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Alf Padgham

1936 / Royal Liverpool

Alf Padgham overcame the longest course yet used for The Open, with Hoylake extended to 7,078 yards, and the usual mix of weather arriving in the Dee Estuary from the Irish Sea – it even snowed during practice despite the June date – to win The Open in 1936.

Though the Sundridge professional was a long hitter with an effortless swing, it was his putting that brought him victory as he birdied the last from 12 feet to beat Jimmy Adams by one stroke.

After rounds of 73 and 72 Padgham was one behind Adams and Bill Cox, while a 71 in the third round kept him one adrift of Adams and Henry Cotton, the 1934 Champion Golfer.

Padgham, who had been third and second in the last two Opens, was playing four groups ahead of Adams on the final day. 

In the fourth round that afternoon, Padgham went out in 37 and Adams followed him with 38, which meant that they were now level. 

Padgham finished strongly with a four at the 17th and a three at the 18th thanks to his brave putt. He finished on a total of 287.

Adams, originally from Troon, stood at the 17th tee knowing that he now needed to play the last two holes in eight strokes to tie with Padgham. 

His approach shot found a bunker to the left of the 17th green and after chipping out beautifully, he then missed his putt. 

Now he had to play the 18th in three strokes to tie and was on the green in two, about 12 yards from the hole. 

Adams struck his putt firmly and it raced to the hole, circled tantalisingly around the rim and then popped back out.

He closed with a 73 as Cotton (74) shared third place with France’s Marcel Dallemagne, while Gene Sarazen was among those sharing fifth place.

Name
Finish
R1
R2
R3
R4
Total
Par
Alf PADGHAM
Champion Golfer
1
73
72
71
71
287
-
Jimmy ADAMS
2
71
73
71
73
288
-
Marcel DALLEMAGNE
3
73
72
75
69
289
-
Sir Henry COTTON
3
73
72
70
74
289
-
Tom GREEN
5
74
72
70
75
291
-
Percy ALLISS
5
74
72
74
71
291
-
Gene SARAZEN
5
73
75
70
73
291
-
Arthur LACEY
8
76
74
72
72
294
-
Reg WHITCOMBE
8
72
77
71
74
294
-
Bobby LOCKE
8
75
73
72
74
294
-
Dai REES
11
77
71
72
75
295
-
Dick BURTON
12
74
71
75
76
296
-
Bill COX
12
70
74
79
73
296
-
William H. DAVIES
14
72
76
73
77
298
-
Hector THOMSON
15
76
76
73
74
299
-
T. TURNER
15
75
74
76
74
299
-
Aubrey BOOMER
15
74
75
75
75
299
-
Walter SMITHERS
15
75
73
77
74
299
-
Charles WHITCOMBE
19
73
76
79
72
300
-
G. GOOD
19
75
73
79
73
300
-
Bert GADD
21
74
72
77
78
301
-
Max FAULKNER
21
74
75
77
75
301
-
Frank BALL
23
74
77
72
79
302
-
Norman SUTTON
23
75
72
78
77
302
-
Willie GOGGIN
23
74
78
73
77
302
-
Francis FRANCIS
23
73
72
79
78
302
-
John FALLON
23
78
73
78
73
302
-
Sam KING
28
79
74
75
76
304
-
Jean SAUBABER
28
74
78
75
77
304
-
H.R. MANTON
28
76
78
77
73
304
-
William BRANCH
31
80
75
68
82
305
-
Laurie AYTON JR
31
76
75
75
79
305
-
James H. BUSSON JR
31
78
73
79
75
305
-
Cecil DENNY
34
77
76
78
75
306
-
Jack MCLEAN
34
72
78
79
77
306
-
Sydney FAIRWEATHER
34
75
78
77
76
306
-
Syd EASTERBROOK
34
79
73
77
77
306
-
Tom COLLINGE
38
74
73
79
81
307
-
Arthur LEES
39
79
74
78
77
308
-
H. RIMMER
40
79
75
81
74
309
-
Frank DENNIS
40
78
77
79
75
309
-
John J. BUSSON
40
76
73
83
77
309
-
Allan DAILEY
40
77
77
77
78
309
-
Don CURTIS
44
77
73
83
77
310
-
J.A. FLAHERTY
44
77
77
80
76
310
-
J. WOOLLAM
44
75
81
77
77
310
-
Edward JARMAN
44
75
77
81
77
310
-
Jim FERRIER
44
80
74
76
80
310
-
Archie COMPSTON
44
77
77
79
77
310
-
J.E. FIELD
50
75
79
82
75
311
-
Sam ROBERTS
50
77
78
75
81
311
-
Alf PERRY
50
76
76
80
79
311
-
Tom DOBSON
53
78
77
83
74
312
-
John PENNINK
53
75
81
79
77
312
-
C.W. TIMMIS
55
77
79
79
78
313
-
Reg COX
55
79
73
79
82
313
-
R.S. WALKER
57
74
76
82
82
314
-
William ROBERTSON
57
78
77
79
80
314
-
Bert HODSON
57
82
74
77
81
314
-
Arthur HAVERS
60
78
78
80
79
315
-
Harry LARGE
61
77
77
85
79
318
-
A.M. CHEVALIER
62
80
76
84
81
321
-
Alfred G. BECK
M/C
78
79
-
-
-
M/C
Jerry BOND
M/C
80
77
-
-
-
M/C
Herbert JOLLY
M/C
81
76
-
-
-
M/C
I.S. THOMAS
M/C
77
81
-
-
-
M/C
J.W. WALKER
M/C
78
80
-
-
-
M/C
Jack SEAGER
M/C
81
77
-
-
-
M/C
Leonard CRAWLEY
M/C
79
79
-
-
-
M/C
William TWINE
M/C
80
79
-
-
-
M/C
Ernest CAWSEY
M/C
78
82
-
-
-
M/C
A.E. BIGNELL
M/C
79
81
-
-
-
M/C
J.C. COWLEY
M/C
79
81
-
-
-
M/C
D.C. JONES
M/C
77
83
-
-
-
M/C
J.P ZACHARIAS
M/C
80
80
-
-
-
M/C
J.W. GAUDIN
M/C
78
82
-
-
-
M/C
John DONALDSON
M/C
80
81
-
-
-
M/C
C. STOWE
M/C
79
82
-
-
-
M/C
J. SHERLOCK
M/C
79
82
-
-
-
M/C
G. JOHNSON
M/C
80
81
-
-
-
M/C
Philip RODGERS
M/C
79
82
-
-
-
M/C
C.W. THOMSON
M/C
85
77
-
-
-
M/C
William OKE
M/C
81
81
-
-
-
M/C
William DAVIS
M/C
80
82
-
-
-
M/C
T. PIERPOINT
M/C
81
81
-
-
-
M/C
Cyril TOLLEY
M/C
81
81
-
-
-
M/C
Joe EZAR
M/C
82
80
-
-
-
M/C
Pierre HIRIGOYEN
M/C
79
83
-
-
-
M/C
James FORRESTER
M/C
80
82
-
-
-
M/C
S.S. FIELD
M/C
84
79
-
-
-
M/C
I.A. DE H. LYLE
M/C
86
77
-
-
-
M/C
H.G. BENTLEY
M/C
80
83
-
-
-
M/C
Ernest SMITH
M/C
81
83
-
-
-
M/C
Sam WALSH
M/C
86
79
-
-
-
M/C
A.E. GREGORY
M/C
82
83
-
-
-
M/C
W.S. CALLUM
M/C
81
85
-
-
-
M/C
Eddie WHITCOMBE
M/C
79
87
-
-
-
M/C
Tom WILLIAMSON
M/C
81
85
-
-
-
M/C
Tom HALIBURTON
M/C
83
84
-
-
-
M/C
W.E. BROWN
M/C
82
85
-
-
-
M/C
J. JACKSON
M/C
86
81
-
-
-
M/C
R.T. PLUMBRIDGE
M/C
86
81
-
-
-
M/C
H.W. MEYERS
M/C
84
83
-
-
-
M/C
C.A. WINKS
M/C
92
76
-
-
-
M/C
F.H. FROSTICK
M/C
86
82
-
-
-
M/C
P.F. WESTON
M/C
83
86
-
-
-
M/C
A. BOYER
NR
84
-
-
-
-
M/C

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