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1937 / Carnoustie
Henry Cotton won The Open for a second time at Carnoustie in 1937 with the most impressive performance of his career.
Cotton won by two strokes from Reg Whitcombe, the youngest of the three brothers, and headed a field that included the entire American Ryder Cup team who had beat the hosts at Southport just before The Open.
The visitors included Masters champion Byron Nelson, who finished fifth, US Open champion Ralph Guldahl, who was 11th alongside Sam Snead, and US PGA Champion and former Champion Golfer Denny Shute – who was 14th.
Carnoustie, at over 7,000 yards, was tough enough without the incessant cold rain that plagued the final day, almost flooding the course.
Play was able to continue but Whitcombe, the leader after the second and third rounds, topped his drive at the 7th in the final round when his grip slipped and he took a six.
Cotton had scored rounds of 74, 72 and 73 to be three off the lead and now produced a 71 for a total of 290.
Though he had record rounds of 65 at Sandwich in 1934 and 66 at Muirfield in 1948, this was considered one of his finest efforts, in fact one of the best rounds to win any major given the conditions.
He chipped and putted his way around the links expertly, needing only 26 putts for the final round.
Whitcombe closed with a 76 to take second place, a year before his victory at Sandwich, and his brother Charles was fourth, one behind Charles Lacey.
“I feel my victory was well-earned,” said Cotton, who also won the Claret Jug three years earlier. “Especially with the formidable Americans over here this year.”
Alas, Nelson only returned once after his retirement from regular tournament play and Snead returned just once more while still in his prime, winning in 1946.
Name
Finish
R1
R2
R3
R4
Total
Par
Charles LACEY
3
76
75
70
72
293
-
Charles WHITCOMBE
4
73
71
74
76
294
-
Byron NELSON
5
75
76
71
74
296
-
Ed DUDLEY
6
70
74
78
75
297
-
Arthur LACEY
7
75
73
75
75
298
-
William LAIDLAW
7
77
72
73
76
298
-
Horton SMITH
10
77
71
79
72
299
-
Ralph GULDAHL
11
77
72
74
77
300
-
William BRANCH
13
72
75
73
81
301
-
Henry PICARD
15
76
77
70
80
303
-
Percy ALLISS
15
75
76
75
77
303
-
Jimmy ADAMS
17
74
78
76
76
304
-
Fred ROBERTSON
17
73
75
78
78
304
-
Dai REES
21
75
73
78
79
305
-
Bill COX
21
74
77
81
73
305
-
John J. BUSSON
23
74
77
79
76
306
-
Tom COLLINGE
24
75
75
83
74
307
-
A.D. CAIRNCROSS
25
73
76
77
82
308
-
Marcel DALLEMAGNE
26
78
75
79
77
309
-
Jack MCLEAN
26
78
74
81
76
309
-
John BURTON
29
76
75
82
77
310
-
Eddie WHITCOMBE
29
76
76
81
77
310
-
Sam KING
29
79
74
75
82
310
-
Hamish BALLINGALL
32
77
75
79
80
311
-
John FALLON
32
76
77
78
80
311
-
Allan DAILEY
32
76
77
79
79
311
-
Aubrey BOOMER
32
79
72
77
83
311
-
Johnny REVOLTA
32
76
76
83
76
311
-
J.J. TAYLOR
37
73
80
83
76
312
-
Gregor MCINTOSH
37
79
74
81
78
312
-
William NOLAN
37
77
76
78
81
312
-
Laurie AYTON JR
37
75
78
80
79
312
-
George KNIGHT
37
76
75
78
83
312
-
Tom DOBSON
42
79
74
79
82
314
-
William MCMINN
42
72
81
80
81
314
-
Robert CRUIKSHANK
42
78
74
77
85
314
-
Bill SHANKLAND
42
74
77
82
81
314
-
Sydney FAIRWEATHER
46
77
75
82
81
315
-
Jack SEAGER
47
78
75
83
81
317
-
Tony MANERO
M/C
78
76
-
-
-
M/C
Cecil DENNY
M/C
76
78
-
-
-
M/C
Bert GADD
M/C
79
75
-
-
-
M/C
Eric GREEN
M/C
82
73
-
-
-
M/C
John PANTON
M/C
75
80
-
-
-
M/C
Gordon LOCKHART
M/C
79
76
-
-
-
M/C
G.F. BULLOCK
M/C
77
78
-
-
-
M/C
Reg COX
M/C
76
79
-
-
-
M/C
Fred TAGGART
M/C
81
75
-
-
-
M/C
P.J. MAHON
M/C
77
79
-
-
-
M/C
Norman SUTTON
M/C
78
78
-
-
-
M/C
Cyril GRAY
M/C
79
77
-
-
-
M/C
John DONALDSON
M/C
76
80
-
-
-
M/C
Bert HODSON
M/C
80
76
-
-
-
M/C
G.N. ROFFE
M/C
77
80
-
-
-
M/C
Joe KIRKWOOD
M/C
80
77
-
-
-
M/C
Don CURTIS
M/C
79
78
-
-
-
M/C
A. BOYER
M/C
79
78
-
-
-
M/C
William ANDERSON
M/C
79
78
-
-
-
M/C
A.G. MATTHEWS
M/C
79
78
-
-
-
M/C
J.M. MCMILLAN
M/C
81
76
-
-
-
M/C
R.R. KELLY
M/C
78
79
-
-
-
M/C
Albert ISHERWOOD
M/C
82
76
-
-
-
M/C
A.G. WALLIS
M/C
80
78
-
-
-
M/C
James FORRESTER
M/C
78
80
-
-
-
M/C
C.E. OLANDER
M/C
80
78
-
-
-
M/C
Jack HARGREAVES
M/C
82
77
-
-
-
M/C
J.A. JACOBS
M/C
79
80
-
-
-
M/C
Walter SMITHERS
M/C
84
75
-
-
-
M/C
W.H. GREEN
M/C
80
79
-
-
-
M/C
Edward HAMILTON
M/C
81
78
-
-
-
M/C
A.W. WHYTE
M/C
79
81
-
-
-
M/C
Len HOLLAND
M/C
79
81
-
-
-
M/C
Frank DENNIS
M/C
80
80
-
-
-
M/C
J.L. BLACK
M/C
82
78
-
-
-
M/C
John LANGLEY
M/C
83
77
-
-
-
M/C
Bob SWEENY JR
M/C
75
85
-
-
-
M/C
Sidney ROPER
M/C
80
80
-
-
-
M/C
Norman QUIGLEY
M/C
80
80
-
-
-
M/C
John CAMPBELL
M/C
81
79
-
-
-
M/C
W.C. HUNTER
M/C
78
82
-
-
-
M/C
G.R. BUCKLE
M/C
79
81
-
-
-
M/C
James BRODLIE JR
M/C
81
79
-
-
-
M/C
Firmin CAVALO
M/C
79
82
-
-
-
M/C
Andrew MCNAIR
M/C
79
82
-
-
-
M/C
Robert PORTER
M/C
82
79
-
-
-
M/C
Mark SEYMOUR
M/C
80
81
-
-
-
M/C
W.J. MARTIN
M/C
83
78
-
-
-
M/C
Harold BOSWARD
M/C
80
81
-
-
-
M/C
Tom GREEN
M/C
80
81
-
-
-
M/C
R.S. WALKER
M/C
80
82
-
-
-
M/C
P.P. WYNNE JR
M/C
82
80
-
-
-
M/C
W.C.A. HANCOCK
M/C
86
76
-
-
-
M/C
J. HENDERSON
M/C
81
81
-
-
-
M/C
J.W. BAYLEY
M/C
83
80
-
-
-
M/C
Pierre HIRIGOYEN
M/C
80
83
-
-
-
M/C
L.A. HARDIE
M/C
82
81
-
-
-
M/C
Jean SAUBABER
M/C
82
81
-
-
-
M/C
Hector THOMSON
M/C
88
75
-
-
-
M/C
Fred BRADBEER
M/C
82
81
-
-
-
M/C
Gordon DURWARD
M/C
84
80
-
-
-
M/C
J.W. GAUDIN
M/C
84
80
-
-
-
M/C
James BRASH
M/C
82
82
-
-
-
M/C
D.S. WEMYSS
M/C
82
83
-
-
-
M/C
J.G. KERR
M/C
80
85
-
-
-
M/C
J.S. ANDERSON
M/C
87
78
-
-
-
M/C
Sam ROBERTS
M/C
79
86
-
-
-
M/C
H.W. MYERS
M/C
85
80
-
-
-
M/C
Douglas STEVENSON
M/C
82
83
-
-
-
M/C
Frank HILL
M/C
87
79
-
-
-
M/C
George HOLDSTOCK
M/C
86
80
-
-
-
M/C
S. STENHOUSE
M/C
81
85
-
-
-
M/C
Hubert SHEALS
M/C
77
89
-
-
-
M/C
T.S. WINTON
M/C
81
85
-
-
-
M/C
Walter FENTON
M/C
81
86
-
-
-
M/C
S.T. MATTHEWS
M/C
84
83
-
-
-
M/C
Thomas TENNENT
M/C
88
79
-
-
-
M/C
James WYNNE
M/C
84
84
-
-
-
M/C
George TELFORD
M/C
83
85
-
-
-
M/C
D.B. ANDERSON
M/C
86
83
-
-
-
M/C
Stewart BURNS
M/C
81
88
-
-
-
M/C
Ian MCPHERSON
M/C
87
84
-
-
-
M/C
A.J. GARLAND
M/C
87
86
-
-
-
M/C
T. HASSALL
M/C
86
89
-
-
-
M/C
E. MCINNES
M/C
87
89
-
-
-
M/C
A.E. MCLEOD
NR
85
-
-
-
-
M/C
Leonard CRAWLEY
NR
81
-
-
-
-
M/C
Ernest WHITCOMBE
NR
82
-
-
-
-
M/C