| 1961 British Open | |
One year earlier, Arnold Palmer made his Open Championship debut at the 1960 British Open. And although Palmer lost by a stroke to Kel Nagle, Arnie's appearance is generally credited with revitalizing this championship, and also with establishing the Open as a major for American golfers, too.
Palmer and Dai Rees were separated by a stroke after three rounds, then both shot 72 in the final round. Palmer finished at 284 to Rees' 285.
The Welshman Rees was one of the British golf greats of the 1950s, but he was winning tournaments in Europe from the late 1930s through the early 1960s. He never won the British Open, but his finish here was one of three runner-up showings. He also finished third and fourth in other Opens.
Another British golf great - 3-time Open champion Henry Cotton - made the cut for the last time in this event.
And American Paul Runyan - winner of the 1934 and 1938 PGA Championships - finished 18th at age 53. It was one of just three appearances in a British Open by Runyan.
1961 British Open Golf Tournament Scores
Results from the 1961 British Open golf tournament played at the par-72 Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England (a-amateur):
| Arnold Palmer | 70-73-69-72--284 |
| Dai Rees | 68-74-71-72--285 |
| Neil Coles | 70-77-69-72--288 |
| Christy O'Connor | 71-77-67-73--288 |
| Eric Brown | 73-76-70-70--289 |
| Kel Nagle | 68-75-75-71--289 |
| Peter Thomson | 75-72-70-73--290 |
| Ken Bousfield | 71-77-75-68--291 |
| Peter Alliss | 73-75-72-71--291 |
| Syd Scott | 76-75-71-71--293 |
| Harold Henning | 68-74-75-76--293 |
| Ramon Sota | 71-76-72-76--295 |
| Tony Coop | 71-79-73-74--297 |
| Miguel Angel Martin | 73-79-74-72--298 |
| Reg Knight | 71-80-73-74--298 |
| Sebastian Miguel | 71-80-70-77--298 |
| a-Norman Johnson | 69-80-70-79--298 |
| Paul Runyan | 75-77-75-72--299 |
| Denis Hutchinson | 72-80-74-73--299 |
| John Jacobs | 71-79-76-74--300 |
| Harry Bradshaw | 73-75-78-74--300 |
| Peter Butler | 72-76-78-74--300 |
| Dave Thomas | 71-77-77-75--300 |
| Lionel Platts | 70-80-71-79--300 |
| a-Ralph Moffitt | 73-80-73-75--301 |
| Jean Garaialde | 69-81-76-75--301 |
| Brian Huggett | 72-77-75-77--301 |
| Eric Lester | 71-77-75-78--301 |
| David Miller | 69-79-80-74--302 |
| George Will | 74-75-75-78--302 |
| Brian Wilkes | 72-76-77-78--303 |
| Guy Wolstenholme | 72-80-77-75--304 |
| Henry Cotton | 76-77-74-77--304 |
| John Panton | 73-78-75-78--304 |
| Bill McHardy | 76-76-76-77--305 |
| James Henderson | 72-78-77-78--305 |
| Sam King | 70-77-79-79--305 |
| Eric Green | 75-78-77-76--306 |
| a-Ronald White | 71-79-80-76--306 |
| a-George Low | 76-76-76-78--306 |
| David Snell | 72-81-77-77--307 |
| Frank Phillips | 74-79-76-78--307 |
| Tom Haliburton | 74-79-76-78--307 |
| Fred Boobyer | 74-79-81-74--308 |
| a-Martin Christmas | 71-79-79-79--308 |
| Willian Branch | 77-76-78-78--309 |
| Christy Greene | 77-76-78-78--309 |
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 Index on About.com
