1936 Open Championship

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]

1936 Open Championship

Tournament information
Dates	25–27 June 1936
Location	Hoylake, England
Course(s)	Royal Liverpool Golf Club
Statistics
Par	74 [1]
Length	7,078 yards (6,472 m)[2]
Field	107 players, 62 after cut[3]
Cut	156 (+8)
Prize fund	£500
Winner's share	£100
Champion
Alf Padgham
287 (−9)

Hoylake

Location in England

Hoylake

Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, Merseyside, west of Liverpool, England

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.

Past champions in the field

Player	Country	Year won	R1	R2	R3	R4	Total	To par	Finish
Henry Cotton	England	1934	73	72	70	74	289	−7	T3
Gene Sarazen	United States	1932	73	75	70	73	291	−5	T5
Alf Perry	England	1935	76	76	80	79	311	+15	T50
Arthur Havers	England	1923	78	78	80	79	315	+19	60

Source:[3][5]

All past champions in the field made the cut.

Did not advance past qualifying rounds (Tuesday & Wednesday):

• George Duncan (1920) 157, Ted Ray (1912) 157,
  James Braid (1901, 1905, 1906, 1908, 1910) 163, Sandy Herd (1902) 164.[9][15]

Did not enter:

• Denny Shute (1933), Tommy Armour (1931), Bobby Jones (1926, 1927, 1930),
  Walter Hagen (1922, 1924, 1928, 1929), Jim Barnes (1925).[9][15][4]

Course

Hole	Name	Yards	Par		Hole	Name	Yards	Par
1	Course	435	4		10	Dee	455	5
2	Road	419	4		11	Alps	193	3
3	Long	480	5		12	Hilbre	464	5
4	New	158	3		13	Rushes	179	3
5	Telegraph	424	4		14	Field	511	5
6	Briars	438	4		15	Lake	443	4
7	Dowie	200	3		16	Dun	532	5
8	Far	527	5		17	Royal	419	4
9	Punch Bowl	393	4		18	Stand	408	4
Out		3,474	36		In		3,604	38
Source:[2][17]					Total		7,078	74

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, 25 June 1936

Place	Player	Country	Score	To par
1	Bill Cox	England	70	−4
2	Jimmy Adams	Scotland	71	−3
T3	Bill Davies	England	72	−2
	Jack McLean (a)	Scotland
	Reg Whitcombe	England
T6	Henry Cotton	England	73	−1
	Marcel Dallemagne	France
	Francis Francis (a)	England
	Alf Padgham	England
	Gene Sarazen	United States
	Charles Whitcombe	England

Source:[18]

Second round

Friday, 26 June 1936

Place	Player	Country	Score	To par
T1	Jimmy Adams	Scotland	71-73=144	−4
	Bill Cox	England	70-74=144
T3	Dick Burton	England	74-71=145	−3
	Henry Cotton	England	73-72=145
	Marcel Dallemagne	France	73-72=145
	Francis Francis (a)	England	73-72=145
	Alf Padgham	England	73-72=145
T8	Percy Alliss	England	74-72=146	−2
	Dick Burton	England	74-71=146
	Tom Green	Wales	74-72=146

Source:[2][16]

Third round

Saturday, 27 June 1936 (morning)

Place	Player	Country	Score	To par
T1	Jimmy Adams	Scotland	71-73-71=215	−7
	Henry Cotton	England	73-72-70=215
T3	Tom Green	Wales	74-72-70=216	−6
	Alf Padgham	England	73-72-71=216
5	Gene Sarazen	United States	73-75-70=218	−4
T6	Percy Alliss	England	74-72-74=220	−2
	Dick Burton	England	74-71-75=220
	Marcel Dallemagne	France	73-72-75=220
	Dai Rees	Wales	77-71-72=220
10	Bill Davies	England	72-76-73=221	−1

Source:[3][5]

Final round

Saturday, 27 June 1936 (afternoon)

Place	Player	Country	Score	To par	Money (£)
1	Alf Padgham	England	73-72-71-71=287	−9	100
2	Jimmy Adams	Scotland	71-73-71-73=288	−8	75
T3	Henry Cotton	England	73-72-70-74=289	−7	40
	Marcel Dallemagne	France	73-72-75-69=289
T5	Percy Alliss	England	74-72-74-71=291	−5	21 13s 4d
	Tom Green	Wales	74-72-70-75=291
	Gene Sarazen	United States	73-75-70-73=291
T8	Arthur Lacey	England	76-74-72-72=294	−2	15
	Bobby Locke (a)	South Africa	75-73-72-74=294		0
	Reg Whitcombe	England	72-77-71-74=294		15

Source:[3][5]

Amateurs: Locke (−2), Thomson (+3), Francis (+6), McLean (+10), Ferrier (+14), Flaherty (+14),
                 Woollam (+14), Roberts (+15), Pennink (+16), Timmis (+17), Walker (+18)

References

1. "Cox sets sizzling pace to take lead in Open golf play". Montreal Gazette. Canadian Press. 26 June 1936. p. 15.
2. "Cox, Adams in lead in title golf play with totals of 144". Montreal Gazette. Canadian Press. 27 June 1936. p. 15.
3. "Media guide". The Open Championship. 2011. p. 97. Archived from the original on 18 April 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
4. "Golf: Open Championship". Glasgow Herald. 22 June 1936. p. 6.
5. "How Padgham won". Glasgow Herald. 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. "9-under-par total scored by Padgham wins British Open". Montreal Gazette. Canadian Press. 29 June 1936. p. 18.
8. "British Open postponed by rainstorm". Chicago Daily Tribune. Associated Press. 23 June 1936. p. 18.
9. "Open golf bid by Cotton". Glasgow Herald. 25 June 1936. p. 11.
10. "Golf - A wash-out - Qualifying rounds postponed". The Times. 23 June 1936. p. 8.
11. "Golf stopped by storm". Glasgow Herald. 23 June 1936. p. 11.
12. "Golf: Scores that were cancelled". Glasgow Herald. 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". Glasgow Herald. 25 June 1936. p. 21.
16. "Keen finish in prospect at Hoylake". Glasgow Herald. 27 June 1936. p. 11.
17. "The course". Glasgow Herald. 22 June 1936. p. 6.
18. "Play in Open golf". Glasgow Herald. 26 June 1936. p. 13.

External links

• 71st Open - Royal Liverpool 1936 (Official site)
• 1936 Open Championship (GolfCompendium.com)