Skip to main content
Todd Hamilton

2004 / Royal Troon

For the second time in three years Ernie Els was in a play-off for The Open but this time lost out to Todd Hamilton.

The 38-year-old American was ranked 56th in the world after winning for the first time on the PGA Tour in March but had spent most of his career in Japan. Playing in his fourth Open, he admitted enjoying playing “ugly golf” and his scrambling skills ultimately proved decisive.

A second consecutive 67 put Hamilton one ahead of Els going into the final round, during which the lead fluctuated between not just that twosome but Thomas Levet and Phil Mickelson, with the left-handed American claiming his best Open finish of third.

Els, not helped by a double bogey at the 10th, was two behind with two to play but birdied the 17th and set up a birdie from 10 feet at the last. For once Hamilton could not save par so Els had his putt for the victory. It missed only after breaking sharply left at the last minute.

Both players parred the first two holes of the play-off but Els bogeyed the 17th before setting up another birdie chance at the last from 12 feet. Hamilton was 30 yards short of the green in two but played an exquisite chip-and-run with a hybrid club to two feet. Els missed again and Hamilton holed.

Els became the first player to twice record four rounds under 70 and not to win on either occasion, 1993 at Sandwich the other time. He had holed in one at the Postage Stamp, the eighth hole, in round one, the same day Gary Evans had an albatross at the fourth, holing a 5-iron from 227 yards.

Hamilton was the sixth consecutive American winner at Royal Troon. “I knew I was a decent golfer,” he said.

The Official Open Film from Royal Troon in 2004

Login or join The One Club today and watch The Open Film 2004 for free.

Name
Finish
R1
R2
R3
R4
Total
Par
Todd HAMILTON
1
71
67
67
69
274
-
2
69
69
68
68
274
-
3
73
66
68
68
275
-
4
72
71
68
67
278
-
5
66
70
71
72
279
-
Davis LOVE III
5
72
69
71
67
279
-
Retief GOOSEN
7
69
70
68
73
280
-
Scott VERPLANK
7
69
70
70
71
280
-
9
70
71
68
72
281
-
Mike WEIR
9
71
68
71
71
281
-
Skip KENDALL
11
69
66
75
72
282
-
11
72
73
69
68
282
-
11
69
72
73
68
282
-
14
72
71
71
69
283
-
Barry LANE
14
69
68
71
75
283
-
Joakim HAEGGMAN
16
69
73
72
70
284
-
16
70
72
71
71
284
-
Kenny PERRY
16
69
70
73
72
284
-
KJ CHOI
16
68
69
74
73
284
-
20
68
73
73
71
285
-
20
68
70
76
71
285
-
Michael CAMPBELL
20
67
71
74
73
285
-
Bob ESTES
20
73
72
69
71
285
-
20
66
77
70
72
285
-
25
71
72
71
72
286
-
25
69
69
72
76
286
-
Jyoti RANDHAWA
27
73
72
70
72
287
-
Rod PAMPLING
27
72
68
74
73
287
-
Takashi KAMIYAMA
27
70
73
71
73
287
-
Bo VAN PELT
30
72
71
71
74
288
-
30
71
74
68
75
288
-
30
71
71
69
77
288
-
Keiichiro FUKABORI
30
73
71
70
74
288
-
Shigeki MARUYAMA
30
71
72
74
71
288
-
David TOMS
30
71
71
74
72
288
-
Steve LOWERY
36
69
73
75
72
289
-
36
71
70
73
75
289
-
Tjaart VAN DER WALT
36
70
73
72
74
289
-
Hunter MAHAN
36
74
69
71
75
289
-
Tetsuji HIRATSUKA
36
70
74
70
75
289
-
Kim FELTON
36
73
67
72
77
289
-
42
73
68
74
75
290
-
Kenneth FERRIE
42
68
74
73
75
290
-
Andrew OLDCORN
42
73
70
71
76
290
-
Trevor IMMELMAN
42
69
74
71
76
290
-
Charles HOWELL III
42
75
70
72
73
290
-
Jerry KELLY
47
75
70
73
73
291
-
Mathias GRONBERG
47
70
74
73
74
291
-
Alastair FORSYTH
47
68
74
79
70
291
-
47
74
71
71
75
291
-
Shaun MICHEEL
47
70
72
70
79
291
-
Paul BRADSHAW
47
75
67
72
77
291
-
Sean WHIFFIN
47
73
72
71
75
291
-
Ignacio GARRIDO
54
71
74
72
75
292
-
Raphael JACQUELIN
54
72
72
73
75
292
-
Steve FLESCH
54
75
70
70
77
292
-
Carl PETTERSSON
57
68
77
74
74
293
-
James KINGSTON
57
73
72
74
74
293
-
Paul McGINLEY
57
69
76
75
73
293
-
Brad FAXON
60
74
68
73
79
294
-
Paul BROADHURST
60
71
74
72
77
294
-
Gary EMERSON
60
70
71
76
77
294
-
63
71
71
78
76
296
-
Stuart WILSON
63
68
75
77
76
296
-
Mark FOSTER
63
71
72
76
77
296
-
Marten OLANDER
66
68
74
78
77
297
-
Rory SABBATINI
66
71
72
73
81
297
-
Paul WESSELINGH
68
73
72
76
77
298
-
Martin ERLANDSSON
68
73
70
77
78
298
-
Bob TWAY
70
76
68
73
82
299
-
Christian CEVAER
71
70
74
74
82
300
-
Rich BEEM
71
69
73
77
81
300
-
73
70
73
81
79
303
-
M/C
73
73
-
-
-
M/C
Klas ERIKSSON
M/C
73
73
-
-
-
M/C
Euan LITTLE
M/C
74
72
-
-
-
M/C
Chad CAMPBELL
M/C
72
74
-
-
-
M/C
S K HO
M/C
72
74
-
-
-
M/C
Freddie JACOBSON
M/C
75
71
-
-
-
M/C
Tim Clark
M/C
73
73
-
-
-
M/C
Scott BARR
M/C
70
76
-
-
-
M/C
Luke DONALD
M/C
75
71
-
-
-
M/C
Mathew GOGGIN
M/C
68
78
-
-
-
M/C
Jay HAAS
M/C
70
76
-
-
-
M/C
Peter O'MALLEY
M/C
77
70
-
-
-
M/C
Robert ALLENBY
M/C
70
77
-
-
-
M/C
Grant MULLER
M/C
73
74
-
-
-
M/C
Paul SHEEHAN
M/C
75
72
-
-
-
M/C
Brendan JONES
M/C
71
76
-
-
-
M/C
Craig PARRY
M/C
76
71
-
-
-
M/C
Barry HUME
M/C
72
75
-
-
-
M/C
Sven STRUVER
M/C
74
73
-
-
-
M/C
Chris RILEY
M/C
72
75
-
-
-
M/C
Glen DAY
M/C
74
73
-
-
-
M/C
Peter LONARD
M/C
76
71
-
-
-
M/C
M/C
76
71
-
-
-
M/C
Stephen LEANEY
M/C
73
74
-
-
-
M/C
Jonathan CHEETHAM
M/C
72
75
-
-
-
M/C
Jean-Francois REMESY
M/C
74
73
-
-
-
M/C
Lloyd CAMPBELL
M/C
73
74
-
-
-
M/C
Steven TILEY
M/C
71
76
-
-
-
M/C
Daniel SUGRUE
M/C
74
74
-
-
-
M/C
Nick FLANAGAN
M/C
72
76
-
-
-
M/C
Tim HERRON
M/C
72
76
-
-
-
M/C
John HUSTON
M/C
75
73
-
-
-
M/C
M/C
75
73
-
-
-
M/C
M/C
70
78
-
-
-
M/C
Ben WILLMAN
M/C
72
76
-
-
-
M/C
Arjun ATWAL
M/C
74
74
-
-
-
M/C
Maarten LAFEBER
M/C
74
74
-
-
-
M/C
Phillip PRICE
M/C
75
73
-
-
-
M/C
M/C
75
74
-
-
-
M/C
M/C
73
76
-
-
-
M/C
Spike MCROY
M/C
71
78
-
-
-
M/C
Aaron BADDELEY
M/C
74
75
-
-
-
M/C
Miles TUNNICLIFF
M/C
74
75
-
-
-
M/C
M/C
73
76
-
-
-
M/C
Cameron BECKMAN
M/C
75
74
-
-
-
M/C
Brian DAVIS
M/C
72
77
-
-
-
M/C
Stephen AMES
M/C
74
75
-
-
-
M/C
Richard GREEN
M/C
74
76
-
-
-
M/C
Jonathan KAYE
M/C
74
76
-
-
-
M/C
Anders HANSEN
M/C
76
74
-
-
-
M/C
Simon WAKEFIELD
M/C
73
77
-
-
-
M/C
Matthew HAZELDEN
M/C
79
71
-
-
-
M/C
Hidemasa HOSHINO
M/C
76
74
-
-
-
M/C
Simon DYSON
M/C
75
76
-
-
-
M/C
Hennie OTTO
M/C
74
77
-
-
-
M/C
M/C
71
80
-
-
-
M/C
Craig PERKS
M/C
74
77
-
-
-
M/C
Peter HEDBLOM
M/C
78
73
-
-
-
M/C
M/C
73
78
-
-
-
M/C
M/C
79
73
-
-
-
M/C
Brian MCELHINNEY
M/C
76
76
-
-
-
M/C
Scott DRUMMOND
M/C
73
79
-
-
-
M/C
Eduardo ROMERO
M/C
77
75
-
-
-
M/C
David GRIFFITHS
M/C
75
78
-
-
-
M/C
M/C
74
79
-
-
-
M/C
M/C
76
77
-
-
-
M/C
Jimmy GREEN
M/C
78
75
-
-
-
M/C
Frank LICKLITER II
M/C
77
77
-
-
-
M/C
Dinesh CHAND
M/C
80
74
-
-
-
M/C
David HOWELL
M/C
78
76
-
-
-
M/C
Nicolas COLSAERTS
M/C
77
77
-
-
-
M/C
M/C
78
77
-
-
-
M/C
M/C
74
82
-
-
-
M/C
Andrew WILLEY
M/C
80
76
-
-
-
M/C
Ian SPENCER
M/C
79
78
-
-
-
M/C
Adam LE VESCONTE
M/C
77
80
-
-
-
M/C
Andrew BUCKLE
M/C
76
82
-
-
-
M/C
Yoshinobu TSUKADA
M/C
79
80
-
-
-
M/C
M/C
80
80
-
-
-
M/C
Brett TAYLOR
M/C
86
75
-
-
-
M/C
Neil EVANS
M/C
85
78
-
-
-
M/C
Anthony MILLAR
M/C
78
86
-
-
-
M/C
Lewis ATKINSON
M/C
79
85
-
-
-
M/C

Latest from the open