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Watson

1975 / Carnoustie

Tom Watson joined Ben Hogan (1953) and Tony Lema (1964) as the only winners of The Open on debut since WWII after holding his nerve in a tense play-off.

Having had chances to win the previous two U.S. Opens, there had been doubts about the ability of the man from Kansas to win at the highest level, but they proved unfounded.

He would come to dominate The Open with five victories in nine years and claimed eight major titles in all.

David Huish, the club professional from North Berwick, held the halfway lead with rounds of 69 and 67. Sadly, he closed with scores of 76 and 80 to tie for 32nd place.

With conditions calm and sunny, South Africa’s Bobby Cole had rounds of 66 on the second and third days, while Jack Newton broke the day-old course record with a 65 in the third round to lie one behind Cole, with Watson two shots further back.

In the wind of the final day, Watson went out in 35 but then had a trio of three-putts in a row. Johnny Miller led playing the last but took a bogey while Watson holed from 15 feet for a birdie.

Cole needed a birdie at the last to tie but could only join Miller and Jack Nicklaus in a share of third place, while Newton parred to tie Watson on 11 under par after missing from 20 feet for the victory.

Sunday’s play-off in the rain was a tight affair, which the 25-year-old Watson won 71-72. They were tied playing the last, but the Australian bunkered his approach and missed from 18 feet to match Watson’s par.

It was the last 18-hole play-off in The Open, with a four-hole format later adopted, while Carnoustie would have to wait until 1999 to host again.

Name
Finish
R1
R2
R3
R4
Total
Par
Tom WATSON
Champion Golfer
1
71
67
69
72
279
-
Jack NEWTON
2
69
71
65
74
279
-
Johnny MILLER
3
71
69
66
74
280
-
Jack NICKLAUS
3
69
71
68
72
280
-
Bobby COLE
3
72
66
66
76
280
-
Graham MARSH
6
72
67
71
71
281
-
Peter OOSTERHUIS
7
68
70
71
73
282
-
Neil COLES
7
72
69
67
74
282
-
Hale IRWIN
9
69
70
69
75
283
-
George BURNS III
10
71
73
69
71
284
-
John MAHAFFEY
10
71
68
69
76
284
-
Andries OOSTHUIZEN
12
69
69
70
78
286
-
Paul LEONARD
12
70
69
73
74
286
-
Sir Bob CHARLES
12
74
73
70
69
286
-
Tom WEISKOPF
15
73
72
70
72
287
-
Arnold PALMER
16
74
72
69
73
288
-
Maurice BEMBRIDGE
16
75
73
67
73
288
-
Alan TAPIE
16
70
72
67
79
288
-
Sam TORRANCE
19
72
74
71
72
289
-
Bernard GALLACHER
19
72
67
72
78
289
-
Tommy HORTON
19
72
71
71
75
289
-
Lon HINKLE
19
76
72
69
72
289
-
Hugh BAIOCCHI
23
72
72
73
73
290
-
Brian BARNES
23
71
74
72
73
290
-
Danny EDWARDS
23
70
74
71
75
290
-
Martin FOSTER
23
72
74
73
71
290
-
Ray FLOYD
23
71
72
76
71
290
-
Simon HOBDAY
28
70
70
76
75
291
-
Guy HUNT
28
73
68
76
74
291
-
David GRAHAM
28
74
70
72
75
291
-
Roberto DE VICENZO
28
71
74
72
74
291
-
David HUISH
32
69
67
76
80
292
-
Dale HAYES
32
73
71
73
75
292
-
Michael CAHILL
32
71
73
74
74
292
-
Hubert GREEN
32
72
73
70
77
292
-
Peter DAWSON
32
74
75
71
72
292
-
Bob SHEARER
32
69
72
74
77
292
-
Tienie BRITZ
32
74
71
72
75
292
-
Gary PLAYER
32
75
71
73
73
292
-
Lee TREVINO
40
76
69
73
75
293
-
Brian WAITES
40
74
72
69
78
293
-
Bob GILDER
40
75
71
75
72
293
-
Kel NAGLE
40
72
73
73
75
293
-
Norman WOOD
40
74
74
71
74
293
-
Brian HUGGETT
40
72
71
75
75
293
-
Ian STANLEY
46
75
71
70
78
294
-
Lou GRAHAM
47
73
72
74
76
295
-
Bill BRASK
47
74
71
72
78
295
-
Bill GARRETT
47
76
72
72
75
295
-
Peter WILCOCK
47
77
68
75
75
295
-
Christy O'CONNOR JR
47
72
73
73
77
295
-
Eddie PEARCE
52
72
75
70
79
296
-
Johnny JACOBS
53
72
76
73
76
297
-
David VAUGHAN
53
72
71
74
80
297
-
Vicente FERNANDEZ
53
76
70
74
77
297
-
Liang Huan LU
53
76
72
72
77
297
-
Dennis CLARK
57
72
72
76
78
298
-
Terry LEBROCQ
57
72
76
72
78
298
-
Peter TOWNSEND
57
74
70
76
78
298
-
Herluf HANSEN
60
74
74
73
78
299
-
Jan DORRESTEIN
61
75
73
73
79
300
-
Carl MASON
62
73
72
75
81
301
-
Roddy CARR
63
76
72
72
82
302
-
Gary SMITH
WD
74
73
75
-
-
-
John O'LEARY
WD
73
75
74
-
-
-
Malcolm GREGSON
WD
75
73
74
-
-
-
DeWitt WEAVER
WD
76
72
74
-
-
-
Craig DEFOY
WD
77
71
75
-
-
-
Vince BAKER
WD
72
75
76
-
-
-
Craig STADLER
WD
77
72
74
-
-
-
Mark PFEIL
WD
72
74
77
-
-
-
Sandy STEPHEN
WD
73
72
78
-
-
-
Eamonn DARCY
WD
75
74
74
-
-
-
George KELLEY
WD
74
70
79
-
-
-
Bill LOCKIE
WD
73
76
75
-
-
-
Jose Maria CANIZARES
WD
73
74
77
-
-
-
David JONES
WD
73
74
77
-
-
-
Ronnie SHADE
WD
74
73
77
-
-
-
W.S.M. ROOKE
WD
74
72
79
-
-
-
David WREN
WD
76
72
77
-
-
-
Arne DOKKA
WD
73
74
78
-
-
-
John MORGAN
WD
74
75
77
-
-
-
Martin POXON
WD
72
77
78
-
-
-
Carlos ORDONEZ
WD
74
75
79
-
-
-
Peter THOMSON
WD
73
75
81
-
-
-
Roberto BERNARDINI
WD
72
76
81
-
-
-
Angel GALLARDO
M/C
73
77
-
-
-
M/C
Allan HENNING
M/C
80
70
-
-
-
M/C
Tony PARCELL
M/C
73
77
-
-
-
M/C
Gary KOCH
M/C
75
75
-
-
-
M/C
John DOWNIE
M/C
77
73
-
-
-
M/C
Rod CURL
M/C
76
74
-
-
-
M/C
Al GEIBERGER
M/C
76
74
-
-
-
M/C
Andrew CHANDLER
M/C
74
76
-
-
-
M/C
Pip ELSON
M/C
75
75
-
-
-
M/C
Baldovino DASSU
M/C
77
73
-
-
-
M/C
Lanny WADKINS
M/C
75
76
-
-
-
M/C
Denis SCANLAN
M/C
76
75
-
-
-
M/C
Mike NUTTER
M/C
75
76
-
-
-
M/C
Stuart BROWN
M/C
75
76
-
-
-
M/C
Manuel BALLESTEROS
M/C
75
76
-
-
-
M/C
Lionel PLATTS
M/C
76
75
-
-
-
M/C
Ralph CARTER
M/C
74
77
-
-
-
M/C
Hedley MUSCROFT
M/C
78
74
-
-
-
M/C
David JAGGER
M/C
77
75
-
-
-
M/C
Simon OWEN
M/C
80
72
-
-
-
M/C
Robin FYFE
M/C
76
77
-
-
-
M/C
Mel PYATT
M/C
79
75
-
-
-
M/C
Jim FARMER
M/C
78
76
-
-
-
M/C
Philip CLARK
M/C
80
74
-
-
-
M/C
Ted BALL
M/C
79
75
-
-
-
M/C
Peter BERRY
M/C
80
74
-
-
-
M/C
Eddie POLLAND
M/C
78
76
-
-
-
M/C
Nick PRICE
M/C
77
77
-
-
-
M/C
David WEBSTER
M/C
77
77
-
-
-
M/C
Mike INGHAM
M/C
76
78
-
-
-
M/C
Peter TUPLING
M/C
79
76
-
-
-
M/C
Max FAULKNER
M/C
75
80
-
-
-
M/C
David INGRAM
M/C
82
73
-
-
-
M/C
Andrew BROOKS
M/C
77
78
-
-
-
M/C
Joseph PURCELL
M/C
79
76
-
-
-
M/C
John ANDERSON
M/C
75
80
-
-
-
M/C
John COOK
M/C
78
77
-
-
-
M/C
John HUDSON
M/C
82
73
-
-
-
M/C
Gunnar MUELLER
M/C
77
78
-
-
-
M/C
David CHILLAS
M/C
77
79
-
-
-
M/C
Barry SANDRY
M/C
81
75
-
-
-
M/C
Russell WEIR
M/C
76
80
-
-
-
M/C
Des SMYTH
M/C
78
78
-
-
-
M/C
Martin GRAY
M/C
80
76
-
-
-
M/C
John FOWLER
M/C
75
81
-
-
-
M/C
John GARNER
M/C
77
79
-
-
-
M/C
Jimmy HUME
M/C
79
77
-
-
-
M/C
Richard EMERY
M/C
77
79
-
-
-
M/C
Gene LITTLER
M/C
75
82
-
-
-
M/C
Sandy WILSON
M/C
82
75
-
-
-
M/C
Cyril PENNINGTON
M/C
80
77
-
-
-
M/C
Bill MURRAY
M/C
80
77
-
-
-
M/C
John MCTEAR
M/C
79
78
-
-
-
M/C
Stewart ADWICK
M/C
79
78
-
-
-
M/C
Battista MAESTRONI
M/C
76
81
-
-
-
M/C
Gavin LEVENSON
M/C
80
77
-
-
-
M/C
John HAMMOND
M/C
82
76
-
-
-
M/C
Seve BALLESTEROS
M/C
79
80
-
-
-
M/C
Bill HECTOR
M/C
80
79
-
-
-
M/C
Stephen BONHAM
M/C
82
78
-
-
-
M/C
T.W. RASTALL
M/C
78
83
-
-
-
M/C
John BARNETT
M/C
82
79
-
-
-
M/C
Bobby LOCKE
M/C
82
80
-
-
-
M/C
Philippe TOUSSAINT
M/C
83
79
-
-
-
M/C
Ronnie MCDONALD
M/C
86
77
-
-
-
M/C
W.J. TODD
M/C
88
76
-
-
-
M/C
Murray WHITE
M/C
84
85
-
-
-
M/C

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