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Taylor

1900 / St Andrews

When JH Taylor was going for three wins in a row in 1896 it was Harry Vardon who prevented the hat-trick.

Taylor now returned the favour and did so by winning the 1900 Open at St Andrews in majestic fashion. He beat Vardon by no less than eight strokes, with James Braid a further five behind.

Taylor recorded four rounds in the 70s, whereas there had only previously been a total of five scores under 80 in The Open on the Old Course, though Taylor owned two of them.

This was his second victory at St Andrews, following his win in 1895, and only Bob Martin, in 1876 and 1885, had done similarly. Taylor’s total of 309 beat his effort five years earlier by no less than 13 strokes.

Taylor and Vardon shared the lead after the first round with scores of 79 but thereafter Taylor not only lead on his own after each round, he had the best score each time. He had a 77 to Vardon’s 81 in the second round, then a 78 to Vardon’s 80 in the third round.

In front of the largest gallery ever seen for The Open, Taylor then scored a 75, the best score yet on the Old Course in The Open, while Vardon had a 77.

“It was a victory due to superb golf in every department of the game,” said The Scotsman.

Taylor and Vardon had now won six out of seven Opens and The Scotsman worried that golf was “losing its ‘glorious uncertainty’ which many regard as its peculiar attraction”. Yet Braid was about to start a run of five victories in ten years.

This was the first of three times what would become known as the Great Triumvirate would finish in the top-three and the next two times Braid would be the winner.

Name
Finish
R1
R2
R3
R4
Total
Par
J.H. TAYLOR
1
79
77
78
75
309
-
2
79
81
80
77
317
-
3
82
81
80
79
322
-
4
80
81
82
80
323
-
5
81
85
80
80
326
-
6
80
83
81
84
328
-
Robert MAXWELL
7
81
81
86
81
329
-
Archie SIMPSON
7
82
85
83
79
329
-
Ben SAYERS
9
81
83
85
81
330
-
Tom VARDON
10
79
87
84
81
331
-
10
81
85
81
84
331
-
Andrew KIRKALDY
10
87
83
82
79
331
-
13
88
80
85
81
334
-
David ANDERSON JR
14
81
87
85
84
337
-
Tom SIMPSON
14
84
86
83
84
337
-
William GREIG
16
93
84
80
81
338
-
16
83
87
87
81
338
-
J.W. TAYLOR
18
91
81
84
83
339
-
Peter PAXTON
19
87
87
79
87
340
-
Jack KIRKALDY
19
86
85
87
82
340
-
Peter MCEWAN
21
85
80
89
87
341
-
P.J. GAUDIN
22
85
88
81
88
342
-
F.M. MACKENZIE
22
88
82
89
83
342
-
A.H. SCOTT
22
84
84
84
90
342
-
James KAY
22
84
81
87
90
342
-
George COBURN
26
83
88
83
89
343
-
John E. LAIDLAY
26
85
87
85
86
343
-
W.H. FOWLER
26
86
85
88
84
343
-
J.M. WILLIAMSON
29
87
82
88
89
346
-
Edward BLACKWELL
30
88
86
86
89
349
-
C. Ralph SMITH
30
83
87
88
91
349
-
Fred BUTEL
32
88
85
89
88
350
-
J. HEPBURN
33
89
86
87
89
351
-
Samuel Mure FERGUSSON
34
88
86
90
87
351
-
D.S. FROY
35
91
84
93
86
354
-
Fred HOCKING
36
85
88
90
92
355
-
Tom YEOMAN
37
86
85
92
95
358
-
John LOW
Wd
87
83
-
-
-
M/C
Alex BROWN
Wd
84
86
-
-
-
M/C
Douglas MCEWAN
Wd
88
83
-
-
-
M/C
W.C. GAUDIN
Wd
85
87
-
-
-
M/C
L. GOURLAY
Wd
88
84
-
-
-
M/C
Albert TINGEY
Wd
82
92
-
-
-
M/C
Alex MARR
Wd
84
90
-
-
-
M/C
Robert T. BOOTHBY
Wd
89
85
-
-
-
M/C
David MCEWAN
Wd
87
88
-
-
-
M/C
P. WYNNE
M/C
89
87
-
-
-
M/C
A. GRINLAY
M/C
88
88
-
-
-
M/C
David KINNELL
M/C
89
87
-
-
-
M/C
Fred SAUNDERS
M/C
90
86
-
-
-
M/C
M/C
90
87
-
-
-
M/C
James KINNELL
M/C
91
86
-
-
-
M/C
Tom WILLIAMSON
M/C
89
88
-
-
-
M/C
Walter TOOGOOD
M/C
87
91
-
-
-
M/C
James FORRESTER
M/C
86
92
-
-
-
M/C
Harry CAWSEY
M/C
93
86
-
-
-
M/C
I. MACKIE
M/C
83
96
-
-
-
M/C
A.G. GRAY
M/C
91
88
-
-
-
M/C
T. WATT
M/C
90
89
-
-
-
M/C
Tom CHISHOLM
M/C
93
87
-
-
-
M/C
A. DAY
M/C
90
91
-
-
-
M/C
A.J. IFE
M/C
96
86
-
-
-
M/C
J. MERCER
M/C
94
89
-
-
-
M/C
A. MACDONALD
M/C
91
92
-
-
-
M/C
T.T. GRAY
M/C
96
88
-
-
-
M/C
S.C. THOMSON
M/C
89
95
-
-
-
M/C
W.L. MACKIE
M/C
91
93
-
-
-
M/C
Robert MUNRO
M/C
92
93
-
-
-
M/C
Rupert MUNDY
M/C
92
95
-
-
-
M/C
Joe ANDERSON
M/C
94
93
-
-
-
M/C
Joseph DALGLEISH
M/C
92
96
-
-
-
M/C
Ernest GRAY
M/C
95
94
-
-
-
M/C
John DUNCAN
M/C
95
94
-
-
-
M/C
John WILSON
M/C
101
92
-
-
-
M/C
W.B. HUNTER
Wd
82
-
-
-
-
M/C
P. WALKER
Wd
86
-
-
-
-
M/C
Leslie BALFOUR MELVILLE
Wd
90
-
-
-
-
M/C
Hon. H.arold FINCH-HATTON
Wd
90
-
-
-
-
M/C
James ANDERSON
Wd
91
-
-
-
-
M/C
H. WOODS
Wd
93
-
-
-
-
M/C
J.G. CRAIK
Wd
-
-
-
-
-
M/C

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