1870 Open Championship

The 1870 Open Championship was a golf competition held at Prestwick Golf Club, Ayrshire, Scotland. It was the 11th Open Championship and the last to be contested for the Challenge Belt. Tom Morris, Jr. won the championship by 12 shots from Bob Kirk and Davie Strath. By winning for a third successive time Tom Morris, Jr. gained permanent possession of the Challenge Belt.

1870 Open Championship
Tournament information
Dates15 September 1870
LocationPrestwick, South Ayrshire, Scotland
Course(s)Prestwick Golf Club
Statistics
Field20 players
Prize fund£12
Winner's share£6
Champion
Scotland Tom Morris, Jr.
149
Tom Morris, Jr. wearing the Challenge Belt.

The contest took place the day after the autumn meeting of the club. A published notice for the benefit of prospective entrants to the tournament read, "On Thurs the 15th Sept. the Champion Belt, given by the Prestwick Golf Club, and open to all Members of Established Golf Clubs and Professionals, will be competed for".[1]

Tommy Morris's first round of 47 (3-5-3-5-6-3-3-3-4-3-4-5) was two shots better than his previous record round in 1868. This gave him a five shot lead over Bob Kirk. After a second round 51 he held a five shot lead over Davie Strath. A final 51 extended his lead to 12 shots. His final score of 149 was 5 shots better than the previous record set in 1868.[2] There were 20 starters but only 17 returned scores.[3]

Morris returned to St Andrews by train, late on Saturday evening. A "great multitude" were there to meet him and he was carried, shoulder high, to Mr. Leslie's Golf Hotel, where his health was drunk.[4][5]

Final leaderboard

Source:[3]

Thursday, 15 September 1870

PlacePlayerScoreMoney
1Scotland Tom Morris, Jr.47-51-51=149£6
2Scotland Bob Kirk52-52-57=161Playoff
3Scotland Davie Strath54-49-58=161
4Scotland Tom Morris, Sr.56-52-54=162
5Scotland William Doleman (a)57-54-58=169
6Scotland Willie Park, Sr.60-55-58=173
7Scotland Jamie Anderson59-57-58=174
8Scotland John Allan61-58-57=176
T9Scotland Charlie Hunter58-56-64=178
Scotland Alexander Doleman (a)61-59-58=178

Playoff

Source:[3]

Kirk beat Strath in a 12-hole playoff, Kirk winning by 56 to 60 and taking the £4 second prize while Strath took the third prize of £2. This was the first time that there had been a tie for prize money since it was introduced in 1863.

References
  1. "Prestwick Golf Club". Fife Herald. 18 August 1870. Retrieved 21 December 2014 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  2. "Prestwick 1870 Tommy Morris Wins the Belt Outright". Archived from the original on 23 September 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  3. "Golf - Prestwick Club Autumn Meeting - Contest for the Challenge Belt". Glasgow Herald. 16 September 1870. Retrieved 21 December 2014 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. "The Golf Championship - Welcome home to Tom Morris, Jr". Fife Herald. 20 September 1870. Retrieved 21 December 2014 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. "Young Tom Morris, Without Rivalry and Without Envy by John Moreton" (PDF). British Golf Collectors’ Society. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
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