1983 Open Championship

Last updated

1983 Open Championship
Tournament information
Dates14–17 July 1983
Location Southport, England
Course(s) Royal Birkdale Golf Club
Tour(s) European Tour
PGA Tour
Statistics
Par71 [1]
Length6,968 yards (6,372 m) [1]
Field151 players
83 after 1st cut
63 after 2nd cut [1]
Cut146 (+4) (1st cut)
217 (+4) (2nd cut) [1]
Prize fund £400,000
$600,000
Winner's share£40,000
$60,000
Champion
Flag of the United States.svg Tom Watson
275 (−9)
  1982
1984  
England relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Southport
Location map United Kingdom Southport.svg
Red pog.svg
Royal Birkdale Golf Club

The 1983 Open Championship was a men's major golf championship and the 112th Open Championship, held from 14 to 17 July at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England. It was the sixth time the course had hosted, with the first in 1954.

Contents

Defending champion Tom Watson won his fifth Open Championship, one stroke ahead of runners-up Andy Bean and Hale Irwin. [2] [3] It was his second consecutive Open win and third in the last four, [4] but was helped by Irwin "whiffing" a one-inch putt on the 14th hole on the third day, which cost him a chance of a play-off with Watson for the tournament. [5]

At age 33, this was Watson's eighth and final major title; he had won three of the last six majors, but had not won any event for twelve months. [6] [5]

Watson was the fifth to win five Open Championships, last accomplished in 1965 by Peter Thomson, also at Royal Birkdale. He was the first to successfully defend the title in over a decade, since Lee Trevino in 1972 at Muirfield. [2] Of his five Open wins, this was the only one outside Scotland. [7] [8]

Seven years earlier at Royal Birkdale in 1976, defending champion Watson posted an 80 in the third round, finishing with a pair of sixes, and missed the 54-hole cut by a stroke. [9]

Course layout

Hole123456789Out101112131415161718InTotal
Yards4504234102063434681504704103,3303844111845051985424155264733,6386,968
Par444344344344435354543771

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, 14 July 1983

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
1 Flag of the United States.svg Craig Stadler 64−7
T2 Flag of Germany.svg Bernhard Langer 67−4
Flag of the United States.svg Bill Rogers
Flag of the United States.svg Tom Watson
T5 Flag of England.svg Nick Faldo 68−3
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mike Ferguson
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Vaughan Somers
Flag of the United States.svg Hal Sutton
Flag of Scotland.svg Sam Torrance
T10 Flag of Ireland.svg Eamonn Darcy 69−2
Flag of England.svg David Dunk
Flag of the United States.svg Hubert Green
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Graham Marsh
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Philip Parkin (a)
Flag of the United States.svg Lee Trevino

Source: [10] [11] [12]

Second round

Friday, 15 July 1983

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
1 Flag of the United States.svg Craig Stadler 64-70=134−8
T2 Flag of the United States.svg Lee Trevino 69-66=135−7
Flag of the United States.svg Tom Watson 67-68=135
4 Flag of England.svg Nick Faldo 68-68=136−6
5 Flag of the United States.svg Hale Irwin 69-68=137−5
T6 Flag of the United States.svg Raymond Floyd 72-66=138−4
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Terry Gale 72-66=138
Flag of the United States.svg Bill Rogers 67-71=138
T9 Flag of the United States.svg Andy Bean 70-69=139−3
Flag of England.svg Denis Durnian 73-66=139
Flag of Germany.svg Bernhard Langer 67-72=139
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Graham Marsh 69-70=139
Flag of the United States.svg Hal Sutton 68-71=139

Source: [13] [14]
Amateurs: Parkin (+5), Gilford (+7), Plaxton (+12), Thompson (+12), Wood (+12), Hamer (+13), Thomas (+13), Crosby (+17).

Third round

Saturday, 16 July 1983

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
1 Flag of the United States.svg Tom Watson 67-68-70=205−8
2 Flag of the United States.svg Craig Stadler 64-70-72=206−7
T3 Flag of England.svg Nick Faldo 68-68-71=207−6
Flag of the United States.svg Raymond Floyd 72-66-69=207
Flag of Australia (converted).svg David Graham 71-69-67=207
6 Flag of the United States.svg Lee Trevino 69-66-73=208−5
T7 Flag of the United States.svg Andy Bean 70-69-70=209−4
Flag of the United States.svg Hale Irwin 69-68-72=209
Flag of Zimbabwe.svg Mark McNulty 72-69-68=209
Flag of the United States.svg Fuzzy Zoeller 71-71-67=209

Source: [1] [15]

Final round

Sunday, 17 July 1983

PlacePlayerScoreTo parMoney (£)
1 Flag of the United States.svg Tom Watson 67-68-70-70=275−940,000
T2 Flag of the United States.svg Andy Bean 70-69-70-67=276−823,000
Flag of the United States.svg Hale Irwin 69-68-72-67=276
4 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Graham Marsh 69-70-74-64=277−715,000
5 Flag of the United States.svg Lee Trevino 69-66-73-70=278−613,600
T6 Flag of Spain.svg Seve Ballesteros 71-71-69-68=279−512,250
Flag of South Africa (1982-1994).svg Harold Henning 71-69-70-69=279
T8 Flag of England.svg Denis Durnian 73-66-74-67=280−49,625
Flag of England.svg Nick Faldo 68-68-71-73=280
Flag of Ireland.svg Christy O'Connor Jnr 72-69-71-68=280
Flag of the United States.svg Bill Rogers 67-71-73-69=280

Source: [1] [16]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Media guide". The Open Championship. 2011. pp. 51, 203. Archived from the original on 18 April 2012. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  2. 1 2 Paul, Ian (18 July 1983). "Watson picks up Open trophy − then drops it". Glasgow Herald. p. 1.
  3. Husar, John (18 July 1983). "Watson flashes the V sign". The Chicago Tribune. p. 3, sec. 4.
  4. Radosta, John (18 July 1983). "Watson's birdie on 16th vaults him to 5th British Open crown". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Florida. (New York Times). p. 12B.
  5. 1 2 Jenkins, Dan (25 July 1983). "Breaking clear of the crowd". Sports Illustrated. p. 12.
  6. "Watson wins 5th in Britain". Youngstown Vindicator. (Ohio). Associated Press. 25 July 1983. p. 15.
  7. "Tom Watson's four championships in the British Open". Chicago Tribune. 17 July 1983. p. 5, sec. 3.
  8. Husar, John (18 July 1983). "Watson strangles that choker label". The Chicago Tribune. p. 1, sec. 4.
  9. "Ballesteros holds off world's best". Glasgow Herald. 10 July 1976. p. 16.
  10. Husar, John (15 July 1983). "Stadler putts way into British lead". The Chicago Tribune. p. 2, sec. 3.
  11. Jacobs, Raymond (15 July 1983). "Faldo steps out of Stadler's shadow". Glasgow Herald. p. 22.
  12. "Stadler's 64 puts him 3-up in British Open". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. (Florida). Associated Press. 15 July 1983. p. 16B.
  13. Jacobs, Raymond (16 July 1983). "Gallant Faldo mounts close but lonely vigil". Glasgow Herald. p. 16.
  14. Husar, John (15 July 1983). "Stadler holds on to lead". The Chicago Tribune. p. 3, sec. 2.
  15. Husar, John (17 July 1983). "Watson overcomes 'hazard'". The Chicago Tribune. p. 5, sec. 3.
  16. "1983 Open Championship results". databasegolf.com. Retrieved 12 July 2012.

Coordinates: 53°37′19″N3°01′59″W / 53.622°N 3.033°W / 53.622; -3.033