Padgham Rallies to Win at Hoylake

The 1936 Open Championship was played at Hoylake. After two rounds, W.J. Cox and Jimmy Adams shared the lead on 144. There were five players tied on 145, including Alf Padgham, Henry Cotton and the Frenchman, Marcel Dallemagne. Adams and Cotton shared the lead after the third round with a total of 215. Padgham and Tom Green were a stroke behind.

Padgham was playing four couples ahead of Adams on the final day. In the fourth round that afternoon, Padgham went out in 37 and Adams followed him with 38, which meant that they were now level. Padgham finished strongly with a four at the 17th and a three at the 18th. His second shot to the 18th landed about 15 feet from the pin and Padgham rammed down his putt to finish on 287.

Adams stood at the 17th tee knowing that he now needed to play the last two holes in eight strokes to tie with Padgham. He started the 17th well with a drive down the right side of the fairway but he put his approach shot into a bunker to the left of the green. After chipping out beautifully, he then missed his putt. He had to play the 18th in three strokes to tie. He was on the green in two, about 12 yards from the hole. Adams struck his putt firmly and it raced to the hole, circled tantalisingly around the rim and then popped out back onto the green..

Cotton and Green were still on the course but neither could make any impact on the homeward nine and Alf Padgham was The Open Champion.