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Gold

1883 / Musselburgh Links

Bob Ferguson returned to his home course of Musselburgh Links, where he had won his first Open three years earlier, trying to win a fourth consecutive title.

He came within a whisker of matching Young Tommy Morris’s feat but was eventually defeated by Willie Fernie, who had somehow survived a 10 during regulation play to tie with Ferguson and force a play-off.

Given that Davie Strath had refused to play-off in 1876, this was the first time a play-off actually took place in the Open. It was contested over another 36 holes, or four more loops of the nine-hole course, and was tight all the way.

Fernie led by a stroke at halfway, 81-82, but Ferguson was one ahead when the came to the ninth hole for the last time.Ferguson missed the green with his tee shot but Fernie found the putting surface and then rolled in a long putt for a 2. Ferguson took 4 and, with the pair posting 77s for their last 18 holes, Fernie won 158-159.

Originally from St Andrews, Fernie was now the professional at Dumfries and nines of 38 and 37 gave him a two-stroke lead over Willie Park Jnr after the first 18 holes, with the local favourite, Ferguson, a further shot back. 

At the second hole in the fourth round, Fernie ran up a 10. He hit into long grass off the tee, then in a sand hole, a bunker and a whin bush, from where he played an excellent recovery shot but missed a short putt.

He still managed to be round in 43, with an 83 for the second 18 and a total of 158, which was matched by Ferguson with an 80 for the second 18. Willie Brown finished in third place, two shots behind.

Name
Finish
R1
R2
R3
R4
Total
Par
Willie FERNIE
1
75
83
-
-
158
-
2
78
80
-
-
158
-
Willie BROWN
3
83
77
-
-
160
-
Bob PRINGLE
4
79
82
-
-
161
-
George PAXTON
5
80
83
-
-
163
-
Willie CAMPBELL
5
80
83
-
-
163
-
Ben SAYERS
7
81
83
-
-
164
-
8
77
88
-
-
165
-
Willie DUNN JR
9
85
81
-
-
166
-
10
86
81
-
-
167
-
Douglas ROLLAND
10
82
85
-
-
167
-
Ben CAMPBELL
10
81
86
-
-
167
-
Peter PAXTON
10
85
82
-
-
167
-
Thomas GROSSERT
T14
82
86
-
-
168
-
Frank PARK
15
84
85
-
-
169
-
William COSGROVE
16
79
91
-
-
170
-
17
90
81
-
-
171
-
Tom DUNN
17
87
84
-
-
171
-
George MILLAR
19
80
92
-
-
172
-
David LEITCH
20
88
86
-
-
174
-
Tom ARUNDEL
21
87
88
-
-
175
-
22
94
82
-
-
176
-
William THOMSON
T23
90
87
-
-
177
-
24
88
91
-
-
179
-
D. GRANT
24
89
90
-
-
179
-
David CORSTORPHINE
26
88
93
-
-
181
-
27
93
89
-
-
182
-
Robert TAIT
28
89
94
-
-
183
-
George STRATH
29
91
93
-
-
184
-
David BALDIE
30
92
93
-
-
185
-
John LAMBERT
31
96
90
-
-
186
-
A. BROWN
32
96
101
-
-
187
-
Charlie CRAWFORD
Wd
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
Thomas BROWN
Wd
-
-
-
-
-
M/C

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