Open Championship winners at St Andrews Old Course - 1873 to 1955

Introduction

The Open has been hosted at St Andrews Old Course more than any other. It has been contested 29 times and is scheduled to return for the 30th time, for the 150th Open in 2022.

13th Open 1873 Tom Kidd, Scotland – Kidd was born in St Andrews in 1848. This was the first time the Open Championship was played on an 18-hole course and Kidd was the first to win on St Andrews Old Course. There was a record entry of 26 players for two rounds of 18 holes. He was a great driver of the ball and fine teacher of beginners. He was said to be the first player to use a ribbed iron to achieve backspin. Kidd won £11.

16th Open 1876 Bob Martin, Scotland – Martin was born just outside of St Andrews at Cupar in 1853. He was noted as a lengthy hitter. Due to a debatable ruling Bob Martin finished in a tie for first. In protest, his opponent Davie Strath refused to participate in a playoff saying that the dispute should be settled first. Martin walked the course and became the Open Champion. He won £10 and Strath £5 second prize.

19th Open 1879 Jamie Anderson, Scotland - Anderson was a native of St Andrews born in 1842. He was the second golfer ever to win ‘The Open’ three consecutive years. With this win, Jamie Anderson became the first person to break 170 in the Open Championship. He was a friend of ‘Young Tom Morris’ and they frequently formed a formidable playing partnership. He led by two after the first 18, and wound up winning by three strokes to make it three in a row and winning £10.

22nd Open 1882 Bob Ferguson, Scotland -- Ferguson was from Musselburgh and the first non St Andrean to win the Open on the Old Course. This was the third straight Open Championship for Ferguson. He was a determined player who could use  power and precision and could cope with poor weather.  He won £12.

25th Open 1885 Bob Martin, Scotland –This was second of Martin's Open Championship wins at his home course St Andrews. He was known for his use of a ‘cleek’ from various distances. A cleek had a thin iron head with a wooden shaft. He used it a great deal particularly for a run up shot. Following his walkover in 1876 he won by one stroke beating a young Archie Simpson from Earlsferry and earned £10.

28th Open 1888 Jack Burns, Scotland – Burns was a native of St Andrews and son of an Irish Labourer. He moved to Warwick, England in 1887 to become the golf professional and greenskeeper at the newly formed Warwickshire Golf Club. He returned to St Andrews to win the Open Championship in difficult conditions. His score was re-added and gave him a one-stroke victory over Ben Sayers. He was an adventurous player, delightful to watch. The £8 prize of his major championship title did not make him a fortune. He moved back to St Andrews in 1891 to work on the railways, but he carried on caddying.

31st Open 1891 Hugh Kirkaldy, Scotland – Kirkaldy was usually considered less of a golfer than his brother known as Andra. However, he played with a full fast swing and did not hold back which the spectators loved. He had recently played the course in 74. In poor stormy weather he had two rounds of 83 and his 166 had set the tournament record. He beat his brother Andrew and Willie Fernie of Troon by two shots. This was to be the last Open Championship over 36 holes. The winners share was £10. He died just 6 years later at the age of 28.

35th Open 1895 J.H. Taylor England – Taylor played his golf at Westward Hoe! He was from Northam In North Devon. Born into a working class family, and orphaned as a boy, he began work as a caddie and labourer at the Royal North Devon Golf Club (often known as Westward Ho!) at the age of eleven. He was the first Englishman to win ‘The Open’ at St Andrews. He played particularly well in the wind a general feature at his home course. Taylor’s second round of 78 in the 1895 Open Championship was the first “sub-80” round ever recorded in competition on St Andrews Old Course. It was the first Open to be played over two days, 36 holes each day making 72 holes. The winners share was £30.

40th Open 1900 J.H. Taylor England - He was the first multiple winner of ‘The Open’ at St Andrews. This open marked the first time the "Great Triumvirate" finished 1-2-3. That name referred to three golfers who dominated the game for a long period. From 1894 to 1914, J.H. Taylor, Harry Vardon, and James Braid collectively won 16 Open Championships. This was Taylor's third of five Open Championships. Taylor was one of the creators of the modern game of golf and judged to be one of the best golfers of all time. He was also a highly regarded golf course architect. In 1901 he was co-founder and first Chairman of the British PGA, the first association for Professional Golfers in the world. Taylor was prominent in the Open for 33 years from age 22 in 1893, until age 55 in 1926. His five Open victories all took place before the First World War. His work to improve conditions for professional golfers was recognised by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club who in 1950 made him an  Honorary Member of the club.

45th Open 1905 - James Braid Scotland – Braid was born at Earlsferry just a few miles from St Andrews and learnt his trade as a joiner, ideal for a future clubmaker. He worked as a clubmaker in London before turning professional. This was the first Open to be played over three days, with 36 holes on the last day. Initially he had problems with his putting but solved the difficulty when he switched to an aluminium putter in 1900. This was Braid's second of five Open Championships. He scored 318 winning by five strokes from Rowland Jones and J.H. Taylor from England. The winners share was £50.

50th Open 1910 - James Braid Scotland - This Open was the last of Braid's five Open Championships. He scored 299 winning by four shots from Sandy Herd of Scotland. With this win he became the first person to break 300 in a four-round Open at St Andrews Old Course. He worked with Taylor to found the British PGA and did a great deal to help the professional golfers. He was also made an Honorary member of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club for his service to the game. He is also a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame. The winners share was £50. He went on to have a very successful career in golf course design.

56th Open 1921 - Jock Hutchison USA -  He was born in St Andrews Scotland and learnt his golf there.  Hutchison had emigrated to the U.S.A. and by 1921 had become a U.S. citizen. He was therefore the first American citizen to win the Open Championship and this started a period of U.S. dominance. He was not considered a challenger for the trophy but started well in the first round holing for and ace at the eighth, then his drive lipping the hole at the ninth. He finished the round with 72. He lost his lead after the third round but a final round of 70 tied him with amateur Roger Wetherall. He won the play off comfortably by nine shots. The winners share was £75. He kept in touch with St Andrews and the Jock Hutchinson Cup is played for annually by St Andrews Golf Club.

62nd Open 1927 Bobby Jones U.S.A. -  Jones first visit to St Andrews was not a happy one in 1921. He tore up his card and walked off after playing poorly. All was forgiven six years later in 1927 when he became the first Amateur to win at St Andrews and first amateur to win back-to-back Open Championships. The weather was good and the course in excellent condition. He led from start to finish and won shooting 285 and seven under par. This was the lowest score at either a U.S. Open or Open Championship at the time. He ended up winning the tournament by a decisive six strokes. This win marked Bobby Jones's first Open championship win at St Andrews, his second straight Open Championship, fourth professional major, and his 7th career major (he was a three-time winner of the U.S. Amateur). As an amateur, Jones received no prize money. Aubrey Boomer and Fred Robson finished in a tie for second, and the winners and second place share of £75 for first place and £50 for second place were combined and divided into two, so each player earned 62 pounds and 10 shillings. Jones was made a Honarary member of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club when he Captained the US team in the Eisenhower Trophy  match. He was also made a Freeman of the City. After he died in 1971 the tenth hole of St Andrews Old Course was named after him.

68th Open 1933 Denny Shute U.S.A. – Denny Shute and  Craig Wood only just managed to qualify for the Open with two shots to spare. However straight and steady progress through the rounds led them to a playoff of 36 holes. Gene Sarazen had a chance to win his second consecutive Claret Jug but he rolled his ball into the devilish hazard of Hells Bunker. Sarazen wound up making a triple-bogey 8, finishing a single stroke shy of getting into a playoff. Leo Diegel could have joined them but he missed his finishing putt on the 72nd hole, finishing one shot off the lead. Shute won the Open title by five strokes in a playoff. The winners share was £100.

74th Open 1939 Dick Burton England - Burton, a former loom weaver is mainly remembered for winning The Open Championship in 1939, when it was played on the Old Course at St Andrews in Scotland He then held the Open title for the longest time from 1939 till after World War II. He played for Great Britain in the Ryder Cup in 1935, 1937, and 1949. Burton had started out as a caddie at Darwen Golf Club then was greensman and Club Professional. Three rounds of 70, 72 and 77 put in him contention. Burton started his final round knowing he needed to score 72 or better to win the title. He went out in 35 and played cautiously on the inward nine. He needed four to win at the last and hit a good drive and pitched to 15 feet. His putt looked too fast but it dropped into the hole for a closing birdie. A 71 left him on 290 to win by two shots from Johnny Bulla. Burton was the sixth British Open winner in a row since Denny Shute had won the last Open at St Andrews in 1933.

75th Open 1946 Sam Snead U.S.A. – Snead was 34 when he came to St Andrews without a great record in ‘The Open’ having come eleventh at Carnoustie in 1937. He did however have a steady record as a money winner. After three rounds he was well placed being tied on 215 with Johnny Bulla, Dai Rees and Henry Cotton. In the final round Bulla scored 79, Rees 80 and Sam Snead won comfortably in challenging conditions with a 75. This was his only win of Claret Jug as St Andrews hosted the first post-war Open. Even though Sam Snead won the first Open Championship to be played since 1939, he was out of pocket generally because of the high travel expenses, his winner's share was £150. He could be abrasive at times and it is said that he gave the winners money to his caddie.

84th Open 1955 -  Peter Thomson Australia – Thompson was a great favourite at St Andrews where he had his second win of five open Championship successes. First at Birkdale then St Andrews followed later at Hoylake, Lytham and Birkdale. He had been the runner up to Bobby Locke and Ben Hogan in 1952 and 1953 respectively. At St Andrews Thompson first met his colourful caddie Wallace (Guy) Gillespie who shared some of his open triumphs. He shot 71, 68, 70, 72. Thomson enhanced his reputation as one of the finest links players by posting a record winning score of 281, better than the previous mark set by Bobby Jones in 1927. This was two shots better than runner up Johny Fallon. It was the first Championship to be televised on the BBC. His winner's share was £1,000.

Frank Jowle was a golfer who made a great impression at St Andrew. In a qualifying round for the Open on the New Course he shot a fantastic 63. If only this round could have been counted as his first round he would have been the overall winner. A witty golf writer referring to his 63 headlined “A bit of cheek by Jowle.”