1922 Open Championship

1922 Open Championship
Tournament information
Dates22–23 June 1922
LocationSandwich, England
Course(s)Royal St George's Golf Club
Statistics
Field80 players[1]
Cutnone
Prize fund£200
Winner's share£75
Champion
United States Walter Hagen
300
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Sandwich  is located in England
Sandwich 
Sandwich 
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Location in England
Sandwich is located in Kent
Sandwich
Sandwich
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Location in Kent. England

The 1922 Open Championship was the 57th Open Championship, played 22–23 June at Royal St George's Golf Club in Sandwich, England. Walter Hagen became the first American-born winner of the Open Championship, one stroke ahead of runners-up Jim Barnes and George Duncan.[2][3][4] It was the first of Hagen's four Open Championships and the fourth of his eleven major titles.

Qualifying took place on 19–20 June, Monday and Tuesday, with 18 holes at St. George's and 18 holes at Prince's;[5][6] the top eighty and ties qualified. Hagen and Joe Kirkwood led the field on 147; the qualifying score was 161 and exactly 80 players advanced.[7][8][9] Wednesday was an idle day, which included a driving contest.[10][11]

Hagen, the winner over Barnes in the PGA Championship finals in 1921, was the 36-hole leader at 149, two strokes ahead of Duncan, Barnes, and five-time champion J.H. Taylor.[12][13] In the two-day format, there was not a cut after 36 holes.

In the third round on Friday morning, defending champion Jock Hutchison shot 73 and moved to the lead, one shot ahead of Taylor and Jean Gassiat, and two shots over Hagen and Barnes.[14] Despite a seven on the fourth hole, Hutchison carded a 36 on the front nine of the final round,[15] but a 40 on the final nine led to a 76 and a fourth-place finish in his second and last Open.[2][3][16]

Hagen and Barnes battled for the championship, but Barnes' 73 was one off Hagen's 72, his lowest round of the championship. Duncan, the 1920 champion, shot an 81 in the third round and fell six strokes back into a tie for tenth, then rebounded with a 69 in the afternoon to climb the leaderboard and tie Barnes for second. Taylor and Gassiat shot high scores in the final round and dropped to sixth and seventh, respectively.

For the final time, two members of the Great Triumvirate finished in the top-10 at the Open Championship; Taylor, age 51, finished sixth and six-time champion Harry Vardon, age 52, tied for eighth. The third member, James Braid, missed qualifying on Tuesday by a stroke.[7]

  1. ^ "Media guide". The Open Championship. 2011. p. 117. Archived from the original on 18 April 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  2. ^ a b "The Open golf championship – Walter Hagen wins". Glasgow Herald. 24 June 1922. p. 5.
  3. ^ a b Richards, I. (24 June 1922). "Hagen, Yankee bred, takes British Open". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 11.
  4. ^ "British golf title won by Walter Hagen". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. 24 June 1922. p. 6. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
  5. ^ "The "Open" – qualifying round in golf championship". Glasgow Herald. 20 June 1922. p. 10.
  6. ^ Richards, I. (21 June 1922). "Jock Hutchison with 71, leader in British Open". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 14.
  7. ^ a b "The "Open" – Hagen and Kirkwood lead the field". Glasgow Herald. 21 June 1922. p. 12.
  8. ^ Richards, I. (21 June 1922). "Trio of Yankee stars qualify in British golf". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 24.
  9. ^ "The Open Golf Championship – Qualifying Scores". The Times. 21 June 1922. p. 7.
  10. ^ "The "Open" – Last phase of golf championship". Glasgow Herald. 22 June 1924. p. 12.
  11. ^ Richards, I. (22 June 1922). "Pros oppose driving trials; Hagen loser". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 11.
  12. ^ "The Open golf championship – Walter Hagen leads". Glasgow Herald. 23 June 1922. p. 14.
  13. ^ Richards, I. (23 June 1922). "Walter Hagen leads field in British Open golf play". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 16.
  14. ^ "Walter Hagen captures British golf title". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. 24 June 1922. p. 8. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
  15. ^ "Hagen is sure winner, belief". Milwaukee Sentinel. United Press International. 23 June 1922. p. 9. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
  16. ^ "Walter Hagen wins British Open when Yank golfers sweep field". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. 24 June 1922. p. 14.