53rd Open - Royal Liverpool

Taylor wins The Open for the 5th time

As with his previous victories, JH Taylor finished comfortably ahead of the field when he won at Hoylake in 1913 to join James Braid and Harry Vardon with five Open titles. He was the first of the Great Triumvirate to get off the mark but it took him 19 years to reach this landmark. None of his victories came by less than four strokes and here, as at St Andrews in 1900, he won by eight strokes. Braid had also won by eight in 1908 and no one had achieved a bigger winning margin since The Open was extended to 72 holes.

With the field for The Open only getting stronger, Taylor considered this victory his finest performance. Ted Ray, the defending Champion, was the leader after 36 holes by one from Taylor, who had rounds of 73 and 75. The weather on the second day deteriorated but although based at Royal Mid-Surrey, Taylor had grown up playing at Westward Ho! and he knew how to cope with the wind and rain. His 77 in the third round gave him a three-shot lead over Ray, who scored an 81.

In the final round Taylor was out in 41, his worst nine at The Open, but at the long 14th he holed a pitch shot from 50 yards for a 3. Not long afterwards news arrived that Ray had taken an 8 at the third hole. Taylor closed with a 79 for a total of 304 while Ray secured second place with an 84. Harry Vardon and Michael Moran shared third place and John McDermott, a two-time US Open Champion, finished in a share of fifth place after matching Taylor’s 77 in the third round. McDermott is thought to be the first American-born player to play in The Open.