1923 Open Championship

The 1923 Open Championship was the 58th Open Championship, held 14–15 June at Troon Golf Club in Troon, South Ayrshire, Scotland. Arthur Havers holed a bunker shot on the 72nd hole to win his only major title, one stroke ahead of defending champion Walter Hagen,[3][4][5] who won the following year.

1923 Open Championship
Tournament information
Dates14–15 June 1923
LocationTroon, South Ayrshire, Scotland
Course(s)Troon Golf Club
Old Course
Statistics
Length6,415 yards (5,866 m)[1]
Field88 players[2]
Cutnone
Prize fund£200
Winner's share£75
Champion
Arthur Havers
295
Troon Golf Club
Location in Scotland
Troon Golf Club
Location in South Ayrshire, Scotland

Under the rotation system then in place, the Open should have been held at Muirfield. However some doubt existed "as to the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers being desirous of their course being used for the event"[6] and the Championship was moved to Troon, the first Open Championship to be played there. Troon hosted the Open for the second time in 1950, the first time the Open had been held in southwest Scotland since 1925 at nearby Prestwick.

Qualifying took place on 11–12 June, Monday and Tuesday, with 18 holes on the New (Portland) Course at Troon Golf Club and 18 holes on Troon Municipal Course number 2 (now called Lochgreen).[7][8][9] The top eighty and ties qualified. Albert Tingey Jr., Syd Wingate, and Charles Whitcombe led the field on 146; the qualifying score was 159 and 88 players advanced.[10][11]

Hagen was among the eleven who just qualified on 159, while future champions Jim Barnes (1925) and Gene Sarazen (1932) both scored 160 and missed out by a stroke.[10][11] After a 75 on Monday, Sarazen was in the first group out on the New Course on Tuesday morning; they had the worst of the rain and wind, and he shot 85.[10][11][12] Sarazen, age 21, already a winner of two majors, had won the Daily Dispatch Northern Professional Championship just ten days earlier at Lytham.[13][14] Six-time champion Harry Vardon was at 163;[10][11] it was the first time he did not play in an Open in over thirty years. Wednesday was an idle day.[15][16]

In the opening round on Thursday morning, Joe Kirkwood led with 72; after the second round that afternoon, Havers and Charles Whitcombe co-led at 146, with Hagen a stroke back.[17][18] In the two-day format, there was no cut after 36 holes.

Havers carded a third consecutive 73 on Friday morning to carry a two-stroke lead over Hagen into the final round that afternoon.[3][4][19] Hagen threatened the lead throughout the round, and when Havers found a bunker on his approach shot at the 18th it appeared as if the door was open for Hagen. Havers, however, chipped in from the bunker to post a 76 for 295. Hagen found the same bunker and needed to hole out to force a 36-hole playoff on Saturday, but his shot narrowly missed and he finished a shot behind Havers. Macdonald Smith finished a stroke behind Hagen in third place.[3][4][20]

After his win, Havers made a tour of the United States and defeated both Bobby Jones and Gene Sarazen in match play contests.

Past champions in the field
PlayerCountryYear(s) wonR1R2R3R4TotalFinish
Walter Hagen United States1922767174752962
George Duncan Scotland192079757474302T6
Ted Ray Jersey191279757377304T12
Sandy Herd Scotland190282757476307T22
J.H. Taylor England1894, 1895
1900, 1909, 1913		80787979316T44
James Braid Scotland1901, 1905,
1906, 1908, 1910		79857974317T49

Source:[2][3][4]

Did not advance past qualifying rounds (Monday & Tuesday):

Did not enter:

Venue

This was the first Open at Troon and its Old Course was changed significantly with the addition of sixty new banked-up bunkers. Its length was reduced slightly, from 6,439 to 6,415 yards (5,888 to 5,866 m); the 5th hole (Greenan) was reduced from 323 to 185 yards (295 to 169 m).

HoleNameYardsBogieHoleNameYardsBogie
1Seal350410Sandhills4205
2Black Rock360511The Railway3154
3Gyaws385412The Fox3855
4Dunure450513Burmah3504
5Greenan185414Alton1753
6Turnberry580615Crosbie4355
7Tel-el-Kebir370416Well5606
8Ailsa120317Rabbit2203
9The Monk385518Craigend3704
Out3,18540In3,23039
Source:[16][21][22]Total6,41579

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, 14 June 1923 (morning)

PlacePlayerCountryScore
1Joe Kirkwood Australia72
T2Tom Fernie Scotland73
Arthur Havers England
Hugh Roberts Wales
5Robert Scott Jr. (a) Scotland74
T6George Buckle England75
Charles Gadd England
Jimmy McDowall Scotland
T9Frank Ball England76
Fred Collins England
Walter Hagen United States
James MacKenzie Scotland

Source:[2][17][18]

Second round

Thursday, 14 June 1923 (afternoon)

PlacePlayerCountryScore
T1Arthur Havers England73-73=146
Charles Whitcombe England70-76=146
3Walter Hagen United States76-71=147
4Gordon Lockhart Scotland78-71=149
5Robert Scott Jr. (a) Scotland74-76=150
T6Tom Fernie Scotland73-78=151
Joe Kirkwood Australia72-79=151
Tom Walton England77-74=151
9Johnny Farrell United States79-73=152
T10Frank Ball England76-77=153
Sid Brews England77-76=153
Macdonald Smith Scotland
 United States		80-73=153
Willie Watt Scotland76-77=153

Source:[2][17][18]

Third round

Friday, 15 June 1923 (morning)

PlacePlayerCountryScore
1Arthur Havers England73-73-73=219
T2Joe Kirkwood Australia72-79-69=220
Charles Whitcombe England70-76-74=220
4Walter Hagen United States76-71-74=221
5Macdonald Smith Scotland
 United States		80-73-69=222
T6Sid Brews England77-76-72=225
Tom Fernie Scotland73-78-74=225
Gordon Lockhart Scotland78-71-76=225
Willie Watt Scotland70-76-74=225
T10Fred Collins England76-78-72=226
Abe Mitchell England77-77-72=226

Source:[2][3][4]

Final round

Friday, 15 June 1923 (afternoon)

PlacePlayerCountryScoreMoney (£)
1Arthur Havers England73-73-73-76=29575
2Walter Hagen United States76-71-74-75=29640
3Macdonald Smith Scotland
 United States		80-73-69-75=29725
4Joe Kirkwood Australia72-79-69-78=29815
5Tom Fernie Scotland73-78-74-75=30010
T6George Duncan Scotland79-75-74-74=3028
15s
Charles Whitcombe England70-76-74-82=302
T8Herbert Jolly Guernsey79-75-75-74=3034
7s 6d
James MacKenzie Scotland76-78-74-75=303
Abe Mitchell England77-77-72-77=303
Willie Watt Scotland76-77-72-78=303

Source:[2][3][4][23]

Amateurs: R. Scott (307), Tolley (313), Soulby (315), Caven (325), E. Scott (328), Watson (330)

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References
  1. "Troon Old Course". The Times. 11 June 1923. p. 7.
  2. "Media guide". The Open Championship. 2011. p. 114. Archived from the original on 18 April 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2017.
  3. "British win". Glasgow Herald. 16 June 1923. p. 9.
  4. Skene, Don (16 June 1923). "Boyish Havers captures Open; Yankees 2d, 3d". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 11.
  5. McNutt, Patterson (16 June 1923). "Hagen, U.S. golfer, loses British Open crown to A.G. Havers". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. p. 6. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  6. "The Championships". The Times. 22 May 1922. p. 22.
  7. "The "Open" - Troon's great week of golf". Glasgow Herald. 11 June 1923. p. 9.
  8. "Qualifying play at Troon". Glasgow Herald. 12 June 1923. p. 9.
  9. Skene, Don (12 June 1923). "Braid, 5 times British champ, leads at Troon". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 21.
  10. "Golf at Troon - Sarazen and Barnes fail to qualify". 13 June 1923. p. 11.
  11. Skene, Don (13 June 1923). "6 Yanks qualify at Troon; Hagen in, Sarazen out". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 19.
  12. "The Open Golf Championship - Qualifying Scores". The Times. 13 June 1923. p. 6.
  13. "Northern Championship – An American victory". Glasgow Herald. 2 June 1923. p. 15.
  14. "Gene, Hagen win in British golf match". Chicago Daily Tribune. Associated Press. 2 June 1923. p. 13.
  15. "Open Championship - the real business to-day". Glasgow Herald. 14 June 1923. p. 10.
  16. Skene, Don (14 June 1923). "Smith and Hagen American hopes at Troon today". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 24.
  17. "The Open - brilliant golf at Troon". Glasgow Herald. 15 June 1923. p. 9.
  18. Skene, Don (15 June 1923). "Brilliant rally places Hagen third at Troon". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 19.
  19. McNutt, Patterson (15 June 1923). "Havers leads British Open golf tourney with 219 for 54 holes". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. p. 42. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  20. "Hagen is eliminated in British Open tourney". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. 15 June 1923. p. 12. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  21. "The Course for the Open Golf Championship". Dundee Evening Telegraph. 8 June 1923. Retrieved 27 July 2015 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  22. "Final day's card at Troon". Chicago Daily Tribune. 16 June 1923. p. 11.
  23. "British Win - Prize List and Aggregates". The Glasgow Herald. 16 June 1923. p. 10.

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