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1908 / Prestwick
James Braid won his fourth Open at Prestwick in 1908 to draw alongside Willie Park Snr, Old Tom Morris, Young Tommy Morris and his contemporary Harry Vardon for the most Championship victories.
Although Ernest Gray had set a new course record of 68 in the first round, Braid led all the way after that to win by eight strokes from Tom Ball and by ten from Ted Ray.
He did so with a new record total of 291, five better than Jack White in 1904, the only other Champion to break 300 for 72 holes.
Gray had a 79 in the second round when Braid, after rounds of 70 and 72, established a five-stroke lead. Braid had a very shaky start to his third round.
He was short with his approach shot at the first and took 5. At the third hole he found the rough off the tee and failed to carry the Cardinal Bunker with a clerk. His next shot hit the sleepers and went out of bounds and he then repeated the process after a drop. In the end, he was down for an 8.
After three-putting the fourth, he began his recovery. He had a 2 at the fifth and was out in 39, finishing with a 77. On 219, Braid had still extended his lead to six over Ball and Ray.Ball, from Hoylake but no relation of the great amateur John Ball, went out in 33 in the final round but came home in 41 for a 74, while Ray had a 76.
It was the first of consecutive runner-up finishes for Ball, while it was Ray’s best finish prior to his victory in 1912. Braid was back to his steady best in a final round of 72, playing the last six holes in nothing more than a 4.
Name
Finish
R1
R2
R3
R4
Total
Par
Tom BALL
2
76
73
76
74
299
-
David KINNELL
5
75
73
80
78
306
-
Tom SIMPSON
7
75
77
76
79
307
-
P.J. GAUDIN
9
77
76
75
80
308
-
T. WATT
11
81
73
78
78
310
-
James EDMUNDSON
11
80
72
76
82
310
-
Tom VARDON
13
77
79
76
79
311
-
Ernest GRAY
13
68
79
83
81
311
-
F. COLLINS
13
78
77
77
79
311
-
William LEAVER
13
79
79
75
78
311
-
Walter TOOGOOD
18
80
75
78
79
312
-
George PULFORD
18
81
77
74
80
312
-
Alfred TOOGOOD
18
82
76
77
77
312
-
John GRAHAM JR
18
76
82
76
78
312
-
Fred ROBSON
18
72
79
83
78
312
-
Rowland JONES
24
75
77
83
79
314
-
George COBURN
24
77
79
77
81
314
-
J. HEPBURN
24
80
79
79
76
314
-
R. ANDREW
27
83
78
77
77
315
-
Thomas RENOUF
28
78
78
83
77
316
-
Willie AVESTON
28
77
77
79
83
316
-
Albert TINGEY
30
76
82
79
80
317
-
Ben SAYERS
30
74
76
84
83
317
-
Charles MAYO
30
83
79
80
75
317
-
Charles ROBERTS
33
81
79
83
75
318
-
Percy WYATT
34
83
77
85
74
319
-
Tom WILLIAMSON
35
81
75
82
82
320
-
Wifred REID
35
79
81
83
77
320
-
James DONALDSON
37
78
78
84
81
321
-
J. SHERLOCK
37
81
79
79
82
321
-
Robert THOMSON
39
78
78
86
80
322
-
John PARK
40
78
84
80
81
323
-
George CAWSEY
41
80
80
80
84
324
-
G. CHARLES
42
82
83
81
79
325
-
W. MCEWAN
42
76
83
86
80
325
-
C.W. POPE
42
85
79
84
77
325
-
George DANIEL
45
81
81
82
82
326
-
D. GRANT
46
78
83
85
81
327
-
Reginald WILSON
46
77
85
82
83
327
-
C.K. HUTCHISON
46
83
81
82
81
327
-
Ben SAYERS JR
46
81
82
79
85
327
-
C. Ralph SMITH
50
81
80
85
82
328
-
J. THOMSON
51
85
84
79
81
329
-
D. ADAMS
51
81
79
84
85
329
-
James BRADBEER
51
78
81
83
87
329
-
Bertie SNOWBALL
54
85
84
80
82
331
-
A.J. LEWIS
55
82
83
86
81
332
-
James KAY
56
89
80
81
83
333
-
Arthur GRANT
57
85
83
79
88
335
-
C.A. HUTCHISON
58
78
90
83
85
336
-
W.L. MACKIE
58
81
80
85
90
336
-
C.H. CORLETT
60
85
87
83
83
338
-
H. NAYLOR
61
90
85
92
86
353
-
Arthur MITCHELL
Wd
80
79
85
-
-
-
Ernest FOORD
Wd
79
88
83
-
-
-
Tom BECK
Wd
83
80
87
-
-
-
W.H. FOWLER
Wd
82
-
-
-
-
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