2005 Senior British Open Championship

The 2005 Senior British Open Championship, for sponsor reasons named Senior British Open Championship presented by Aberdeen Asset Management, was a senior major golf championship and the 19th Senior Open Championship, held from 21 to 24 July at Royal Aberdeen Golf Club in Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom. It was the third Senior British Open Championship played as a senior major championship.[1]

2005 Senior British Open Championship
Tournament information
Dates21–24 July 2005
LocationAberdeen, Scotland
57.1782°N 2.0837°W / 57.1782; -2.0837
Course(s)Royal Aberdeen Golf Club (Balgownie course)
Organised byThe R&A
Tour(s)
Format72 hole stroke play
Statistics
Par71
Length6,834 yd (6,249 m)
Field144 players, 79 after cut
Cut157 (+15)
Prize fundUS$1,800,000
Winner's shareUS$274,241
Champion
United States Tom Watson
280 (-4)
Location Map
Location in Europe
Location in the United Kingdom
Location in Scotland

Tom Watson won in a playoff for the title over Des Smyth to win his second Senior British Open title. The 2005 event was Watson's fourth senior major championship victory.[2][3][4]

Venue
Main article: Royal Aberdeen Golf Club

The 2005 event was the first Senior Open Championship played at Royal Aberdeen Golf Club. It took place at the clubs Balgownie Course, opened in 1888 and originally designed by Archie Simpson and Robert Simpson but later re-bunkered and lengthened by James Braid.[5]

Royal Aberdeen GC clubhouse

Course layout
HoleYardsPar  HoleYardsPar
14094103604
25535111753
32233125345
44494134354
53474144214
64995153704
74094164114
81473171873
94654184404
Out3,50136In3,33335
Source:[6]Total6,83471

Field

The field consisted of 144 competitors; 137 professionals and seven amateurs.

18-hole stroke play qualifying rounds were held on Monday, 18 July, on two places in Scotland, Murcar Golf Club and the Newmachar, for players who were not already exempt. The 26 leading players from the qualifying competitions joined the 118 exempt players for the championship.[7]

79 players made the 36-hole cut, 76 professionals and two amateurs. Adrian Morrow finished leading amateur at tied 46th.

Past champions in the field

Eight past Senior Open champions participated. Four of them made the 36-hole cut; 2003 champion Tom Watson (won), 1989 and 1993 champion Bob Charles (tied 56th), 1988, 1990 and 1997 champion Gary Player (tied 61st) and 1999 and 2000 champion Christy O'Connor Jnr (tied 68th). 2001 champion Ian Stanley, 1987 champion Neil Coles, 2004 champion Pete Oakley and 1992 champion John Fourie did not make the cut.

Past winners and runners-up at The Open Championship in the field

The field included four former winners of The Open Championship. All of them made the cut; 1975, 1977, 1980, 1982 and 1983 Open champion Tom Watson (won), 1986 and 1993 Open champion Greg Norman (3rd), 1963 Open champion Bob Charles (tied 56th) and 1959, 1968 and 1974 Open champion Gary Player (tied 61st).

The field also included six former runners-up at The Open Championship; Mark McNulty (tied 8th), Andy Bean (tied 29th), Neil Coles (missed cut) Tom Kite (missed cut), Rodger Davis (missed cut) and Simon Owen (missed cut).

Final round and playoff summaries

Final round

Sunday, 24 July 2005

Des Smyth and Tom Watson tied the lead after the fourth round, to meet in a sudden death playoff, to decide the winner. Watson held a one-shot lead going into the final round and finished with a 1-under par round 70, to tie with Smyth, who finished with a round of 67.

Place Player Score To par Money ($)
T1 Republic of Ireland Des Smyth 73-72-68-67=280 −4 Playoff
United States Tom Watson 75-71-64-70=280
3 Australia Greg Norman 76-67-70-68=281 −3 102,971
4 United States Craig Stadler 73-68-70-72=283 −1 82,290
5 United States Loren Roberts 72-74-71-67=284 E 69,725
T6 England Derrick Cooper 73-80-64-70=287 +3 53,475
United States David Eger 80-70-72-65=287
8 Republic of Ireland Mark McNulty 76-72-72-68=288 +4 41,101
T9 Scotland Martin Gray 77-73-71-69=290 +6 33,339
Argentina Eduardo Romero 75-71-75-69=290
Canada Ray Stewart 73-77-75-65=290

Playoff

Sunday, 24 July 2005

The sudden-death playoff went on the 18th hole, to be played twice, until one of the players had a lower score on the hole than the other. Tom Watson beat Des Smyth with a par at the third extra hole. They both made par on the 18th hole twice, why the playoff moved to the par-3 17th hole, where Watson made a par and Smyth a bogey. Smyth hit his tee shot into a greenside bunker and his second shot to within 20 feet of the hole, but missed the par putt, while Watson made a par to win the championship.

PlacePlayerScoreTo parMoney ($)
1United States Tom Watson4-4-3=11E274,241
2Republic of Ireland Des Smyth4-4-4=12+1182,914

References
  1. "The Senior Open Championship". The R&A. Archived from the original on 13 February 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  2. "The Senior Open Championship presented by Aberdeen Asset Management – Results". European Tour. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  3. "The Senior Open – Past Results". PGA Tour. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  4. "Watson beats Smyth in Senior British Open playoff". ESPN. Associated Press. 24 July 2005. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  5. "Welcome to Royal Aberdeen Golf". Royal Aberdeen Golf Club. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  6. "Senior British Open Championship presented by Aberdeen Asset Management – Course Card". European Tour. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  7. "Qualifying - Official Scores & Qualified Players". European Tour. July 2005. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
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