1909 Open Championship


The 1909 Open Championship was the 49th Open Championship, held 10–11 June at Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club in Deal, Kent, England. J.H. Taylor won the Championship for the fourth time, six strokes ahead of runners-up Tom Ball and James Braid. Royal Cinque Ports had been added as the sixth course on the Open rota at a meeting in November 1907 at which meeting it was decided it would host in 1909. The meeting also agreed that the Championship was to be played in England and Scotland alternately.
Qualifying took place over 36 holes on Tuesday and Wednesday, 8–9 June. The 204 players were divided into two "sections" and those in the first played on the first morning and second afternoon, while those in the second section played on the first afternoon and second morning. The leading thirty players and ties from each section qualified, with the additional provision that each section had to contain at least thirty professionals. The second section finished their qualifying first with Tom Ball, Harold Hilton and Ted Ray leading on 150. Thirty players scored 159 or better, but this included three amateurs and so the five players on 160 also qualified. Charles Mayo led the first section on 146. Thirty players scored 160 or better, but this included three amateurs, so the four on 161 qualified. Thus a total of 69 players qualified; 63 professionals and six amateurs.
Charles Johns opened at 72 and led after the first round on Thursday morning, with J. Piper second on 73 and Taylor and Ball a stroke behind. Taylor had the best score in the afternoon and led after the first day on 147, a stroke ahead of Johns, with Ball back on 149 and Sandy Herd on 151; Piper faded badly with an 85 for 157.
On Friday morning, Taylor scored 74, only bettered by a 73 by Braid. Taylor's lead over Ball was extended to four with Braid and Johns a further two behind. In the afternoon, Taylor had another steady round of 74 for 295. After eight holes, Ball was two better than Taylor at the same point but he eventually finished six shots behind Taylor on 301, tied with Braid with Johns a further stroke behind.
Cinque Ports was scheduled to host again in 1915, but World War I intervened; it was the site of the first Open after the war, in 1920.

Course

Past champions in the field

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Round summaries

First round

Thursday, 10 June 1909
PlacePlayerCountryScore
1Charles Johns72
2James Piper73
T3Tom Ball74
T3J.H. Taylor74
T5Cecil Hutchison 75
T5Robert Maxwell 75
T5Hugh McNeill Ireland75
T8Albert Bellworthy76
T8Ernest Gaudin76
T8Sandy Herd76
T8Arnaud Massy76
T8Robert Myddelton 76
T8Thomas Renouf76

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Second round

Thursday, 10 June 1909
PlacePlayerCountryScore
1J.H. Taylor74-73=147
2Charles Johns72-76=148
3Tom Ball74-75=149
4Sandy Herd76-75=151
T5Ernest Gaudin76-77=153
T5Ted Ray77-76=153
T7James Braid79-75=154
T7Bernard Nicholls78-76=154
T7Peter Rainford78-76=154
T7Thomas Renouf76-78=154

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Third round

Friday, 11 June 1909
PlacePlayerCountryScore
1J.H. Taylor74-73-74=221
2Tom Ball74-75-76=225
T3James Braid79-75-73=227
T3Charles Johns72-76-79=227
5Ted Ray77-76-76=229
T6Ernest Gaudin76-77-77=230
T6Edward Lassen 82-74-74=230
T6Peter Rainford78-76-76=230
T6Thomas Renouf76-78-76=230
T10James Hepburn78-77-76=231
T10Sandy Herd76-75-80=231
T10Bernard Nicholls78-76-77=231

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Final round

Friday, 11 June 1909
PlacePlayerCountryScoreMoney
1J.H. Taylor74-73-74-74=29550
T2Tom Ball74-75-76-76=30120
T2James Braid79-75-73-74=30120
4Charles Johns72-76-79-75=30210
5Thomas Renouf76-78-76-73=3037
10s
6Ted Ray77-76-76-75=3047
10s
7William Horne77-78-77-74=3060
T8James Hepburn78-77-76-76=3070
T8Sandy Herd76-75-80-76=3070
T10Edward Lassen 82-74-74-78=3080
T10Bernard Nicholls78-76-77-77=3080
T10George Pulford81-76-76-75=3080

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