1878 Open Championship

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1878 Open Championship
Tournament information
Dates4 October 1878
Location Prestwick, South Ayrshire, Scotland
Course(s) Prestwick Golf Club
Statistics
Field27 players [1]
Prize fundNot known
Winner's share£8
Champion
Flag of Scotland.svg Jamie Anderson
157
  1877
1879  
Scotland relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Prestwick

The 1878 Open Championship was the 18th Open Championship, held 4 October at Prestwick Golf Club in Prestwick, South Ayrshire, Scotland. Jamie Anderson won the Championship for the second successive year, by two strokes from runner-up Bob Kirk.

Contents

In overcast weather with some rain, James Morris took the early lead with a first round of 50. Jamie Anderson, Bob Kirk and the English amateur John Ball each scored 53, to be three shots behind. Morris began the second round badly and finished with a 56 for a total of 106. Anderson, with a second round of 53, was tied with him, while Bob Kirk and Tom Morris Sr. were both two strokes behind.

Morris was in the third group out and had a final round 55 for a total of 161. Playing a few groups behind, Anderson began his third round with two sevens, but thereafter played steadily. With Morris finished he was told that he needed to play the last four holes in 17 to tie with Morris. At the Burn Hole (the 9th) he holed a full iron shot for a three, followed this with a four at the 10th, and at the Short Hole (the 11th) his tee shot landed on top of the hill behind the green. The ball then ran down the hill and into the hole for a hole-in-one. A five at the last gave him a round of 51 and a total of 157. Bob Kirk, playing in the last group, was still in contention. On the last green he was told that if he holed his long putt he would tie Anderson. The putt lipped out and he missed the return putt but his score of 159 was enough to give him second place.

Final leaderboard

Source: [2] [3] [4]

Friday, 4 October 1878

PlacePlayerScoreMoney
1 Flag of Scotland.svg Jamie Anderson 53-53-51=157£8
2 Flag of Scotland.svg Bob Kirk 53-55-51=159£5
3 Flag of Scotland.svg James Morris 50-56-55=161£3
T4 Flag of England.svg John Ball (a)53-57-55=165Playoff
Flag of Scotland.svg Bob Martin 57-53-55=165
T6 Flag of Scotland.svg William Cosgrove 55-56-55=166
Flag of Scotland.svg Willie Park Sr. 53-56-57=166
8 Flag of Scotland.svg Jamie Allan 62-53-52=167
T9 Flag of Scotland.svg John Allan 55-55-58=168
Flag of Scotland.svg Tom Dunn 54-60-54=168

Playoff

Friday, 4 October 1878

Ball and Martin had a 12-hole playoff later the same day. Martin scored 55 to Ball's 64 and took fourth place. [3]

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References

  1. "Media guide". The Open Championship. 2011. p. 153. Archived from the original on 18 April 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  2. Brenner, Morgan G. (2009). The Majors of Golf: Complete Results of the Open, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and the Masters, 1860-2008. Vol. 1. McFarland. ISBN   978-0-7864-3360-5.
  3. 1 2 "Prestwick - Competition for the Championship". The Glasgow Herald. 5 October 1878. p. 7.
  4. "Championship Competition" . Dundee Evening Telegraph. 5 October 1878. Retrieved 22 December 2014 via British Newspaper Archive.

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