| 1926 British Open | |
Bobby Jones and Harry Vardon both had personal firsts at the 1926 British Open: Jones won the Open for the first time; Vardon missed the cut in the Open for the first time.
But, of course, those were two players at the opposite ends of their careers. Jones was 24 years old, had won the 1923 U.S. Open and would also win the 1926 U.S. Open.
Jones had played the Open only once before, and it hadn't been a good experience. At the 1921 British Open, a frustrated Jones picked up his ball and walked off the course during a round.
Walter Hagen opened with a 68 to take the first-round lead, but a second-round 77 set Hagen back. Jones was steady throughout, his first three rounds scoring 72, 72 and 73. But he trailed Al Watrous by two strokes entering the final round after Watrous carded a 69 in Round 3.
But Watrous struggled to a 78 in Round 4, whiles Jones was once again steady at 74. Jones finished at 291 and a winner by two strokes over Watrous, four strokes over Hagen.
The 1926 British Open boasted several other firsts, too: It was the first Open played at Royal Lytham & St. Annes (which acquired its "Royal" designation only this year); an admission fee for spectators was charged for the first time; the tournament was three days long (rather than two) for the first time; and leading up to the tournament, regional qualifying events were played for the first time.
1926 British Open Scores
Results from the 1926 British Open golf tournament played Royal Lytham & St. Annes in Lytham & St. Annes, England (a-amateur):
| a-Bobby Jones | 72-72-73-74--291 |
| Al Watrous | 71-75-69-78--293 |
| Walter Hagen | 68-77-74-76--295 |
| a-George Von Elm | 75-72-76-72--295 |
| Thomas Barber | 77-73-78-71--299 |
| Abe Mitchell | 78-78-72-71--299 |
| Fred McLeod | 71-75-76-79--301 |
| Emmett French | 76-75-74-78--303 |
| Jose Jurado | 77-76-74-76--303 |
| Bill Mehlhorn | 70-74-79-80--303 |
| Herbert Gaudin | 78-78-71-77--304 |
| J.H. Taylor | 75-78-71-80--304 |
| Tommy Armour | 74-76-75-80--305 |
| a-Lister Hartley | 77-74-79-76--306 |
| Harry Walker | 74-77-78-77--306 |
| Reg Whitcombe | 73-82-76-75--306 |
| Tom Williamson | 78-76-76-76--306 |
| Jim Barnes | 77-80-72-78--307 |
| Fred Robson | 79-76-77-75--307 |
| Cyril Walker | 79-71-80-77--307 |
| George Duncan | 75-79-80-74--308 |
| Sandy Herd | 81-76-75-76--308 |
| Herbert Jolly | 79-76-79-75--309 |
| Edward Douglas | 79-78-75-78--310 |
| George Gadd | 80-71-78-81--310 |
| Joe Kirkwood | 81-76-78-75--310 |
| Charles Whitcombe | 79-78-75-78--310 |
| James Braid | 82-75-75-79--311 |
| Arthur Havers | 75-76-82-78--311 |
| Frederick Boobyer | 79-79-80-74--312 |
| Charles Corlett | 77-80-76-79--312 |
| Jean Gassiat | 78-78-79-77--312 |
| James McDowall | 75-82-75-80--312 |
| Ted Ray | 78-80-74-80--312 |
| Jack Smith | 78-80-76-79--313 |
| William H. Davies | 76-81-78-79--314 |
| Antonio Perez | 76-75-81-82--314 |
| James Sherlock | 76-76-77-85--314 |
| Bob Bradbeer | 83-74-76-82--315 |
| Charles Johns | 81-75-81-78--315 |
| James Ockenden | 79-76-80-80--315 |
| Thomas Howard | 79-79-76-82--316 |
| Michael Daragon | 77-76-83-81--317 |
| Harry Kidd | 78-78-82-79--317 |
| James Bradbeer | 75-79-83-81--318 |
| Arthur Young | 79-78-85-76--318 |
| Harry Ball | 77-78-78-87--320 |
| Sidney Ball | 75-82-81-82--320 |
| Cedric Sayner | 80-77-82-81--320 |
| Dick Wheildon | 78-78-81-84--321 |
| Bert Weastell | 79-79-82-83--323 |
| John Sullivan | 78-78-83-89--328 |
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More on the British Open
• Masters Winners
• U.S. Open Winners
• PGA Championship Winners
• British Open Records
• British Open Index on About.com
