| 1938 British Open | |
The Whitcombe brothers were stalwarts of English golf in the 1920s and 1930s. Charles Whitcombe was a 4-time captain of the Great Britain Ryder Cup team. Ernest Whitcombe played on three Ryder Cup teams. And Reg Whitcombe played on one Ryder Cup team.
But it was little brother Reg who won the Open Championship, doing so in 1938.
But golfers who were among the 36-hole leaders were nearly blown off Royal St. George's in the final two rounds, played in heavy winds. Dick Burton finished 78-85; John Busson shot 83-80; Bill Cox and Bert Gadd, 84-80. High scores were everywhere.
Reg Whitcombe's 75-78 scores don't look impressive on their own, but under gale conditions those last two rounds got the job done. He finished two strokes cler of runner-up Jimmy Adams and three ahead of defending champ Cotton.
1938 British Open Golf Tournament Scores
Results from the 1938 British Open golf tournament played at Royal St. George's Golf Club in Sandwich, England (x-won playoff; a-amateur):
| Reg Whitcombe | 71-71-75-78--295 |
| Jimmy Adams | 70-71-78-78--297 |
| Henry Cotton | 74-73-77-74--298 |
| Dick Burton | 71-69-78-85--303 |
| John Busson | 71-69-83-80--303 |
| Allan Dailey | 73-72-80-78--303 |
| Alf Padgham | 74-72-75-82--303 |
| Fred Bullock | 73-74-77-80--304 |
| Bill Cox | 70-70-84-80--304 |
| Bert Gadd | 71-70-84-80--305 |
| Bobby Locke | 73-72-81-79--305 |
| Charles Whitcombe | 71-75-79-80--305 |
| Sid Brews | 76-70-84-77--307 |
| Dai Rees | 73-72-79-83--307 |
| Hamish Ballingall | 76-72-83-77--308 |
| Alf Perry | 71-74-77-86--308 |
| Arthur Lacey | 74-72-82-81--309 |
| Bill Shankland | 74-72-84-81--311 |
| Ernest Whitcombe | 70-77-83-82--312 |
| James Black | 72-72-83-86--313 |
| P.J. Mahon | 73-74-83-83--313 |
| Jack McLean | 72-74-83-85--314 |
| Marcel Dallemagne | 70-74-86-85--315 |
| William Hastings | 74-74-83-84--315 |
| Sam King | 74-73-83-85--315 |
| John Fallon | 70-75-82-89--316 |
| a-E.F. Storey | 77-71-84-84--316 |
| Ernest Kenyon | 77-71-86-83--317 |
| R.H. Pemberton | 74-72-91-80--317 |
| a-Cyril Tolley | 77-68-86-86--317 |
| Alfred G. Beck | 76-72-84-86--318 |
| Robert French | 72-71-91-85--319 |
| Norman Sutton | 72-75-87-85--319 |
| a-Hector Thomson | 77-71-82-89--319 |
| Tom Haliburton | 72-74-88-86--320 |
| a-J.J.F. Pennink | 74-72-86-90--322 |
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• British Open Index on About.com
