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Walter Hagen

1928 / Royal St George's

Walter Hagen won his third Open title in 1928 and joined Harry Vardon in winning a second Claret Jug at Royal St George’s. 

Bobby Jones, winner of the previous two Opens, was not in the field but Gene Sarazen, already a winner of the US Open and two PGA Championships, was. 

In a showdown between the best two players, Hagen beat Sarazen by two strokes but may have derived even more pleasure from finishing three in front of Archie Compston.

After spending much of the early part of the year in Hollywood on a film project and then enjoying himself on the boat over, Hagen had been rusty when he first appeared in England. 

Nevertheless he took on Compston in a 72-hole match at Moor Park but lost by the humbling scoreline of 18&17. 

Hagen headed for the practice ground and completed his preparations for The Open in sober fashion, having locked away his 'little black book'.

Form restored, he did not have a six on his card after an opening 75. 

A 73 in the second round left him three behind Argentina’s Jose Jurado after 36 holes but on the final day he produced two superb rounds of 72. 

Sarazen began the day level with Hagen but had two 73s. He was left ruing not only a seven at the 14th in the second round but a six at the first in the final round.

Compston also had two 73s and finished one behind Sarazen.

Hagen hit a delightful bunker shot to seven feet at the 15th and made the putt for a four to make sure he kept ahead. His total of 292 was eight strokes better than his score six years earlier. 

He was presented with the Claret Jug by the club captain, the Prince of Wales, future King Edward VIII, with whom he became great friends.

Name
Finish
R1
R2
R3
R4
Total
Par
Walter HAGEN
Champion Golfer
1
75
73
72
72
292
-
Gene SARAZEN
2
72
76
73
73
294
-
Archie COMPSTON
3
75
74
73
73
295
-
Fred ROBSON
4
79
73
73
73
298
-
Percy ALLISS
4
75
76
75
72
298
-
Aubrey BOOMER
6
79
73
77
72
301
-
Jim BARNES
6
81
73
76
71
301
-
Jose JURADO
6
74
71
76
80
301
-
Bill MEHLHORN
9
71
78
76
77
302
-
William H. DAVIES
10
78
74
79
73
304
-
A.E. WHITING
11
78
76
76
75
305
-
Fred TAGGART
11
76
74
77
78
305
-
Jack SMITH
13
79
77
76
74
306
-
T.P. PERKINS
14
80
79
76
72
307
-
William TWINE
14
75
79
77
76
307
-
Stewart BURNS
16
76
74
75
83
308
-
Charles HEZLET
17
79
76
78
76
309
-
Duncan MCCULLOCH
18
78
78
78
76
310
-
Sir Henry COTTON
18
77
75
83
75
310
-
George DUNCAN
18
75
77
78
80
310
-
Abe MITCHELL
21
78
75
82
76
311
-
Tom WILLIAMSON
21
77
73
77
84
311
-
George GADD
23
83
73
78
78
312
-
Reginald WILSON
23
82
73
77
80
312
-
Jean GASSIAT
23
76
77
81
78
312
-
W.L. HOPE
23
84
75
75
78
312
-
Reg WHITCOMBE
23
79
77
81
75
312
-
Bob BRADBEER
23
83
76
78
75
312
-
James OCKENDEN
23
80
78
79
75
312
-
Syd WINGATE
23
75
82
79
76
312
-
Arthur YOUNG
31
77
77
78
81
313
-
Arthur LACEY
31
80
77
79
77
313
-
William HOLLEY
33
80
78
79
77
314
-
Ted RAY
33
77
78
80
79
314
-
Gus FAULKNER
33
80
75
81
78
314
-
Herbert JOLLY
33
84
73
75
82
314
-
Thomas BARBER
37
77
78
81
79
315
-
W.M. WATT
37
79
76
78
82
315
-
James MCDOWALL
37
82
75
80
78
315
-
Rufus STEWART
37
79
75
82
79
315
-
Thomas TORRANCE
41
79
74
81
82
316
-
Pierre HIRIGOYEN
41
81
74
78
83
316
-
Rex HARTLEY
41
81
77
76
82
316
-
Arnaud MASSY
41
79
79
79
79
316
-
Bert HODSON
41
80
79
79
78
316
-
James BRAID
41
80
79
81
76
316
-
Harry VARDON
47
78
79
80
80
317
-
Leo WALLACE
47
79
80
75
83
317
-
Ernest KENYON
47
79
79
81
78
317
-
A.J. EVANS
50
80
79
82
78
319
-
E.A. BARKER
51
81
78
77
89
325
-
Albert S. TINGEY JR
51
81
78
81
85
325
-
Rowland JONES
M/C
82
78
-
-
-
M/C
Arthur HAVERS
M/C
81
79
-
-
-
M/C
Charles WHITCOMBE
M/C
84
76
-
-
-
M/C
Arthur MONK
M/C
82
78
-
-
-
M/C
Arthur MITCHELL
M/C
80
80
-
-
-
M/C
J.J. TAYLOR
M/C
82
78
-
-
-
M/C
J. BERNARDINO
M/C
81
79
-
-
-
M/C
George SMITH
M/C
81
79
-
-
-
M/C
Raymond OPPENHEIMER
M/C
81
79
-
-
-
M/C
Cedric SAYNER
M/C
80
80
-
-
-
M/C
H.C. KINCH
M/C
83
77
-
-
-
M/C
H. CRAPPER
M/C
82
78
-
-
-
M/C
Douglas GRANT
M/C
80
81
-
-
-
M/C
Tommy ARMOUR
M/C
81
80
-
-
-
M/C
Jack HOOKER
M/C
85
76
-
-
-
M/C
M. O'NEILL
M/C
80
81
-
-
-
M/C
Marcel DALLEMAGNE
M/C
84
77
-
-
-
M/C
Ernest WHITCOMBE
M/C
82
79
-
-
-
M/C
Leslie COTTON
M/C
85
77
-
-
-
M/C
James BATLEY
M/C
81
81
-
-
-
M/C
Albert HALLAM
M/C
86
76
-
-
-
M/C
Fred BRADBEER
M/C
80
82
-
-
-
M/C
Jack SEAGER
M/C
81
81
-
-
-
M/C
James BRADBEER
M/C
83
79
-
-
-
M/C
R.D. VICKERS
M/C
81
81
-
-
-
M/C
W.E. BROWN
M/C
81
82
-
-
-
M/C
Fred LEACH
M/C
83
80
-
-
-
M/C
Roger WETHERED
M/C
82
81
-
-
-
M/C
T. WALTON
M/C
80
83
-
-
-
M/C
Sandy HERD
M/C
82
81
-
-
-
M/C
J. SCARTH
M/C
82
82
-
-
-
M/C
E. DE CESPEDES
M/C
82
82
-
-
-
M/C
G.R. BUCKLE
M/C
82
82
-
-
-
M/C
Alfred MILES
M/C
81
83
-
-
-
M/C
William SMITH
M/C
83
81
-
-
-
M/C
W.C. THOMAS
M/C
83
82
-
-
-
M/C
A. BOYER
M/C
85
80
-
-
-
M/C
Syd EASTERBROOK
M/C
83
82
-
-
-
M/C
John J. MCHUGH
M/C
79
86
-
-
-
M/C
H.G. TWINE
M/C
86
79
-
-
-
M/C
Harry AMOS
M/C
85
81
-
-
-
M/C
T. MOUNCE
M/C
81
85
-
-
-
M/C
H. GOWER
M/C
87
79
-
-
-
M/C
William NOLAN
M/C
86
80
-
-
-
M/C
C.W. THOMSON
M/C
83
84
-
-
-
M/C
Bob STUPPLE
M/C
82
85
-
-
-
M/C
C.H. HAYWARD
M/C
82
85
-
-
-
M/C
E.A. BRADBEER
M/C
86
81
-
-
-
M/C
Jim MORRIS
M/C
87
81
-
-
-
M/C
P. BOOMER
M/C
85
84
-
-
-
M/C
E.B. TIPPING
M/C
87
82
-
-
-
M/C
J. STEER
M/C
88
82
-
-
-
M/C
George CHARMAN
M/C
86
86
-
-
-
M/C
Joshua TAYLOR
NR
88
-
-
-
-
M/C
George KIRBY
NR
80
-
-
-
-
M/C
Dick WHEILDON
NR
88
-
-
-
-
M/C
A. DAY
NR
83
-
-
-
-
M/C
Bert F. JAMES
NR
88
-
-
-
-
M/C
Len HOLLAND
NR
84
-
-
-
-
M/C
J. ROUSE
NR
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
C. SHANKLAND
NR
-
-
-
-
-
M/C

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