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Kirkaldy

1891 / St Andrews

Andrew Kirkaldy came close to winning The Open on many occasions, but never did. One of those to pip him was his own brother, Hugh, five years the younger, at St Andrews in 1891.

On a day of cold winds and driving rain, Hugh led after a first round of 83 and he posted the same number again in the afternoon to beat Andrew Kirkaldy and the 1883 Champion Willie Fernie by two strokes.

In the second round only amateur John Ball matched the winner’s 83, but the defending Champion had scuppered his chances of retaining the title with an opening 94.

Samuel Lure Fergusson was the leading amateur in fourth place while Ball finished tied for 12th.Hugh Kirkaldy once played the outward half of the Old Course in 33 but in the second round his 38 was followed by nine successive 5s on the way home.

It was, however, the first round in The Open at St Andrews not to contain a 6. His total of 166 was a record by three shots for Opens at St Andrews, but this was the last Open to be contested over 36 holes. The following year at Muirfield The Open was extended to 72 holes played over four rounds with Hugh finishing as a runner-up to Harold Hilton.

While Hugh Kirkaldy was to die before the end of the decade, brother Andrew had a long and successful career without ever capturing the Claret Jug. This was the third time he was a runner-up, also finishing second in 1879 and losing a play-off to Willie Park Jnr in 1889.

He was also third on three occasions and later became the honorary professional to the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.

Name
Finish
R1
R2
R3
R4
Total
Par
Hugh KIRKALDY
1
83
83
-
-
166
-
2
84
84
-
-
168
-
Andrew KIRKALDY
2
84
84
-
-
168
-
Samuel Mure FERGUSSON
4
86
84
-
-
170
-
W.D. MORE
5
84
87
-
-
171
-
6
88
85
-
-
173
-
7
88
86
-
-
174
-
8
85
90
-
-
175
-
8
89
86
-
-
175
-
Ben SAYERS
10
91
85
-
-
176
-
Tom VARDON
10
89
87
-
-
176
-
12
94
83
-
-
177
-
Archie SIMPSON
12
86
91
-
-
177
-
14
87
91
-
-
178
-
Jack KIRKALDY
15
90
89
-
-
179
-
James KAY
15
93
86
-
-
179
-
David GRANT
15
84
95
-
-
179
-
R.B. SHARPE
T15
94
85
-
-
179
-
Bob MEARNS
15
88
91
-
-
179
-
Charles HUTCHINGS
20
89
91
-
-
180
-
Laurie AUCHTERLONIE
20
87
93
-
-
180
-
David SIMPSON
20
91
89
-
-
180
-
John E. LAIDLAY
20
90
90
-
-
180
-
George MASON
24
94
87
-
-
181
-
Ernly BLACKWELL
24
90
91
-
-
181
-
Horace HUTCHINSON
24
89
92
-
-
181
-
David ANDERSON JR
24
90
91
-
-
181
-
Willie CAMPBELL
24
94
87
-
-
181
-
David AYTON
24
94
87
-
-
181
-
Freddie TAIT
30
94
88
-
-
182
-
R.H. JOHNSTON
30
95
87
-
-
182
-
H.S.C. EVERARD
30
89
93
-
-
182
-
William GREIG
30
95
87
-
-
182
-
G. DOUGLAS
34
94
89
-
-
183
-
A.F. MACFIE
34
94
89
-
-
183
-
W. ANDERSON
34
96
87
-
-
183
-
34
89
94
-
-
183
-
H.S. COLT
38
93
91
-
-
184
-
Bob SIMPSON
38
89
95
-
-
184
-
David HERD
40
91
94
-
-
185
-
T. CARMICHAEL
41
92
94
-
-
186
-
George FERNIE
41
93
93
-
-
186
-
41
94
92
-
-
186
-
David ANDERSON SR
41
94
92
-
-
186
-
Peter PAXTON
41
94
92
-
-
186
-
Peter ANDERSON
46
97
91
-
-
188
-
J. HUNTER
46
94
94
-
-
188
-
David LEITCH
46
98
90
-
-
188
-
Andrew LAWSON
46
94
94
-
-
188
-
James KIRK
50
91
98
-
-
189
-
J.M. WILLIAMSON
50
97
92
-
-
189
-
George PEARSON
50
96
93
-
-
189
-
D. MCEWAN
50
101
88
-
-
189
-
J. CUTHBERT
54
95
95
-
-
190
-
W. YOUNG
54
91
99
-
-
190
-
Lindsay ROSS
56
96
95
-
-
191
-
Albert TINGEY
57
98
94
-
-
192
-
T. GILROY
58
98
95
-
-
193
-
58
99
94
-
-
193
-
R. SCOTT
60
102
92
-
-
194
-
Garden SMITH
61
97
98
-
-
195
-
D. SHEPPARD
62
98
101
-
-
199
-
David ANDERSON
62
100
99
-
-
199
-
NR
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
James KINSMAN
NR
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
Alexander STUART
NR
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
David LAMB
NR
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
A.G. TAIT
NR
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
D. CUTHBERT
NR
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
James ANDERSON JR
NR
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
Andrew SOMERVILLE
NR
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
C. RANDALL
NR
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
Cyril PLUMMER
NR
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
Ben CAMPBELL
NR
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
Henry LAMB
NR
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
NR
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
George SAYERS
NR
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
Joseph DALGLEISH
NR
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
Robert TAIT
NR
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
Tom CHISHOLM
NR
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
George LOWE
NR
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
L.S. ANDERSON
NR
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
W. BALLINGALL
NR
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
A. ANDERSON
Scr
-
-
-
-
-
M/C

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