The 149th TheOpen would have been held this week at Royal St George’s. jacq_west looks back at the South African winners of this coveted golf Major | IOLsport
The 149th Open would have been held this week at Royal St George’s in the town of Sandwich in Kent, England. However, due to the coronavirus the world’s oldest Major has been cancelled and will now be played at the same venue next year.looks back at the times when Bobby Locke, Gary Player, Ernie Els and Louis Oosthuizen triumphed to become the champion golfer of the year and the winner of the gold medal.
Northern Ireland’s Fred Daly, the 1947 champion, led after each of the first three rounds and looked poised to win the Claret Jug for the second time, but a final round 76 saw him slip to third, two strokes back of Locke, who registered scores of 69, 71, 74 and 73 to win by one. Interestingly, only five Americans were in the field of 96 players.
Interestingly, there was a second cut in place at this Open, after 54 holes, and it stayed that way until 1985, while this was the first Open that all past champions were exempt from qualifying. It is also worth noting that in the same week that the Open was staged, the inaugural Greater Milwaukee Open was held in the USA, with a first prize of $40 000, over five times the winner’s share of the Open Championship, which was £3000.
Player led, or was tied for the lead, after each round after carding scores of 69, 68, 75 and 70. He banked £5 500 for the win. Another South African, Bobby Cole, also enjoyed a good Open. He was tied for second at the halfway point, but a third round 76 and final round 75 saw him finish in a tie for seventh at nine-over-par.It would be 28 years before South Africa delivered another Open champion.
Oosthuizen and McIlroy were in sizzling form on day one, recording scores of 65 and 63 respectively, but the South African took charge in the second round with a score of 67 to be 12-under-par at the halfway mark, five clear of his nearest rival. McIlroy’s second round 81 ultimately cost him the tournament.
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