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Fred Daly

1947 / Royal Liverpool

Fred Daly became the first Irish winner of The Open with his victory by a stroke over Reg Horne and Frank Stranahan at Royal Liverpool in 1947 in a dramatic finish.

It would be 60 years before another Irishman won a major, Padraig Harrington at Carnoustie setting off a golden period for Irish golf. 

Daly was from Portrush, a popular player who took the lead with a 70 in the second round. 

His four-stroke advantage disappeared with a 78 in the third round and he was tied with Henry Cotton, Arthur Lees and Norman von Nida.

Horne was two behind but went out in 35 and might have set a stiffer target but for a bogey at the 17th and his birdie putt at the last lipping out. 

Daly was out in 38 before finding form on the way home. His birdie attempt on the 18th from 12 yards just dropped into the hole and with a 72 he had pipped Horne by one on 293.

With the wind strengthening, Daly’s score looked hard to beat. Cotton slipped to a closing 76 and finished four behind in sixth place. 

Eventually, the only player who could beat Daly was Stranahan, an American amateur who was a runner-up at the Masters earlier in the year. 

He needed to play the last two holes – the first and second holes as played at Hoylake for the 2006 and 2014 Opens – in one-under to tie Daly but three-putted at the 17th. 

Thinking his chance had gone, Stranahan nevertheless hit a fine drive at the last and needed only a 9-iron for his second shot, which he now needed to hole to tie. 

It was close, finishing a foot away, but not quite good enough. He went on to finish runner-up again in The Open in 1953 and win the British Amateur Championship twice.

Name
Finish
R1
R2
R3
R4
Total
Par
Fred DALY
Champion Golfer
1
73
70
78
72
293
-
Frank STRANAHAN
2
71
79
72
72
294
-
Reg HORNE
2
77
74
72
71
294
-
Bill SHANKLAND
4
76
74
75
70
295
-
Dick BURTON
5
77
71
77
71
296
-
Charlie WARD
6
76
73
76
72
297
-
Arthur LEES
6
75
74
72
76
297
-
Johnny BULLA
6
80
72
74
71
297
-
Norman VON NIDA
6
74
76
71
76
297
-
Sam KING
6
75
72
77
73
297
-
Sir Henry COTTON
6
69
78
74
76
297
-
Jimmy ADAMS
12
73
80
71
75
299
-
Reg WHITCOMBE
13
75
77
71
77
300
-
Alf PADGHAM
13
75
75
74
76
300
-
Fred BULLOCK
15
74
78
78
72
302
-
Laurie AYTON JR
15
69
80
74
79
302
-
Norman SUTTON
17
77
76
73
77
303
-
Alf PERRY
18
76
77
70
81
304
-
Vic GHEZZI
18
75
78
72
79
304
-
Eddie WHITCOMBE
18
77
76
74
77
304
-
Flory VAN DONCK
21
73
76
81
75
305
-
Dai REES
21
77
74
73
81
305
-
A. WATERS
23
75
78
76
77
306
-
John BURTON
24
73
79
76
81
309
-
J.A. JACOBS
25
75
80
76
79
310
-
James H. BUSSON JR
25
80
76
71
83
310
-
Ken BOUSFIELD
27
78
76
79
78
311
-
Arthur HAVERS
27
80
76
79
76
311
-
Norman QUIGLEY
27
79
77
76
79
311
-
Basil SHEPARD
27
78
78
77
78
311
-
T.E ODAMS
31
80
76
79
77
312
-
William ANDERSON
32
74
81
80
79
314
-
Max FAULKNER
32
78
76
81
79
314
-
Frank JOWLE
32
75
80
80
79
314
-
W.B. THOMSON
35
78
76
78
83
315
-
Jock HENDERSON
36
78
78
81
79
316
-
T. GARDNER
37
77
76
77
89
319
-
Bert HODSON
38
79
77
84
84
324
-
D. MCEWAN
39
77
79
87
84
327
-
Archie COMPSTON
M/C
81
76
-
-
-
M/C
Walter LEES
M/C
78
80
-
-
-
M/C
Tom DOBSON
M/C
82
76
-
-
-
M/C
Allan DAILEY
M/C
78
81
-
-
-
M/C
Tom HALIBURTON
M/C
80
79
-
-
-
M/C
Jack MCLEAN
M/C
75
85
-
-
-
M/C
Charles WHITCOMBE
M/C
80
80
-
-
-
M/C
C.T. JENNINGS
M/C
83
79
-
-
-
M/C
Arthur PEROWNE
M/C
79
84
-
-
-
M/C
Gordon DURWARD
M/C
82
84
-
-
-
M/C
G.I. DUNCAN
M/C
87
85
-
-
-
M/C
Jack HARGREAVES
51
75
-
-
-
-
M/C
L. CLIFFE
52
76
-
-
-
-
M/C
J. ROTHWELL
53
77
-
-
-
-
M/C
W.R. FIRKINS
53
77
-
-
-
-
M/C
H. COLEMAN
55
78
-
-
-
-
M/C
Harold GOULD
55
78
-
-
-
-
M/C
J.S. HUGHES
55
78
-
-
-
-
M/C
R.H. BROWN
55
78
-
-
-
-
M/C
I.W. CALDER
55
78
-
-
-
-
M/C
J.H. RUDD
60
79
-
-
-
-
M/C
T. MCMILLAN
60
79
-
-
-
-
M/C
H.W. MYERS
60
79
-
-
-
-
M/C
Douglas STEVENSON
60
79
-
-
-
-
M/C
Herbert RHODES
60
79
-
-
-
-
M/C
R.G. FRENCH
60
79
-
-
-
-
M/C
Cecil DENNY
60
79
-
-
-
-
M/C
Reg KNIGHT
60
79
-
-
-
-
M/C
J.L. BLACK
60
79
-
-
-
-
M/C
Harry BRADSHAW
69
80
-
-
-
-
M/C
F.G. ALLOTT
69
80
-
-
-
-
M/C
A.M. ROBERTSON
69
80
-
-
-
-
M/C
Gregor MCINTOSH
69
80
-
-
-
-
M/C
J. HIGHAM
69
80
-
-
-
-
M/C
H.R. MANTON
69
80
-
-
-
-
M/C
A.M. FIXTER
75
81
-
-
-
-
M/C
J.A. FLAHERTY
75
81
-
-
-
-
M/C
Fred TAGGART
75
81
-
-
-
-
M/C
Bill COX
75
81
-
-
-
-
M/C
A.G. MATTHEWS
75
81
-
-
-
-
M/C
W.H. GREEN
75
81
-
-
-
-
M/C
J.E. WATT
81
82
-
-
-
-
M/C
Robert JARMAN
81
82
-
-
-
-
M/C
L. TOPPING
81
82
-
-
-
-
M/C
H.E. OSBORNE
81
82
-
-
-
-
M/C
Kenneth THOM
81
82
-
-
-
-
M/C
Reg COX
81
82
-
-
-
-
M/C
R.J. THOMPSON
87
83
-
-
-
-
M/C
T.H.T. FAIRBAIRN
87
83
-
-
-
-
M/C
J. MORRIS
87
83
-
-
-
-
M/C
Tom COLLINGE
87
83
-
-
-
-
M/C
Edward MUSTY
91
84
-
-
-
-
M/C
J.V. MOODY
91
84
-
-
-
-
M/C
G.A MALSEY
93
85
-
-
-
-
M/C
Alfred G. BECK
93
85
-
-
-
-
M/C
Bert GADD
95
86
-
-
-
-
M/C
Syd SCOTT
95
86
-
-
-
-
M/C
Harry SMITH
95
86
-
-
-
-
M/C
Bert WILLIAMSON
98
88
-
-
-
-
M/C

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