1955 Open Championship

The 1955 Open Championship was the 84th Open Championship, played 6–8 July at the Old Course in St Andrews, Scotland. Peter Thomson won the second of three consecutive Open titles, two strokes ahead of runner-up John Fallon.^[3][4][5] Thomson won a total of five Claret Jugs, the last in 1965.

1955 Open Championship

Tournament information
Dates	6–8 July 1955
Location	St Andrews, Scotland
Course(s)	Old Course at St Andrews
Statistics
Par	72[1]
Length	6,936 yards (6,342 m)[1]
Field	94 players, 49 after cut[2]
Cut	148 (+4)
Prize fund	£3,750 $10,500
Winner's share	£1,000 $2,800
Champion
Peter Thomson
281 (−7)
← 1954 1956 →

St Andrews 

Location in Scotland

St Andrews 

Location in Fife, Scotland

Qualifying took place on 4–5 July, Monday and Tuesday, with 18 holes on the Old Course and 18 holes on the New Course. The number of qualifiers was limited to a maximum of 100, and ties for 100th place did not qualify. On Monday, Frank Jowle scored 63 on the New Course,^[6] and after a 72 on the Old Course the next day he led the qualifiers at 135, a shot ahead of Laurie Ayton.^[7][8] The qualifying score was 148 and 94 players advanced to the first round on Wednesday.^[7]

Three shot 69 in the opening round on Wednesday;^[2][9] after the second round on Thursday, three shared the 36-hole lead at 139: Eric Brown, Dennis Smalldon, and Thomson, with Fallon a stroke back in fourth. The maximum number of players making the cut was set at fifty, and ties for 50th place were not included. Five Americans were in the field of 94, three professionals and two amateurs.^[10][11] All five made the cut,^[12] and the top U.S. finisher was Ed Furgol in a tie for 19th place.^[3][4][5] Byron Nelson, whose only previous appearance at The Open was a fifth-place finish in 1937, tied for 32nd. The two amateurs finished in the top thirty.

Previously the 17th hole (the "Road Hole") was a par 5; for this Open it became a par 4, which reduced the course par from 73 to 72.^[1]

The winner's share was increased from £750 to £1,000, while the others were unchanged, bringing the total purse to £3,750.^[13]

Round summaries

First round

Wednesday, 6 July 1955

Place	Player	Score	To par
T1	Eric Brown	69	−3
	Dai Rees
	Syd Scott
T4	Henry Cotton	70	−2
	Cecil Denny
	Bernard Hunt
	Frank Jowle
	Ian Martin
	Dennis Smalldon
T10	John Anderson	71	−1
	Romualdo Barbieri
	Ken Bousfield
	Ed Furgol
	Robert Halsall
	John Jacobs
	Christy O'Connor Snr
	Norman Sutton
	Peter Thomson
	Flory Van Donck
	Harry Weetman

Source:^[2][9]

Second round

Thursday, 7 July 1955

Place	Player	Score	To par
T1	Eric Brown	69-70=139	−5
	Dennis Smalldon	70-69=139
	Peter Thomson	71-68=139
4	John Fallon	73-67=140	−4
T5	Bernard Hunt	70-71=141	−3
	John Jacobs	71-70=141
	Frank Jowle	70-71=141
T8	Romualdo Barbieri	71-71=142	−2
	Harry Bradshaw	72-70=142
	Henry Cotton	70-72=142
	Ian Martin	70-72=142
	Harry Weetman	71-71=142

Source:^{[2][10][11][12]}
Amateurs: Bucher (+2), Conrad (+4), McHale (+4), Lawrie (+5), Carr (+9), Murray (+11), Orr (+13), Robertson (+15)

Third round

Friday, 8 July 1955 (morning)

Place	Player	Score	To par
1	Peter Thomson	71-68-70=209	−7
2	Frank Jowle	70-71-69=210	−6
T3	Eric Brown	69-70-73=212	−4
	John Jacobs	71-70-71=212
	Harry Weetman	71-71-70=212
T6	John Fallon	73-67-73=213	−3
	Bobby Locke	74-69-70=213
8	Flory Van Donck	71-72-71=214	−2
T9	Romualdo Barbieri	71-71-73=215	−1
	Harry Bradshaw	72-70-73=215
	Antonio Cerdá	73-71-71=215
	Bernard Hunt	70-71-74=215

Source:^[2][3][4][5]

Final round

Friday, 8 July 1955 (afternoon)

Place	Player	Score	To par	Money (£)
1	Peter Thomson	71-68-70-72=281	−7	1,000
2	John Fallon	73-67-73-70=283	−5	500
3	Frank Jowle	70-71-69-74=284	−4	350
4	Bobby Locke	74-69-70-72=285	−3	200
T5	Ken Bousfield	71-75-70-70=286	−2	90
	Antonio Cerdá	73-71-71-71=286
	Bernard Hunt	70-71-74-71=286
	Flory Van Donck	71-72-71-72=286
	Harry Weetman	71-71-70-74=286
T10	Romualdo Barbieri	71-71-73-72=287	−1	40
	Christy O'Connor Snr	71-75-70-71=287

Source:^[2][3][4][5]
Amateurs: Conrad (+5), McHale (+7), Bucher (+23).

References

1. "Three tied for lead in British Open golf". Pittsburgh Post Gazette. Associated Press. 8 July 1955. p. 19.
2. "Media guide". The Open Championship. 2011. p. 81. Archived from the original on 18 April 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
3. "P.W. Thomson's second victory". The Herald. Glasgow. 9 July 1955. p. 5.
4. "Thomson edges Fallon by two strokes in British Open". Montreal Gazette. Associated Press. 9 July 1955. p. 9.
5. "Thomson's 281 keeps British Open crown". Chicago Daily Tribune. Associated Press. 9 July 1955. p. 4, sec. 3.
6. "Lowest score ever returned in Open golf championship". The Herald. Glasgow. 5 July 1955. p. 4.
7. "Ninety-four qualifiers for "Open"". The Herald. Glasgow. 6 July 1955. p. 4.
8. "Thomson goes easily and efficiently on – Chance of retaining his Open Golf Championship". The Times. 6 July 1955. p. 4.
9. "Only three players beat 70 in first round". The Herald. Glasgow. 7 July 1955. p. 2.
10. "Holder shares halfway lead in Open title golf". The Herald. Glasgow. 8 July 1955. p. 4.
11. "Thomson, Brown, Smalldon lead British Open with 139". Montreal Gazette. Associated Press. 8 July 1955. p. 19.
12. "Thomson's 68 ties for lead in British Open". Chicago Daily Tribune. Associated Press. 8 July 1955. p. 3, sec. 3.
13. "Larger prize for "Open"". The Herald. Glasgow. 24 December 1954. p. 7.

External links

• St Andrews 1955 (Official site)

56.343°N 2.803°W / 56.343; -2.803