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Henry Cotton

1934 / Royal St George's

Henry Cotton ended a decade of American domination at The Open with his victory at Royal St George’s in 1934. 

In doing so, he became the fourth player to win while leading after every round since The Open was extended to 72 holes. 

A 66 in qualifying, in which he holed not a single long putt, suggested he was in fine form. It showed in The Open proper as Cotton opened with a 67 to lead by three from Fred Taggart.

In the second round Cotton set a new record score for The Open of 65. He was out in 33 and home in 32, birdieing three of the last five holes. 

As in the first round, he recorded only one bogey. His 36-hole total of 132 was a new record and he was nine ahead of Alf Padgham. 

Dunlop celebrated Cotton’s achievement by naming their best-selling ball the '65'.

The final day’s play was rainy and windy but while Cotton scored a 72 in the third round he now led by ten from Joe Kirkwood. 

His leading margins for 36 and 54 holes remain records for The Open. The trouble set in after lunch when he suffered from stomach cramps. 

He was out in 40 and had fives at the next three holes. He got up and down with a fine chip and putt at the 13th to settle his nerves and he staggered to the finish. A closing 79 left him on a total of 283 and a winner by five strokes from South African Sid Brews, with Padgham finishing two shots further adrift.

That night he visited Harry Vardon at his hotel in Sandwich. The six-time Champion Golfer had not been well enough to watch the golf on the final day but Cotton placed the Claret Jug in his hands and both men shed a tear.

Name
Finish
R1
R2
R3
R4
Total
Par
Sir Henry COTTON
Champion Golfer
1
67
65
72
79
283
-
Sid BREWS
2
76
71
70
71
288
-
Alf PADGHAM
3
71
70
75
74
290
-
Joe KIRKWOOD
4
74
69
71
78
292
-
Macdonald SMITH
4
77
71
72
72
292
-
Marcel DALLEMAGNE
4
71
73
71
77
292
-
Charles WHITCOMBE
7
71
72
74
78
295
-
Bert HODSON
7
71
74
74
76
295
-
Percy ALLISS
9
73
75
71
77
296
-
Ernest WHITCOMBE
9
72
77
73
74
296
-
William TWINE
11
72
76
75
74
297
-
John BURTON
12
80
72
72
74
298
-
William H. DAVIES
13
76
68
73
82
299
-
Edward JARMAN
13
74
76
74
75
299
-
Charlie WARD
13
76
71
72
80
299
-
Jack MCLEAN
16
77
76
69
78
300
-
Reg WHITCOMBE
16
75
76
74
75
300
-
Allan DAILEY
16
74
73
78
75
300
-
James MCDOWALL
16
73
74
77
76
300
-
Denny SHUTE
20
71
72
80
78
301
-
Bert GADD
21
76
74
74
78
302
-
William NOLAN
21
73
71
75
83
302
-
Gene SARAZEN
21
75
73
74
80
302
-
Alfred G. BECK
21
78
72
78
74
302
-
P.F. WESTON
21
72
76
77
77
302
-
Alf PERRY
26
76
76
74
77
303
-
Tom GREEN
26
75
73
74
81
303
-
Jimmy ADAMS
26
73
78
73
79
303
-
Leslie COTTON
29
76
73
79
76
304
-
A. BOYER
29
78
75
77
74
304
-
Fred TAGGART
31
70
76
82
77
305
-
Don CURTIS
31
77
75
74
79
305
-
Duncan MCCULLOCH
31
73
74
75
83
305
-
Syd EASTERBROOK
31
77
72
79
77
305
-
Herbert JOLLY
35
73
77
76
80
306
-
Mark SEYMOUR
35
78
75
78
75
306
-
William LAIDLAW
35
71
77
83
75
306
-
T. PIERPOINT
35
77
73
79
77
306
-
Fred JARMAN
39
76
76
79
76
307
-
A.S.G. THOMPSON
39
76
75
75
81
307
-
Dick BURTON
39
76
71
79
81
307
-
Laurie AYTON JR
42
76
75
78
79
308
-
Nicasio SAGARDIA
42
76
75
74
83
308
-
Cecil DENNY
42
71
74
83
80
308
-
Tom WILLIAMSON
42
80
70
79
79
308
-
J.A. FLAHERTY
42
80
70
80
78
308
-
William DAVIS
42
78
73
77
80
308
-
Lister HARTLEY
42
76
77
77
78
308
-
Tom COLLINGE
42
73
76
81
78
308
-
Edward MUSTY
50
76
77
78
78
309
-
Frank DENNIS
50
74
78
78
79
309
-
J.M. MCMILLAN
50
74
75
79
81
309
-
A.G. MATTHEWS
50
75
72
81
81
309
-
George GADD
50
75
72
80
82
309
-
Angel DE LA TORRE
50
79
74
77
79
309
-
Sydney FAIRWEATHER
56
80
72
80
78
310
-
Firmin CAVALO
56
79
71
76
84
310
-
James FORRESTER
58
79
72
80
80
311
-
H. PROWSE
58
80
72
81
78
311
-
Fred ROBSON
58
75
78
78
80
311
-
L.G. GARNETT
58
73
76
80
82
311
-
E.F. STOREY
58
77
76
76
82
311
-
F. RICARDO
63
78
75
76
84
313
-
G. GOOD
63
72
80
79
82
313
-
John DONALDSON
63
75
77
82
79
313
-
A.E. WHITING
66
78
74
83
80
315
-
Alfred MILES
NR
76
76
-
-
-
M/C
Robert BALLANTINE
NR
79
74
-
-
-
M/C
Abe MITCHELL
NR
75
78
-
-
-
M/C
Reg COX
M/C
76
78
-
-
-
M/C
Albert ISHERWOOD
M/C
84
70
-
-
-
M/C
P.J. MAHON
M/C
72
82
-
-
-
M/C
John FALLON
M/C
78
76
-
-
-
M/C
P.B.M. WALLACE
M/C
77
77
-
-
-
M/C
A.G.S. PENMAN
M/C
78
76
-
-
-
M/C
L. JACKSON
M/C
77
78
-
-
-
M/C
Philip RODGERS
M/C
79
76
-
-
-
M/C
C.W. THOMSON
M/C
79
76
-
-
-
M/C
Robert RUTHERFORD
M/C
76
79
-
-
-
M/C
James BRADBEER
M/C
77
79
-
-
-
M/C
Owen SANDERSON
M/C
79
77
-
-
-
M/C
Max FAULKNER
M/C
78
78
-
-
-
M/C
Bob BRADBEER
M/C
77
80
-
-
-
M/C
William BRANCH
M/C
78
79
-
-
-
M/C
Ernest CAWSEY
M/C
79
78
-
-
-
M/C
Sam ROBERTS
M/C
77
80
-
-
-
M/C
H. RIMMER
M/C
80
77
-
-
-
M/C
A.M. CHEVALIER
M/C
79
78
-
-
-
M/C
Eric Martin SMITH
M/C
81
77
-
-
-
M/C
W.J. MARTIN
M/C
79
79
-
-
-
M/C
Pierre HIRIGOYEN
M/C
84
74
-
-
-
M/C
Hugh ROBERTS
M/C
81
78
-
-
-
M/C
D.H.R. MARTIN
M/C
77
82
-
-
-
M/C
Eugene LAFITTE
M/C
80
79
-
-
-
M/C
Bob SWEENY JR
M/C
80
79
-
-
-
M/C
J.J. TAYLOR
M/C
79
81
-
-
-
M/C
Aubrey BOOMER
M/C
82
79
-
-
-
M/C
Rex HARTLEY
M/C
80
81
-
-
-
M/C
F.G.C. WEARE
M/C
84
79
-
-
-
M/C
Percy BAXTER
M/C
84
82
-
-
-
M/C
S. HAYNES
NR
82
-
-
-
-
M/C

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