| 1939 British Open | |
The 1939 British Open was the last one played until 1946, as World War II put most of the golf world on hold. Not long after this Open concluded, the Royal Air Force began using the Old Course's fairways as runways.
It was because of World War II that the winner of the 1939 British Open is the answer to a trick question: Who held the British Open title the longest? The answer is Englishman Dick Burton who, after winning here, held the title for the next seven years, until the tournament resumed in 1946. Burton himself entered service with the RAF shortly after winning the Open.
Burton had two other Top 10 finishes in the Open Championship, but played only one other major, the 1946 U.S. Open (missing the cut). He won the 1939 British Open with a birdie on the final hole, beating American Johnny Bulla by two strokes.
Results from the 1939 British Open golf tournament played on The Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland (a-amateur):
| Dick Burton | 70-72-77-71--290 |
| Johnny Bulla | 77-71-71-73--292 |
| John Fallon | 71-73-71-79--294 |
| Sam King | 74-72-75-73--294 |
| Alf Perry | 71-74-73-76--294 |
| Bill Shankland | 72-73-72-77--294 |
| Reg Whitcombe | 71-75-74-74--294 |
| Martin Pose | 71-72-76-76--295 |
| Percy Alliss | 75-73-74-74--296 |
| Ernest Kenyon | 73-75-74-74--296 |
| Bobby Locke | 70-75-76-75--296 |
| Dai Rees | 71-74-75-77--297 |
| Jimmy Adams | 73-74-75-76--298 |
| Enrique Bertolino | 73-75-75-75--298 |
| a-Jimmy Bruen Jr. | 72-75-75-76--298 |
| Henry Cotton | 74-72-76-76--298 |
| William Anderson | 73-74-77-75--299 |
| Emilio Serra | 77-72-73-77--299 |
| W.H. Green | 75-75-72-78--300 |
| William H. Davies | 71-79-74-77--301 |
| Syd Easterbrook | 74-71-80-76--301 |
| a-Alex Kyle | 74-76-75-76--301 |
| a-Leonard Crawley | 72-76-80-74--302 |
| Max Faulkner | 70-76-76-80--302 |
| James Busson Jr. | 70-75-81-77--303 |
| Laurie Ayton Jr. | 72-77-78-77--304 |
| William Collins | 75-74-79-76--304 |
| Fred Taggart | 73-77-76-78--304 |
| Aurelio Castanon | 77-73-80-75--305 |
| Laurie Ayton Sr. | 76-72-82-76--306 |
| Charlie Ward | 71-74-78-83--306 |
| John Busson | 79-70-81-77--307 |
| a-Andrew Dowie | 76-74-81-77--308 |
| a-Bob Sweeny Jr. | 74-75-80-79--308 |
Back to list of British Open Winners
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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
