1974 Open Championship

The 1974 Open Championship was the 103rd Open Championship, held from 10 to 13 July at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club in Lancashire, England. Gary Player won his third Open Championship, four strokes ahead of runner-up Peter Oosterhuis.[2][3] It was the eighth of his nine major titles and second of the year; he won the Masters in April.[4] In the other two majors in 1974, the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship, Player had top ten finishes.

1974 Open Championship
Tournament information
Dates10–13 July 1974
LocationLancashire, England
Course(s)Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club
Tour(s)European Tour
PGA Tour
Statistics
Par71[1]
Length6,822 yards (6,238 m)[1]
Field154 players
81 after 1st cut
60 after 2nd cut[1]
Cut156 (+14) (1st cut)
231 (+18) (2nd cut)[1]
Prize fund£50,000[1]
$120,000
Winner's share£5,500[1]
$13,200
Champion
South Africa Gary Player
282 (−2)
← 1973
1975 →
Lytham & St Annes is located in England
Lytham & St Annes
Lytham &
St Annes
Lytham & St Annes is located in Lancashire
Lytham & St Annes
Lytham &
St Annes
Location in Lancashire. England

The use of the larger "American ball" (diameter 1.68 in, 42.67 mm) was made compulsory. In previous Opens, players could use the smaller "British ball" (1.62 in, 41.15 mm).[5][6][7]

Course layout

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Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Out 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 In Total
Yards 206 436 458 393 212 486 551 394 162 3,298 334 542 201 339 445 468 356 453 386 3,524 6,822
Par 3 4 4 4 3 5 5 4 3 35 4 5 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 36 71

Source:[8]
Previous lengths of the course for The Open Championship (since 1950):[1]

  • 1969: 6,848 yards (6,262 m)
  • 1963: 6,836 yards (6,251 m)
  • 1958: 6,635 yards (6,067 m)
  • 1952: 6,657 yards (6,087 m)

Round summaries

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First round

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Wednesday, 10 July 1974

Place Player Score To par
T1   John Morgan 69 −2
  Gary Player
T3   Bobby Cole 70 −1
  Danny Edwards
T5   Hubert Green 71 E
  John O'Leary
  Peter Oosterhuis
T8   David Chillas 72 +1
  Neil Coles
  Lu Liang-Huan
  Johnny Miller
  Tom Weiskopf

Source:[9]

Second round

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Thursday, 11 July 1974

Place Player Score To par
1   Gary Player 69-68=137 −5
T2   Bobby Cole 70-72=142 E
  Peter Oosterhuis 71-71=142
4   Danny Edwards 70-73=143 +1
T5   Lu Liang-Huan 72-72=144 +2
  John Morgan 69-75=144
  Tom Weiskopf 72-72=144
8   Hubert Green 71-74=145 +3
T9   Al Geiberger 76-70=146 +4
  Noel Hunt 73-73=146
  Jack Nicklaus 74-72=146

Amateurs: Lyle (+10), James (+16), Clark (+21), Burch (+22), Homer (+23), Shaw (+31).

Third round

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Friday, 12 July 1974

Place Player Score To par
1   Gary Player 69-68-75=212 −1
2   Peter Oosterhuis 71-71-73=215 +2
3   Jack Nicklaus 74-72-70=216 +3
4   Hubert Green 71-74-72=217 +4
T5   Bobby Cole 70-72-76=218 +5
  Tom Weiskopf 72-72-74=218
T7   Danny Edwards 70-73-76=219 +6
  Lu Liang-Huan 72-72-75=219
T9   Johnny Miller 72-75-73=220 +7
  John Morgan 69-75-76=220

Source:[10]
Amateurs: Lyle (+23), James (+24).

Final round

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Saturday, 13 July 1974

Place Player Score To par Money (£)
1   Gary Player 69-68-75-70=282 −2 5,500
2   Peter Oosterhuis 71-71-73-71=286 +2 4,000
3   Jack Nicklaus 74-72-70-71=287 +3 3,250
4   Hubert Green 71-74-72-71=288 +4 2,750
T5   Danny Edwards 70-73-76-73=292 +8 2,300
  Lu Liang-Huan 72-72-75-73=292
T7   Bobby Cole 70-72-76-75=293 +9 1,717
  Donald Swaelens 77-73-74-69=293
  Tom Weiskopf 72-72-74-75=293
10   Johnny Miller 72-75-73-74=294 +10 1,500

Source:[3][11]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Media guide". The Open Championship. 2011. pp. 62, 203. Archived from the original on 18 April 2012. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  2. ^ Jenkins, Dan (22 July 1974). "Gary Player's Expo". Sports Illustrated. p. 18.
  3. ^ a b "Player wins Open, sets sights on Jack". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. 14 July 1974. p. 1B.
  4. ^ "Player determined to be No. 1". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. 15 July 2012. p. 3, sec 2.
  5. ^ "R&A made bigger ball compulsory". The Times. 22 January 1974. p. 10.
  6. ^ Jacobs, Raymond (22 January 1974). "American-size ball compulsory in Open". Glasgow Herald. p. 4.
  7. ^ "Manufacturers criticize Open ball decision". Glasgow Herald. 23 January 1974. p. 4.
  8. ^ "Card of course". Glasgow Herald. 13 July 1974. p. 4.
  9. ^ Jacobs, Raymond (11 July 1974). "Unknown shares lead with Gary". Glasgow Herald. p. 4.
  10. ^ Jacobs, Raymond (13 July 1974). "Oosterhuis cuts the gap to three". Glasgow Herald. p. 4.
  11. ^ "1974 Open Championship results". databasegolf.com. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  12. ^ "Foreign exchange". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 13 July 1974. p. 11.
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53°44′58″N 3°01′05″W / 53.7495°N 3.0180°W / 53.7495; -3.0180