1968 Open Championship


The 1968 Open Championship was the 97th Open Championship, played 10–13 July at Carnoustie Golf Links in Angus, Scotland. Gary Player won the second of his three Open titles, two strokes ahead of runners-up Bob Charles and Jack Nicklaus. It was the fifth of Player's nine major titles.
This Open introduced the second cut at 54 holes, used through 1985. In addition, starting with this Championship all past Open champions were exempt from qualifying.
The inaugural Greater Milwaukee Open was held in the United States during the same week, with a first prize of $40,000, over five times the winner's share of the Open Championship, which was $7,200.
The PGA Championship was played the next week in San Antonio, Texas, the fifth and final time in the 1960s that these two majors were played in consecutive weeks in July. The PGA Championship moved permanently to August in 1969 and remained there until 2019, when it moved to May between The Masters and U.S. Open.

Course

Carnoustie Golf Links -
Championship Course

Past champions in the field

Made both cuts

Missed the first cut

Round summaries

First round

Wednesday, 10 July 1968
PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
T1Brian Barnes70−2
T1Michael Bonallack 70−2
T3Maurice Bembridge71−1
T3Peter Mills71−1
T5Billy Casper72E
T5Bob Charles72E
T5Tony Jacklin72E
T5Paddy Skerritt72E
T9Peter Alliss73+1
T9Billy Casper73+1
T9Sebastián Miguel73+1
T9Sandy Wilson73+1

Second round

Thursday, 11 July 1968
PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1Billy Casper72-68=140−4
T2Brian Barnes70-74=144E
T2Bob Charles72-72=144E
T2Tony Jacklin72-72=144E
T5Jack Nicklaus76-69=145+1
T5Gary Player74-71=145+1
T5Paddy Skerritt72-73=145+1
T8Maurice Bembridge71-75=146+2
T8Dave Thomas75-71=146+2
T10Harry Bannerman74-73=147+3
T10Michael Bonallack 70-77=147+3
T10Gay Brewer74-73=147+3
T10Brian Huggett76-71=147+3
T10Peter Mills71-76=147+3

Amateurs: Bonallack, Monguzzi , O'Connor, Sweeny Jr, Shade, Oosterhuis, Saddler.

Third round

Friday, 13 July 1968
PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1Billy Casper72-68-74=214−2
2Bob Charles72-72-71=215−1
3Gary Player74-71-71=216E
4Jack Nicklaus76-69-73=218+2
T5Maurice Bembridge71-75-73=219+3
T5Gay Brewer74-73-72=219+3
T5Tony Jacklin72-72-75=219+3
8Arnold Palmer77-71-72=220+4
9Michael Bonallack 70-77-74=221+5
T10Neil Coles75-76-71=222+6
T10Bruce Devlin77-73-72=222+6
T10Brian Huggett76-71-75=222+6
T10Paddy Skerritt72-73-77=222+6

Amateurs: Bonallack , Monguzzi.

Final round

Saturday, 13 July 1968
PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo parMoney
1Gary Player74-71-71-73=289+13,000
T2Bob Charles72-72-71-76=291+31,738
T2Jack Nicklaus76-69-73-73=291+31,738
4Billy Casper72-68-74-78=292+41,225
5Maurice Bembridge71-75-73-74=293+51,000
T6Brian Barnes70-74-80-71=295+7658
T6Gay Brewer74-73-72-76=295+7658
T6Neil Coles75-76-71-73=295+7658
9Al Balding74-76-74-72=296+8475
T10Roberto De Vicenzo77-72-74-74=297+9402
T10Bruce Devlin77-73-72-75=297+9402
T10Arnold Palmer77-71-72-77=297+9402

Amateurs: Bonallack.