1959 Open Championship

Golf tournament

1959 Open ChampionshipTournament information

Dates| 1–3 July 1959
Location| Gullane, Scotland
Course(s)| Muirfield
Statistics
Par| 72[1]
Length| 6,806 yards (6,223 m)[2]
Field| 90 players, 48 after cut[3]
Cut| 148 (+4)
Prize fund| £5,000
$14,000
Winner's share| £1,000
$2,800
Champion
Gary Player
284 (−4)

← 1958

1960 →

Muirfield

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Location in Scotland

Muirfield

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Location in East Lothian, Scotland

The 1959 Open Championship was the 88th Open Championship, held 1–3 July at Muirfield Golf Links in Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland. Gary Player, age 23, shot a final round of 68 to win the first of his nine major titles, two strokes ahead of runners-up Fred Bullock and Flory Van Donck.[4][5] It was the first of Player's three Claret Jugs; he won again in 1968 and 1974.

Muirfield was originally scheduled to host in 1957, but it was transferred to St. Andrews because of petrol rationing following the "Suez Crisis" in late 1956. Muirfield was subsequently allocated the 1959 Championship.

Qualifying took place on 29–30 June, with 18 holes at Muirfield and 18 holes at the number 1 course of Gullane Golf Club.[6] There were no exemptions and the number of qualifiers was limited to a maximum of 100, and ties did not qualify. The qualifying score was 147 and 90 players advanced to the first round the next day; defending champion Peter Thomson led with 137 and won the £50 qualifying prize.[7][8] The maximum number of players making the cut after 36 holes was again set at 50, and ties did not make the cut.

The purse was increased to £5,000, up 150 from 4,850 in 1958; the winner's share remained unchanged at £1,000, but the prizes for second to fifth places were increased. Second place received £700, with 525 for third, 400 for fourth, and 325 for fifth.[9][10]

Only four Americans were in the field of 90 (Willie Goggin, Bob Sweeny, Bob Watson, and John Garrett) and none made the cut. Sweeny and Garrett were amateurs.[3][11]

## Course

[edit]

Main article: Muirfield

Hole | Yards | Par |     | Hole | Yards | Par

|
|
|
|
|
|

1 | 453 | 4 |  | 10 | 480 | 4
2 | 353 | 4 | 11 | 359 | 4
3 | 382 | 4 | 12 | 380 | 4
4 | 192 | 3 | 13 | 153 | 3
5 | 510 | 5 | 14 | 458 | 5
6 | 458 | 4 | 15 | 393 | 4
7 | 157 | 3 | 16 | 193 | 3
8 | 455 | 4 | 17 | 513 | 5
9 | 490 | 5 | 18 | 427 | 4
Out | 3,450 | 36 | In | 3,356 | 36
Source:[2] | Total | 6,806 | 72

## Round summaries

[edit]

### First round

[edit]

Wednesday, 1 July 1959

Fred Bullock and Arnold Stickley led after the first round on Wednesday at 68.[12] A number of amateurs made good starts, the best was Michael Bonallack at 70.

Place | Player | Score | To par

|
|
|

T1 |  Fred Bullock | 68 | −4
Arnold Stickley
3 |  Antonio Cerdá | 69 | −3
T4 |  Michael Bonallack (a) | 70 | −2
Sam King
Flory Van Donck
T7 |  Jimmy Adams | 71 | −1
Harry Bradshaw
Henry Cotton
Norman Drew
Reid Jack (a)
Reg Knight
Eddie Whitcombe

Source:[1][12]

### Second round

[edit]

Thursday, 2 July 1959

Bullock retained the lead after a second round 70 and Bonallack was one of four amateurs to make the cut. The three 'giants' Bobby Locke, Henry Cotton, and Thomson all made the cut, but all were eight or more strokes behind Bullock.[13][14]

Place | Player | Score | To par

|
|
|

1 |  Fred Bullock | 68-70=138 | −6
2 |  Flory Van Donck | 70-70=140 | −4
T3 |  Michael Bonallack (a) | 70-72=142 | −2
Reg Knight | 71-71=142
Arnold Stickley | 68-74=142
T6 |  Antonio Cerdá | 69-74=143 | −1
Tom Haliburton | 74-69=143
Jimmy Hitchcock | 75-68=143
Syd Scott | 73-70=143
T10 |  Sam King | 70-74=144 | E
Eric Lester | 73-71=144
John Panton | 72-72=144

Source:[13]

Amateurs: Bonallack (−2), Carr (+1), Jack (+2), Wolstenholme (+4),
Sweeny Jr (+7), Smith (+8), Garrett (+12), Dalziel (+13), Ferguson (+13), Stuart (+13).

### Third round

[edit]

Friday, 3 July 1959 - (morning)

Gary Player teed off at 9:04 am (and 1:34 pm), two hours before the leaders, who started at 11:04 am (and 3:34 pm). He was out in 37 in his morning round, but came home in 33 and was only four strokes behind the leaders after 54 holes. Amateur Reid Jack of Scotland posted 68 and was only two shots back.

Place | Player | Score | To par

|
|
|

T1 |  Fred Bullock | 68-70-74=212 | −4
Sam King | 70-74-68=212
T3 |  Jimmy Hitchcock | 75-68-70=213 | −3
Flory Van Donck | 70-70-73=213
T5 |  Michael Bonallack (a) | 70-72-72=214 | −2
Reid Jack (a) | 71-75-68=214
T7 |  John Panton | 72-72-71=215 | −1
Dai Rees | 73-73-69=215
Leopoldo Ruiz | 72-74-69=215
T10 |  Antonio Cerdá | 69-74-73=216 | E
Reg Knight | 71-71-74=216
Gary Player | 75-71-70=216
Syd Scott | 73-70-73=216

Source:[4]

### Final round

[edit]

Friday, 3 July 1959 - (afternoon)

Gary Player reached the last hole and a par four would have yielded a round of 66. However he drove into a bunker and three-putted for a double-bogey six, 68 for the round, and a total of 284. In the last group, Fred Bullock and Flory Van Donck both finished two shots behind Player. Reid Jack won the silver medal for leading amateur by finishing tied for fifth place, two ahead of Bonallack.[4][15]

Place | Player | Score | To par | Money (£)

|
|
|
|

1 |  Gary Player | 75-71-70-68=284 | −4 | 1,000
T2 |  Fred Bullock | 68-70-74-74=286 | −2 | 612
Flory Van Donck | 70-70-73-73=286
4 |  Syd Scott | 73-70-73-71=287 | −1 | 400
T5 |  Reid Jack (a) | 71-75-68-74=288 | E | –
Sam King | 70-74-68-76=288 | 258
Christy O'Connor Snr | 73-74-72-69=288
John Panton | 72-72-71-73=288
T9 |  Dai Rees | 73-73-69-74=289 | +1 | 137
Leopoldo Ruiz | 72-74-69-74=289

Source:[4]

Amateurs: Jack (E), Bonallack (+2), Wolstenholme (+3), Carr (+10).

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Two unknowns (68s) top British Open". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. 2 July 1959. p. 5, part 2.
2. ^ a b "The lay-out of the Muirfield course". Glasgow Herald. 29 June 1959. p. 6.
3. ^ a b "Media guide". The Open Championship. 2011. p. 77\. Archived from the original on 18 April 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
4. ^ a b c d Horne, Cyril (4 July 1959). "Open Championship for G.J. Player". Glasgow Herald. Scotland. p. 1.
5. ^ Longhurst, Henry (13 July 1959). "South Africans at Muirfield". Sports Illustrated.
6. ^ Horne, Cyril (29 June 1959). "Open Championship starts today". Glasgow Herald. Scotland. p. 1.
7. ^ Horne, Cyril (1 July 1959). "Holder leads 90 qualifiers for Open title". Glasgow Herald. Scotland. p. 9.
8. ^ "Thomson head Open golf qualifiers - Proud day for amateur players". The Times. London. 1 July 1959. p. 5.
9. ^ "Centenary Open Championship: prize money increased". Glasgow Herald. Scotland. 4 December 1959. p. 12.
10. ^ "Golf - Centenary Open Championship - Prize money increased". The Times. London. 4 December 1959. p. 12.
11. ^ "Four Americans Fail In British Open Golf". Plainfield Courier-News. New Jersey. Associated Press. 3 July 1959. p. 11 – via newspapers.com.
12. ^ a b Horne, Cyril (2 July 1959). "Bullock and Stickley lead after one round". Glasgow Herald. Scotland. p. 9.
13. ^ a b Horne, Cyril (3 July 1959). "Bullock half-way leader in Open golf". Glasgow Herald. Scotland. p. 9.
14. ^ "Few Open golf clues - Three giants still trailing - Bullock keeps lead". The Times. London. 3 July 1959. p. 3.
15. ^ "Player rises to challenge and wins Open golf - Advantage of U.S. experience tells in the end". The Times. London. 4 July 1959. p. 3.

## External links

[edit]

* 88th Open - Muirfield 1959 (Official site)

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