Open played at the course and the first Senior British Open played as a senior major championship.
The 2008 Senior Open Championship was a senior major golf championship and the 22nd Senior Open Championship, held on 24–27 July at Royal Troon Golf Club in South Ayrshire, Scotland. It was the first Senior Open Championship played at the course and the seventh Senior Open Championship played as a senior major championship.
The 2006 Senior Open Championship, also named the Senior British Open Championship or the Senior British Open Championship presented by Aberdeen Asset Management, was the 20th Senior Open Championship, a senior major golf championship. It was held on 27–30 July at Turnberry Golf Resort in South Ayrshire, Scotland, United Kingdom. It was the fourth Senior Open Championship played as a senior major championship.
The 2005 Senior British Open Championship, for sponsor reasons named Senior British Open Championship presented by Aberdeen Asset Management, was a senior major golf championship and the 19th Senior Open Championship, held from 21 to 24 July at Royal Aberdeen Golf Club in Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom. It was the third Senior British Open Championship played as a senior major championship.
The 2004 Senior British Open Championship, for sponsorship reasons named Senior British Open Championship presented by MasterCard, was a senior major golf championship and the 18th Senior British Open Championship, held from 22 to 25 July at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Portrush, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. It was the second Senior British Open Championship played as a senior major championship.
The 2000 Senior British Open, for sponsor reasons named Senior British Open presented by MasterCard, was a professional golf tournament for players aged 50 and above and the 14th British Senior Open Championship, held from 27 to 30 July at Royal County Down Golf Club in Newcastle, County Down, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
The 1999 Senior British Open was a professional golf tournament for players aged 50 and above and the 13th British Senior Open Championship, held from 22 to 25 July at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Portrush, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
The 1998 Senior British Open was a professional golf tournament for players aged 50 and above and the 12th British Senior Open Championship, held from 6 to 9 August at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Portrush, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
The 1996 Senior British Open was a professional golf tournament for players aged 50 and above and the tenth British Senior Open Championship, held from 25 to 28 July at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Portrush, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
The 1995 Senior British Open was a professional golf tournament for players aged 50 and above and the ninth British Senior Open Championship, held from 27 to 30 July at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Portrush, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.