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1925 Open Championship

Coordinates: 55°30′07″N 4°37′08″W / 55.502°N 4.619°W / 55.502; -4.619
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1925 Open Championship
Tournament information
Dates25–26 June 1925
LocationPrestwick, South Ayrshire, Scotland
Course(s)Prestwick Golf Club
Statistics
Field83 players[1]
Cutnone
Prize fund£200
Winner's share£75
Champion
EnglandUnited States Jim Barnes
300
← 1924
1926 →
Prestwick is located in Scotland
Prestwick
Prestwick

The 1925 Open Championship was the 60th Open Championship, held 25–26 June at Prestwick Golf Club in Prestwick, South Ayrshire, Scotland. In the final Open at Prestwick, Jim Barnes captured his only Open title, one stroke ahead of runners-up Ted Ray and Archie Compston.[2] It was Barnes' fourth and final major title; he won the first two PGA Championships in 1916 and 1919, and the U.S. Open in 1921.

Qualifying took place on 22–23 June 1925. Qualification took place at Troon with 18 holes on the Old Course and 18 holes the Portland Course. The top 80 and ties qualified. The qualifying score was 158 and 83 players qualified. Irishman Moses O'Neill led the qualifiers on 146.[3]

Born and raised in Cornwall, England, Barnes opened with a course record 70 to take a four stroke lead as the course was dry and fast. In the second round, Macdonald Smith carded a new course record 69 for the lead at 145, two shots ahead of Barnes, who only managed a 77.[4] Smith followed with a 76 in the third round on Friday morning and took a five-shot lead over Barnes and Compston into the final round. Barnes finished his round early and posted a 74 for a 300 total. Beginning his round after Barnes had already finished his, Smith knew that a round of 78 would win him the championship. But after starting with a 4–3 on the first two holes, he dropped three shots on the next three holes. Smith took a 6 at the 7th and 8th and went out in 42. He found a bunker on the 11th and took a 5, and shot another 6 on the 15th. Smith finished the round with an 82 and a 303 total, good enough only for fourth place. Ted Ray, the 1912 champion, finished tied for second with Compston at 301.

Smith's problems in the final round were possibly due to the huge gallery that followed him. Anticipating that he would easily win, 10,000 spectators crowded around Smith, more than the course layout or tournament stewards could handle. Ray's runner-up finish was his final top-ten in a major, as was John Henry Taylor's sixth place showing. Smith never won a major, but was runner-up on three occasions.

This was the last of the 24 Opens played at Prestwick, which hosted the first twelve. It was replaced by adjacent Troon Golf Club ("Royal Troon" since 1978) as the Open venue for southwestern Scotland. Turnberry was added to the rota in 1977, southwest of Prestwick.

It was the last Open scheduled for just two days, at 36 holes each. In 1926, the first two rounds were on Wednesday and Thursday, and following a 36-hole cut, the final two rounds were played on Friday. This format was continued through 1965.

First day leaderboard

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Thursday, 25 June 1925

Place Player Score
1 United States Macdonald Smith 76-69=145
2 United States Jim Barnes 70-77=147
3 England Archie Compston 76-75=151
T4 England Bill Davies 76-76=152
Scotland Tom Fernie 78-74=152
England Syd Wingate 74-78=152
T7 Scotland Duncan McCulloch 76-77=153
England Abe Mitchell 77-76=153
Jersey Ted Ray 77-76=153
England John Henry Taylor 74-79=153
England Jack Smith 75-78=153

Final leaderboard

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Source:[5]

Friday, 26 June 1925

Place Player Score Money
1 United States Jim Barnes 70-77-79-74=300 £75
T2 England Archie Compston 76-75-75-75=301 £32 10s
Jersey Ted Ray 77-76-75-73=301
4 United States Macdonald Smith 76-69-76-82=303 £15
5 England Abe Mitchell 77-76-75-77=305 £10
T6 England Percy Alliss 77-80-77-76=310 £7
England Bill Davies 76-76-80-78=310
Jersey Jack Gaudin 78-81-77-74=310
England John Henry Taylor 74-79-80-77=310
England Syd Wingate 74-78-80-78=310

Amateurs: Harris (311), Cruickshank (315), Tolley (320), Hayward (337)

References

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  1. ^ "Media guide". The Open Championship. 2011. p. 112. Archived from the original on 18 April 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  2. ^ "Jim Barnes cops British Open meet". Milwaukee Journal. 27 June 1925. p. 6. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  3. ^ "The Open Golf Championship – Results". The Times. 24 June 1925. p. 8.
  4. ^ "Smith, Barnes shatter Prestwick record". Milwaukee Sentinel. Universal Service. 26 July 1925. p. 11. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  5. ^ Brenner, Morgan G. (2009). The Majors of Golf: Complete Results of the Open, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and the Masters, 1860-2008. Vol. 1. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-3360-5.
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55°30′07″N 4°37′08″W / 55.502°N 4.619°W / 55.502; -4.619