1948 Open Championship


The 1948 Open Championship was the 77th Open Championship, held 30 June to 2 July at Muirfield in Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland. Henry Cotton, age 41, won his third and final Open title, five strokes ahead of runner-up and defending champion
Qualifying took place on 28–29 June, Monday and Tuesday, with 18 holes at Muirfield and 18 holes at the number 1 course Gullane. The number of qualifiers was limited to a maximum of 100, and ties for 100th place would not qualify.
Henry Cotton led on 138; the qualifying score was 152 and 97 players advanced. Cotton had led the qualification in 1935, the previous time the Open had been held at Muirfield.
Charlie Ward, Sam King, and Flory Van Donck shot 69 to share the first round lead. Cotton opened with a 71, then led by four strokes after a 66 in the second round, one off his own tournament record set in 1934. While scoring conditions in the first two rounds were ideal, with five other rounds of sub-70 in the second, the change in weather on the final day caused scores to soar. The maximum number of players making the cut after 36 holes was again set at 40, and ties for 40th place were not included. The cut was at 148 and 36 players advanced.
Over the final two rounds, the lowest round was 70. Cotton carded rounds of 75-72 to set a clubhouse lead of 284 that no one came close to matching. Fred Daly came closest with a 289, five shots behind.
Roberto De Vicenzo made his Open Championship debut and finished in third place. Over the next two years he followed with another third and a runner-up finish. He won the title nineteen years later, in 1967.

Past champions in the field

PlayerCountryYear wonR1R2R3R4TotalTo parFinish
Henry Cotton1934, 193771667572284E1
Fred Daly194772717373289+52
Alf Padgham193673707177291+6T7
Dick Burton193974707477295+11T18
Reg Whitcombe193877677774295+11T18
Alf Perry193577717673297+13T23

Source:
All past champions in the field made the cut.
Did not enter:

First round

Wednesday, 30 June 1948
PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
T1Sam King69−2
T1Flory Van Donck69−2
T1Charlie Ward69−2
T4Roberto De Vicenzo70−1
T4Frank Jowle70−1
T6Henry Cotton71E
T6Reg Horne71E
T6Norman Von Nida71E
T10Fred Daly72+1
T10Arthur Lacey72+1
T10Lawson Little72+1
T10Walter Lyle72+1
T10Norman Sutton72+1

Source:

Second round

Thursday, 1 July 1948
PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1Henry Cotton71-66=137−5
T2Sam King69-72=141−1
T2Charlie Ward69-72=141−1
T4Arthur Lees73-69=142E
T4Flory Van Donck69-73=142E
T6Fred Daly72-71=143+1
T6Roberto De Vicenzo70-73=143+1
T6Alf Padgham73-70=143+1
T6Norman Von Nida71-72=143+1
T10Dick Burton74-70=144+2
T10Jack Hargreaves76-68=144+2
T10Dai Rees73-71=144+2
T10Reg Whitcombe77-67=144+2

Source:

Third round

Friday, 2 July 1948
PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1Henry Cotton71-66-75=212−1
1Alf Padgham73-70-71=214+1
T3Roberto De Vicenzo70-73-72=215+2
T3Sam King69-72-74=215+2
T3Arthur Lees73-69-73=215+2
T3Flory Van Donck69-73-73=215+2
T7Fred Daly72-71-73=216+3
T7Charlie Ward69-72-75=216+3
T7Alan Waters75-71-70=216+3
10Jack Hargreaves76-68-73=217+4

Source:

Final round

Friday, 2 July 1948
PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo parMoney
1Henry Cotton71-66-75-72=284E150
2Fred Daly72-71-73-73=289+5100
T3Roberto De Vicenzo70-73-72-75=290+641 ¼
T3Jack Hargreaves76-68-73-73=290+641 ¼
T3Norman Von Nida71-72-76-71=290+641 ¼
T3Charlie Ward69-72-75-74=290+641 ¼
T7Johnny Bulla74-72-73-72=291+715
T7Sam King69-72-74-76=291+715
T7Alf Padgham73-70-71-77=291+715
T7Flory Van Donck69-73-73-76=291+715

Source: