| 1954 British Open | |
In his fourth appearance in the Open Championship, Peter Thomson claimed his first victory. It began a run of four British Open wins in five years for Thomson.
Thomson did it by holding off Bobby Locke in the final round, ending Locke's own recent run of success: Locke had won three of the previous five British Opens.
Thomson finished with a 71, and opened the door on his last hole by hitting into a greenside bunker and bogeying. But Locke, needing a birdie at the last to force a playoff, was only able to make par.
Thomson finished sixth in his Open debut in 1950. But over the next seven years, his finishes were: 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 2, 1. That's a pretty good record in a major, isn't it? Thomson later added one more British Open title, in 1965.
Locke also won once more after 1954, claiming his fourth Open Championship in 1957.
Three-time Masters champion Jimmy Demaret played the British Open only once in his career, and this was the year. He finished tied for 10th, six strokes behind the winner.
The 1954 British Open was the first one played at Royal Birkdale.
1954 British Open Golf Tournament Scores
Results from the 1954 British Open golf tournament played at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England (a-amateur):
| Peter Thomson | 72-71-69-71--283 |
| Bobby Locke | 74-71-69-70--284 |
| Dai Rees | 72-71-69-72--284 |
| Syd Scott | 76-67-69-72--284 |
| Jimmy Adams | 73-75-69-69--286 |
| Antonio Cerda | 71-71-73-71--286 |
| Jim Turnesa | 72-72-71-71--286 |
| Peter Alliss | 72-74-71-70--287 |
| Sam King | 69-74-74-70--287 |
| Jimmy Demaret | 73-71-74-71--289 |
| Flory Van Donck | 77-71-70-71--289 |
| Alfonso Angelini | 76-70-73-71--290 |
| Harry Bradshaw | 72-72-73-73--290 |
| Bill Spence | 69-72-74-75--290 |
| Bobby Halsall | 72-73-73-73--291 |
| a-Peter Toogood | 72-75-73-71--291 |
| Ugo Grappasonni | 72-75-74-71--292 |
| Christie Kane | 74-72-74-72--292 |
| Gene Sarazen | 75-74-73-70--292 |
| Norman Drew | 76-71-74-72--293 |
| Max Faulkner | 73-78-69-73--293 |
| Jack Hargreaves | 77-72-77-67--293 |
| John Jacobs | 71-73-80-69--293 |
| Eric Lester | 72-75-73-73--293 |
| Christy O'Connor Sr. | 74-72-72-75--293 |
| Lambert Topping | 75-76-69-73--293 |
| Norman Sutton | 70-80-72-72--294 |
| E.B. Williamson | 76-73-75-70--294 |
| Jimmy Hitchcock | 73-72-76-74--295 |
| Ben Shelton | 74-77-71-73--295 |
| a-Frank Stranahan | 73-75-71-76--295 |
| Jean Garaialde | 76-73-72-75--296 |
| Ralph Mills | 73-76-70-77--296 |
| T. Travena | 75-74-75-72--296 |
| Bill Branch | 73-78-71-75--297 |
| Fred Daly | 74-72-74-77--297 |
| Norman Von Nida | 76-74-74-73--297 |
| Jean-Baptiste Ado | 72-78-76-72--298 |
| Enrique Bertolino | 74-76-74-74--298 |
| Aldo Casera | 75-73-72-78--298 |
| Bill Shankland | 72-72-79-76--299 |
| William John Henderson | 74-72-76-78--300 |
| Al Watrous | 76-72-74-78--300 |
| Cecil Denny | 74-77-79-71--301 |
| Robert French | 75-75-77-75--302 |
| George Howard | 71-77-74-80--302 |
| Fred Bullock | 72-77-77-78--304 |
| Frank Jowle | 80-70-79-75--304 |
| Robert Mandeville | 74-73-78-79--304 |
| Hector Thomson | 76-75-74-79--304 |
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More on the British Open
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• PGA Championship Winners
• British Open Index on About.com
