GOLF South African Wins British Open

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28939, 6 July 1959, Page 17

GOLF South African Wins British Open

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) MUIRFIELD (Scotland), July 3. ~ Eight strokes behind the leader overnight, and still four behind at the start of the final round, the 20-year-old South African, Gary Player today returned a brilliant 68 which won him his first British Open golf championship by a margin of two strokes. Player is the youngest winner of the British Open.

roun ds of 75, 71, 70 and 68. Player finished with 284 and )Y on _ froin Fred Bullock, aged 41, the English-born coach at a Scottish golf school, and Flory van Donck, Belgian winner of 21 Continental open championships. Bullock and van Donck both had aggregates of 286, the former with rounds of 68. 70, 74. 74 and van Donck with 70, 70, 73, 73. Player did not break the course record—held jointly by Henry Cotton (Britain) and Peter Thomson (Australia) at 66. Player, who, in spite of his youth, is one of the world's most successful golfers, was almost forgotten until midway through the last round this afternoon. Then the news that he was shooting for the course record sent the crowd scurrying to watch him. Course Record Player arrived at the last needing a scratch four to equal the course record of 66. Then, unaccountably, he faltered. His drive found a bunker and when he was on the green he needed three putts. This gave him 6 for the hole, 68 for the round and a 72-hole total of 284. He had converted a virtually certain victory to what appeared at that stage as nothing more than a good chance. “You know what it can mean?” he said. “Just £20,000. that's all.” One by one* the third round leaders came in—and they all had taken too many strokes for victory. The British player Sam King, joint leader at the start of the third round, scored 76 and 288, Syd Scott 71 and 287, and Argentina’s Tony Cerda 75 and 291 (including 41 for the last nine holes). Last Pair Finally the last pair arrived at the last tee, Bullock, who had led outright or jointly for the first three rounds, and van Donck, who was favourite overnight to take his first British Open. They both needed a birdie 3 at

the last hole to equal Player's score, but they both took five for the hole, for totals of 286. Peter Thomson (Australia), the previous youngest winner of the Open, had known that he would finish far back in the field. Thomson, the title-holder, had led the qualifiers for the championship, but he could not master the slow Muirfield greens and never looked like going to the front. He had rounds of 72 and 74 today, putting badly in both in spite of a new putter. He said later he lost whatever chance he had on the second, third, and fourth greens of his first round today. He three-putted each of them. He was philosophical about losing the title he had won four times in five years. Thomson finished with a 72-hole total of 294. Even Worse Bobby Locke of South Africa did even worse than Thomson, finishing with 295. Harold Henning, also of South Africa, equalled Thomson’s 294. while the top* British players Harry Weetman and Bernard Hunt finished well back In the field with 291 and 290 respectively. A Scotsman. Reid Jack, won the amateur medal with 288. Scores: 284—G. Player. 286 F. van Donck (Belgium), F Bullock. 287 S S. Scott. 288— C. O’Connor, R. R. Jack, S. L, King, J. Panton. 289 L. Ruiz (Argentina), D. J. Rees. 290 B. J. Hunt. K. Bousfield. J. Hitchcock. A. Stickley, M. F Bonallack (amateur). 291 G. B. Wolstenholme (amateur). P. Alliss, H. Bradshaw, H Weetman, A. Cerda (Argentina). 292 N. Coles, J. Garailde (France) 294 P. Thomson (Australia). P Mills. J. Henning (South Africa). G M. Hunt. J. R. Moses. R. A. Knight 295 E. Whitcombe. P. J. Shanks A. D. Locke (South Africa). J Adams. T. Halliburton. 296 A. Lewis. 297 C. H. Ward, N. V. Drew, E G. Lester.

298 A. Miguel (Spain), J. B. Carr (amateur). 299 C. Kane. 300— J. Sharkey. G. W. Low. J. Hargreaves, H. Cotton. T. L. Moffitt. 301— J. J. Querelos (Brazil). 302 J. S. More. 303 R. Hayden.