| 1949 British Open | |
From 1946 to 1948, South African Bobby Locke won 11 times on the US PGA Tour, including a 16-stroke win at the 1948 Chicago Victory National (still the PGA Tour record for largest winning margin). Then, in a dispute over playing obligations, the USPGA banned Locke.
What did he do? He returned to Europe and won the 1949 British Open, the first of Locke's four wins in the Open Championship. In so doing, he became the first golfer from South Africa to win one of the sport's four major championships.
Locke and Harry Bradshaw both finished at 283 to force a playoff. The R&A's tournament history notes an incident from the second round that cost Bradshaw dearly. Bradshaw's drive on the fifth hole missed the fairway - but found the bottom of a broken beer bottle! He should have taken a free drop, but Bradshaw was unsure how to proceed, and there were no rules officials handy. So instead, he blasted out (with eyes closed, according to the R&A, and glass flying everywhere). Bradshaw shot 77 in that round to Locke's 76. They ended the second round tied, then matched scores over the final 36 holes.
Locke and Bradshaw met in a 36-hole playoff the next day, and it was no contest: Locke won by 12 strokes, 135 to 147.
Locke went on to win the 1950, 1952 and 1957 Opens, as well.
1949 British Open Golf Tournament Scores
Results from the 1949 British Open golf tournament played at Royal St. George's Golf Club
in Sandwich, England (x-won playoff; a-amateur):
| x-Bobby Locke | 69-76-68-70--283 |
| Harry Bradshaw | 68-77-68-70--283 |
| Roberto De Vicenzo | 68-75-73-69--285 |
| Sam King | 71-69-74-72--286 |
| Charlie Ward | 73-71-70-72--286 |
| Max Faulkner | 71-71-71-74--287 |
| Arthur Lees | 74-70-72-71--287 |
| Jimmy Adams | 67-77-72-72--288 |
| John Fallon | 69-75-72-72--288 |
| W.D. Smithers | 72-75-70-71--288 |
| Ken Bousfield | 69-77-76-67--289 |
| Bill Shankland | 69-73-74-73--289 |
| a-Frank Stranahan | 71-73-74-72--290 |
| William Branch | 71-75-74-71--291 |
| Dick Burton | 73-70-74-74--291 |
| John Knipe | 76-71-72-72--291 |
| Walter Lees | 74-72-69-78--293 |
| Alan Waters | 70-76-75-73--294 |
| Norman Sutton | 69-78-75-73--295 |
| Reg Horne | 73-74-75-74--296 |
| Arthur Lacey | 72-73-73-78--296 |
| Gregor McIntosh | 70-77-76-73--296 |
| William McMinn | 70-75-78-73--296 |
| E.A. Southerden | 69-76-74-77--296 |
| James Wade | 71-74-77-75--297 |
| H.E. Osborne | 73-74-75-76--298 |
| Johnny Bulla | 71-73-76-79--299 |
| Ugo Grappasonni | 70-76-77-77--300 |
| Ernest Kenyon | 72-75-77-77--301 |
| G.M. White | 74-71-80-78--303 |
| a-Francis Francis | 72-74-82-79--307 |
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British Open Winners
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More on the British Open
• Masters Winners
• U.S. Open Winners
• PGA Championship Winners
• British Open Index on About.com
