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Gene Sarazen

1932 / Prince's

Since he had won the US Open and the PGA Championship as a 20-year-old in 1922, and the PGA again the following year, Gene Sarazen’s ambition was to win The Open. 

In 1923 at Troon, despite his major winner status, he failed to qualify. He was second in 1928 and third in 1931. 

Finally, he claimed the Claret Jug in the only Open ever staged at Prince’s, the course next door to Royal St George’s in Sandwich.

It was an emphatic victory by five strokes from Macdonald Smith. He became the third Champion Golfer after Ted Ray and Bobby Jones to lead outright after every round and his total of 283 was two better than Jones’ record from 1927. 

He was helped by having invented the sand wedge the previous year and escaping the pot bunkers whenever necessary. 

Sarazen opened with a 70 to lead by one, then had a 69 to open up a three-shot lead over Percy Alliss.

After a third round of 70, Sarazen held a four-shot lead over Arthur Havers, who had vaulted over the rest of the field with a course-record 68. 

In the final round, Havers teed off just over two hours later than Sarazen, who was round in 74, and needed a 69 to win. 

The magic of the morning had disappeared and Havers reached the turn in 37, leaving himself far too much to do. 

He could only manage a 76 to finish third, while Smith finished strongly with scores of 71 and 70 to be the runner-up for the second time in three years.

Name
Finish
R1
R2
R3
R4
Total
Par
Gene SARAZEN
Champion Golfer
1
70
69
70
74
283
-
Macdonald SMITH
2
71
76
71
70
288
-
Arthur HAVERS
3
74
71
68
76
289
-
Charles WHITCOMBE
4
71
73
73
75
292
-
Percy ALLISS
4
71
71
78
72
292
-
Alf PADGHAM
4
76
72
74
70
292
-
William H. DAVIES
7
71
73
74
75
293
-
Arthur LACEY
7
73
73
71
76
293
-
Fred ROBSON
9
74
71
78
71
294
-
Abe MITCHELL
10
77
71
75
72
295
-
Sir Henry COTTON
10
74
72
77
72
295
-
Archie COMPSTON
10
74
70
75
76
295
-
H. PROWSE
13
75
75
75
73
298
-
Syd EASTERBROOK
13
74
75
72
77
298
-
W.L. HOPE
15
74
79
75
71
299
-
Cecil DENNY
15
73
81
72
73
299
-
Charlie WARD
17
73
77
77
73
300
-
Reg WHITCOMBE
17
75
74
75
76
300
-
Bert HODSON
17
77
73
77
73
300
-
Alf PERRY
17
73
76
77
74
300
-
Tommy ARMOUR
17
75
70
74
81
300
-
Thomas TORRANCE
22
75
73
76
77
301
-
Ernest KENYON
22
74
73
76
78
301
-
Mark SEYMOUR
22
74
75
81
71
301
-
William TWINE
25
80
74
71
77
302
-
Lister HARTLEY
25
76
73
80
73
302
-
Alfred G. BECK
25
78
71
74
79
302
-
Philip RODGERS
25
74
79
75
74
302
-
Lionel MUNN
29
74
75
78
76
303
-
Pierre HIRIGOYEN
29
79
73
75
76
303
-
P.F. WESTON
29
75
79
76
73
303
-
Cedric SAYNER
29
74
74
79
76
303
-
W. PURSEY
29
76
75
73
79
303
-
William TULLOCH
34
75
77
76
76
304
-
Herbert JOLLY
34
75
74
80
75
304
-
Marcel DALLEMAGNE
36
78
76
75
76
305
-
William OKE
36
77
74
76
78
305
-
D.C. JONES
36
75
78
73
79
305
-
H.G. BENTLEY
39
75
78
79
74
306
-
Tom DOBSON
39
77
75
76
78
306
-
William SMITH
39
75
74
80
77
306
-
Edward JARMAN
39
75
76
79
76
306
-
Fred TAGGART
39
73
81
75
77
306
-
Bob SWEENY JR
44
78
74
77
78
307
-
S.J. JONES
45
79
75
74
80
308
-
Don CURTIS
45
74
78
78
78
308
-
Albert ISHERWOOD
45
75
74
81
78
308
-
Reg COX
48
77
76
75
81
309
-
Bob BRADBEER
48
76
75
79
79
309
-
George KIRBY
48
79
72
82
76
309
-
Tom GREEN
48
75
77
79
78
309
-
Dick BURTON
48
74
77
80
78
309
-
Eric MCRUVIE
48
77
75
80
77
309
-
S.S. FIELD
54
74
76
82
78
310
-
H. CRAPPER
54
75
75
78
82
310
-
Ted RAY
56
75
77
80
79
311
-
John BURTON
56
77
74
80
80
311
-
Marcel PHILIPPON
58
77
77
80
78
312
-
George GADD
58
76
77
80
79
312
-
Percy BAXTER
60
76
77
79
81
313
-
William MCMINN
61
73
81
78
82
314
-
A.M. CHEVALIER
62
77
75
83
80
315
-
Stewart BURNS
62
76
76
83
80
315
-
J. ROUSE
64
74
76
84
85
319
-
Fred JARMAN
M/C
74
81
-
-
-
M/C
J.E. FIELD
M/C
80
75
-
-
-
M/C
Ernest WHITCOMBE
M/C
76
79
-
-
-
M/C
James MCDOWALL
M/C
76
79
-
-
-
M/C
Sam KING
M/C
77
78
-
-
-
M/C
A.F. HOCKEY
M/C
76
80
-
-
-
M/C
Charles ROBINSON
M/C
77
79
-
-
-
M/C
Duncan MCCULLOCH
M/C
78
78
-
-
-
M/C
E. MCINNES
M/C
75
81
-
-
-
M/C
Douglas GRANT
M/C
82
75
-
-
-
M/C
James OCKENDEN
M/C
80
77
-
-
-
M/C
T.H. RICHARDS
M/C
78
79
-
-
-
M/C
A.E. WHITING
M/C
77
80
-
-
-
M/C
Charles GADD
M/C
82
75
-
-
-
M/C
W.E. PETERS
M/C
77
80
-
-
-
M/C
Allan DAILEY
M/C
81
76
-
-
-
M/C
Tomekichi MIYAMOTO
M/C
79
79
-
-
-
M/C
John J. BUSSON
M/C
78
80
-
-
-
M/C
Walter COPLEY CARR
M/C
79
79
-
-
-
M/C
Henry SALES
M/C
78
80
-
-
-
M/C
Harry LARGE
M/C
82
76
-
-
-
M/C
A.G. MATTHEWS
M/C
82
76
-
-
-
M/C
Frank DENNIS
M/C
79
79
-
-
-
M/C
B.S. WEASTELL
M/C
77
81
-
-
-
M/C
Hugh ROBERTS
M/C
81
78
-
-
-
M/C
George CHARMAN
M/C
84
75
-
-
-
M/C
Owen SANDERSON
M/C
80
79
-
-
-
M/C
Michael DARAGON
M/C
77
82
-
-
-
M/C
A. GHINTRAN
M/C
78
82
-
-
-
M/C
George DUNCAN
M/C
80
80
-
-
-
M/C
W.G. SAUNDERS
M/C
82
78
-
-
-
M/C
Harry AMOS
M/C
78
83
-
-
-
M/C
G. MARWOOD
M/C
82
79
-
-
-
M/C
W.L. RITCHIE
M/C
81
81
-
-
-
M/C
Jock HENDERSON
M/C
84
78
-
-
-
M/C
Andrew MCNAIR
M/C
78
84
-
-
-
M/C
A.C. CRITCHLEY
M/C
86
76
-
-
-
M/C
Bert GADD
M/C
83
80
-
-
-
M/C
Tom WILLIAMSON
M/C
85
80
-
-
-
M/C
J.T.C. MOORE BRABAZON
M/C
83
82
-
-
-
M/C
John DE FOREST
M/C
82
84
-
-
-
M/C
Joseph HIRIGOYEN
M/C
83
83
-
-
-
M/C
Jimmy ADAMS
M/C
86
82
-
-
-
M/C
Hon. Michael SCOTT
NR
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
Rex HARTLEY
Scr
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
E.B. TIPPING
NR
-
-
-
-
-
M/C

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