1946 Open Championship
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 3–5 July 1946 |
| Location | St Andrews, Scotland |
| Course(s) | Old Course at St Andrews |
| Statistics | |
| Par | 73[1][2] |
| Field | 100, 38 after cut[3] |
| Cut | 156 (+12)[3] |
| Prize fund |
£1,000[3] $4,000 |
| Winner's share |
£150[3] $600 |
| Champion | |
 Sam Snead | |
| 290 (–2) | |
The 1946 Open Championship was the 75th Open Championship, played 3–5 July at the Old Course at St Andrews, Scotland. Due to World War II, it was the first Open since 1939, also held at St Andrews. Sam Snead won his only Open title, four strokes ahead of runners-up Johnny Bulla and Bobby Locke.[4] It was the first win by an American in thirteen years and the second of Snead's seven major titles. Four Americans were in the field of 100; the three that made the cut all finished in the top ten.
In his second Open Championship appearance and first since 1937, Snead did not endear himself to the St Andrews crowd at first. His first impression of the course was "It looks like an old abandoned kinda place," ensuring a cold reception at the start of the tournament. He opened with a round of 71, two behind the lead of Locke. Henry Cotton took the lead after 36-holes with consecutive rounds of 70, one ahead of Snead.[1] Snead, Bulla, and Dai Rees were tied for the lead going into the final round, with Cotton one behind.[2] But it was Snead who was best able to navigate the strong winds of the final round. After dropping four shots on the front-nine, he was able to use his length and accuracy to record a 35 on the back for a round of 75 and a 290 total. Locke moved into 2nd place with a 76, while Bulla finished with a 79 to tie Locke.[4] Rees tied for 4th with the help of a tournament record-tying round of 67 in the second round.
Snead's win here was his only Open Championship title and he played the tournament only three more times, not returning until 1962. He was the first American to win the title since Denny Shute in 1933.
Dick Burton, the 1939 champion, finally relinquished the trophy after seven years and finished in 12th place.
Final leaderboard
Friday, 5 July 1946
| Place | Player | Country | Score | To par |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sam Snead | United States | 71-70-74-75=290 | –2 |
| T2 | Johnny Bulla | United States | 71-72-72-79=294 | +2 |
| Bobby Locke |  South Africa | 69-74-75-76=294 | ||
| T4 | Henry Cotton |  England | 70-70-76-79=295 | +3 |
| Dai Rees |  Wales | 75-67-73-80=295 | ||
| Norman Von Nida |  Australia | 70-76-74-75=295 | ||
| Charlie Ward | England | 73-73-73-76=295 | ||
| T8 | Fred Daly |  Northern Ireland | 77-71-76-74=298 | +6 |
| Joe Kirkwood, Sr. | Australia | 71-75-78-74=298 | ||
| 10 | Lawson Little | United States | 78-75-72-74=299 | +7 |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Cotton birdies to lead Open". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. 5 July 1946. p. 14. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Three Are Tied In British Open". Toledo Blade. Associated Press. 5 July 1946. p. 30. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Media guide". The Open Championship. 2011. p. 92. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Snead reaches golf rainbow". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. 6 July 1946. p. 7. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
External links
| Preceded by 1946 U.S. Open |
Major Championships | Succeeded by 1946 PGA Championship |
Coordinates: 56°20′36″N 2°48′10″W / 56.3433°N 2.8028°W