1936 Open Championship

1936 Open Championship
Tournament information
Dates25–27 June 1936
LocationHoylake, England
Course(s)Royal Liverpool Golf Club
Statistics
Par74[1]
Length7,078 yards (6,472 m)[2]
Field107 players, 62 after cut[3]
Cut156 (+8)
Prize fund£500
Winner's share£100
Champion
England Alf Padgham
287 (−9)
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Hoylake is located in England
Hoylake
Hoylake
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Location in England
Hoylake is located in Merseyside
Hoylake
Hoylake
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Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, Merseyside, west of Liverpool, England

The 1936 Open Championship was the 71st Open Championship, held 25–27 June at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, England.[4] Alf Padgham won his only major title, one stroke ahead of runner-up Jimmy Adams.[5][6][7]

Qualifying was scheduled for 22–23 June, Monday and Tuesday, with 18 holes at Royal Liverpool and 18 holes at Wallasey,[8][9] and the top 100 and ties qualified.[10] Heavy rain caused the first day's play to be abandoned;[11] a lightning bolt stunned three spectators and a caddy, and the greens were under water, some up to six inches (15 cm).[8] All the scores were voided;[12] Henry Cotton had completed his round of 67 at Wallasey before play was abandoned.[11][13] Tuesday proceeded as scheduled and the Monday round was played on Wednesday. Cotton led the qualifiers on 139, having scored 68 at Wallasey on the rearranged day, with Wally Smithers two shots behind on 141;[9][14] the qualifying score was 155 and 107 players advanced.[15] With the weather delay, the championship began on Thursday and concluded with two rounds on Saturday.[3]

After the second round on Friday, Bill Cox and Adams were tied for the lead, with five players a shot back, including Padgham and Henry Cotton.[2][16] The 36-hole cut was the top sixty and ties; it was at 156 (+8) and 62 advanced.

After the third round on Saturday morning, Adams and Cotton shared the lead, with Padgham and Tom Green a stroke behind. In the final round that afternoon, Padgham tied Adams for the lead at the turn. He made a four on the 17th, then made a 15-footer (4.5 m) for a three at the 18th to post a 287 total. Adams stood on the 17th knowing that he needed to play the last two holes in eight strokes to tie Padgham. His approach shot found a greenside bunker, and after he failed to get up-and-down he now needed a three on the 18th. He found the green in two, but his twelve-foot (3.7 m) putt lipped out and he finished a stroke behind Padgham. Cotton and Green were still on the course, but neither could mount a charge, giving Padgham the championship.[5][7]

Future four-time Open champion Bobby Locke tied for eighth in his major championship debut. Jim Ferrier, the winner of the PGA Championship in 1947, also played in his first major and finished 44th. Both were among the eleven amateurs to make the cut, with Locke as low amateur.

  1. ^ "Cox sets sizzling pace to take lead in Open golf play". Montreal Gazette. The Canadian Press. 26 June 1936. p. 15.
  2. ^ a b "Cox, Adams in lead in title golf play with totals of 144". Montreal Gazette. The Canadian Press. 27 June 1936. p. 15.
  3. ^ a b "Media guide". The Open Championship. 2011. p. 97. Archived from the original on 18 April 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  4. ^ "Golf: Open Championship". The Herald. Glasgow. 22 June 1936. p. 6.
  5. ^ a b "How Padgham won". The Herald. Glasgow. 29 June 1936. p. 11.
  6. ^ "Alf Padgham's 287 wins British Open golf crown". Miami Daily News. United Press. 27 June 1936. p. 6. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
  7. ^ a b "9-under-par total scored by Padgham wins British Open". Montreal Gazette. The Canadian Press. 29 June 1936. p. 18.
  8. ^ a b "British Open postponed by rainstorm". Chicago Daily Tribune. Associated Press. 23 June 1936. p. 18.
  9. ^ a b "Open golf bid by Cotton". The Herald. Glasgow. 25 June 1936. p. 11.
  10. ^ "Golf – A wash-out – Qualifying rounds postponed". The Times. 23 June 1936. p. 8.
  11. ^ a b "Golf stopped by storm". The Herald. Glasgow. 23 June 1936. p. 11.
  12. ^ "Golf: Scores that were cancelled". The Herald. Glasgow. 23 June 1936. p. 3.
  13. ^ "Golf – The Championships". The Times. 28 February 1936. p. 6.
  14. ^ "Golf – Open Championship – Some excellent performances". The Times. 25 June 1936. p. 7.
  15. ^ "Qualifiers for Open golf championship". The Herald. Glasgow. 25 June 1936. p. 21.
  16. ^ "Keen finish in prospect at Hoylake". The Herald. Glasgow. 27 June 1936. p. 11.