2004 Senior British Open Championship

2004 Senior British Open Championship

Tournament information
Dates	22–25 July 2004
Location	Portrush, County Antrim, Northern Ireland 55°12′00″N6°38′06″W / 55.200°N 6.635°W / 55.200; -6.635
Course(s)	Royal Portrush Golf Club Dunluce Links
Organised by	The R&A
Tour(s)	European Senior Tour Champions Tour
Format	72 holes stroke play
Statistics
Par	72
Length	6,834 yd (6,249 m)
Field	144 players, 70 after cut
Cut	152 (+10)
Prize fund	US$1,600,000
Winner's share	US$289,153
Champion
Pete Oakley
284 (-4)
Location Map
Royal Portrush GC Location in Europe Show map of Europe Royal Portrush GC Location in the United Kingdom Show map of the United Kingdom Royal Portrush GC Location in Ireland Show map of island of Ireland Royal Portrush GC Location in Northern Ireland Show map of Northern Ireland
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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. ^[1]

Pete Oakley won by one stroke over Tom Kite and Eduardo Romero to win his first Senior British Open title and his first senior major championship victory. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

Graham Marsh, who finished tied ninth, became the first player on the four main golf tours (PGA Tour, PGA European Tour, PGA Tour Champions or the Legends Tour) to ace the same hole twice in a tournament, when he had a hole-in-one on the 170-yard 11th hole in the third round with an 8-iron, as well as with a 9-iron in the first round. ^[5]

Venue

Main article: Royal Portrush Golf Club

Royal Portrush GC 5th hole

Course layout

Name		Hole	Par	Yards
Hughie's		1	4	392
Giant's Grave		2	5	505
Islay		3	3	155
Fred Daly's		4	4	457
White Rocks		5	4	411
Harry Colt's		6	3	189
P.G. Stevenson's		7	4	431
Himalayas		8	4	393
Tavern		9	5	475
Dhu Varren		10	5	478
Feather Bed		11	3	170
Causeway		12	4	392
Skerries		13	4	340
Calamity Corner		14	3	210
Purgatory		15	4	365
Babington's		16	4	442
Glenarm		17	5	548
Greenaway		18	4	469
		Out	36	3,408
		In	36	3,414
		Total	72	6,822

Source: ^[6]

Field

The field consisted of 144 competitors; 138 professionals and six amateurs.

70 players made the 36-hole cut, 69 professionals and one amateur. Roy Smethurst finished leading amateur at tied 41st.

An 18-hole stroke play qualifying round was held on Monday, 19 July, on Valley Links, for players who were not already exempt. The 27 leading players from the qualifying competition joined the 117 exempt players for the championship. ^[7]

Past champions in the field

Eight past Senior Open champions participated. Three of them made the 36-hole cut; 2003 champion Tom Watson (tied 22nd), 2002 champion Noboru Sugai (tied 46th) and 1989 and 1993 champion Bob Charles (tied 65th). 1987 champion Neil Coles, 1999 and 2000 champion Christy O'Connor Jnr, 1991 champion Bobby Verway, 2001 champion Ian Stanley and 1988, 1990 and 1997 champion Gary Player did not make the cut.

Past winners and runners-up at The Open Championship in the field

The field included three former winners of The Open Championship. Two of them made the cut; 1975, 1977, 1980, 1982 and 1983 Open champion Tom Watson (tied 22nd), and 1963 Open champion Bob Charles (tied 65th). 1959, 1968 and 1974 Open champion Gary Player did not make the cut.

The field also included seven former runners-up at The Open Championship; Tom Kite (2nd), Mark McNulty (tied 5th), Andy Bean (tied 13th), Simon Owen (tied 38th), Ben Crenshaw (missed cut), Neil Coles (missed cut) and Rodger Davis (missed cut).

Final round summary and results

Sunday, 25 July 2004

Pete Oakley sank a 10-foot par putt on the final hole to win by one stroke and avoid a playoff. The victory made him only the 10th open qualifier to win a Champions Tour event. Defending champion Tom Watson, who withdrew from The Open Championship the week before, due to a shoulder injury, finished tied 22nd, 13 shots from the winner. ^[4]

Place	Player	Score	To par	Money ($)
1	Pete Oakley	73-68-73-70=284	−4	289,153
T2	Tom Kite	71-71-74-69=285	−3	150,715
	Eduardo Romero	69-75-74-67=285
4	Mark James	72-70-74-70=286	−2	86,764
T5	Mark McNulty	72-69-74-72=287	−1	67,121
	Don Pooley	69-72-74-72=287
7	Bill Longmuir	71-71-76-72=290	+2	52,040
8	Carl Mason	70-71-81-69=291	+3	43,336
T9	Bobby Lincoln	78-69-73-72=292	+4	33,799
	Graham Marsh	76-73-72-71=292
	Bruce Summerhays	73-73-75-71=292
	Sam Torrance	72-73-78-69=292

Source: ^[2]

References

1. "The Senior Open Championship". The R&A. Archived from the original on 13 February 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
2. "The Senior Open Championship presented by MasterCard – Results". European Tour. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
3. "The Senior Open – Past Results". PGA Tour. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
4. "Unknown Oakley wins Senior British". ESPN. Associated Press. 25 July 2004. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
5. "Marsh calls historic feat 'freaky'". ESPN. Associated Press. 24 July 2004. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
6. "Senior British Open Championship presented by MasterCard – Course Card". European Tour. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
7. "Qualifying Results - Valley Links". European Tour. July 2004. Retrieved 28 April 2022.

External links

• Results on European Tour website
• Results on PGA Tour website

Preceded by 2004 Ford Senior Players Championship	Senior Major Championships	Succeeded by 2004 U.S. Senior Open

55°12′00″N6°38′06″W / 55.200°N 6.635°W / 55.200; -6.635