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1899 / Royal St George's
With a third victory in four years at Royal St George’s, Harry Vardon became the first three-time Open Champion since Bob Ferguson in 1882.
The Jersey man also edged in front of his great rival JH Taylor, who still had two victories. The pair had won five of the last six Opens and were beginning to dominate, though James Braid would soon join what would become the Great Triumvirate.
Vardon showed here, however, that at his best no one could keep pace with him.Having won his previous two Opens by rallying in the final round, Vardon won the 1899 Championship from the front. He was the first player since the event was extended to 72 holes to lead, or share the lead, after every round.
James Kinnell and Tom Wilkinson matched Vardon’s opening 76 but, of the three, only Vardon produced another in the afternoon, with an outward 33 that contained nothing more than a 4. Taylor, the winner of the first Open at Sandwich in 1894, also had a 76 to be just one behind at the halfway stage.
So difficult were conditions on the first day that of the record 98 starting field, only 36 played the next day.
Taylor could not keep up with his friend on the second day. Scores of 83 and 84 left him in fourth place. Vardon had an 81 on the second morning but now led Taylor by three and was seven ahead of anyone else. He closed with a 77 to finish on a total of 310, 16 strokes better than Taylor’s winning score in 1894.
Vardon won by five from Jack White, who grabbed second place with a 75, four ahead of Andrew Kirkaldy, who closed with a 77. Braid and 1883 Champion Willie Fernie shared fifth place.
Name
Finish
R1
R2
R3
R4
Total
Par
Andrew KIRKALDY
3
81
79
82
77
319
-
Freddie TAIT
7
81
82
79
82
324
-
James KINNELL
7
76
84
80
84
324
-
Tom WILLIAMSON
9
76
84
80
86
326
-
Albert TINGEY
9
81
81
79
85
326
-
Ben SAYERS
11
81
79
82
86
328
-
Thomas RENOUF
12
79
82
84
84
329
-
Willie AVESTON
15
77
86
82
86
331
-
Archie SIMPSON
16
84
84
81
83
332
-
Peter RAINFORD
16
79
83
83
87
332
-
Walter TOOGOOD
20
82
86
81
84
333
-
C.E. HAMBRO
21
78
86
88
82
334
-
Tom HUTCHINSON
22
82
87
82
85
336
-
Alfred TOOGOOD
23
83
85
85
84
337
-
W. MCEWAN
24
84
86
83
85
338
-
J.W. TAYLOR
25
82
85
86
86
339
-
A.H. SCOTT
25
86
85
87
81
339
-
David HERD
28
80
88
83
89
340
-
James KAY
29
85
81
86
89
341
-
Joseph DALGLEISH
30
87
87
81
87
342
-
Jack ROWE
31
87
80
89
87
343
-
John E. LAIDLAY
32
83
88
91
82
344
-
Alfred VARDON
33
87
88
88
85
348
-
Harry HARRIS
34
86
88
82
94
350
-
C. Ralph SMITH
34
84
91
85
90
350
-
Cuthbert BUTCHART
Wd
84
91
87
-
-
-
A. DENHOLM
Wd
84
91
-
-
-
M/C
Peter MCEWAN
Wd
88
86
-
-
-
M/C
J. HEPBURN
Wd
88
85
-
-
-
M/C
John GAIRDNER
Wd
85
87
-
-
-
M/C
James HUTCHISON
M/C
85
90
-
-
-
M/C
Horace HUTCHINSON
M/C
86
89
-
-
-
M/C
W.C. GAUDIN
M/C
85
91
-
-
-
M/C
P. WYNNE
M/C
89
87
-
-
-
M/C
David MCEWAN
M/C
87
90
-
-
-
M/C
R. DUNLOP
M/C
88
89
-
-
-
M/C
Tom CHISHOLM
M/C
88
90
-
-
-
M/C
D.S. FROY
M/C
92
86
-
-
-
M/C
S.H. FRY
M/C
89
89
-
-
-
M/C
Herbert STRONG
M/C
89
90
-
-
-
M/C
Peter PAXTON
M/C
89
91
-
-
-
M/C
C. GIBSON
M/C
91
91
-
-
-
M/C
L. GOURLAY
M/C
93
89
-
-
-
M/C
C.G. BROADWOOD
M/C
95
90
-
-
-
M/C
John H. HUGHES
M/C
93
97
-
-
-
M/C
Dan BRYSON
M/C
96
97
-
-
-
M/C
D. GRANT
M/C
98
95
-
-
-
M/C
Sidney BALL
Wd
90
-
-
-
-
M/C
John HOBBINS
Wd
90
-
-
-
-
M/C
Herman DE ZOETE
Wd
92
-
-
-
-
M/C
C. LEIGH
Wd
101
-
-
-
-
M/C
M. KIDD
Wd
103
-
-
-
-
M/C
Mr CROSSHEAD
Wd
111
-
-
-
-
M/C
George PULFORD
Wd
88
-
-
-
-
M/C
James BATLEY
Wd
85
-
-
-
-
M/C
G. KITCHEN
Wd
104
-
-
-
-
M/C
A.G. GRAY
Wd
90
-
-
-
-
M/C
William LEAVER
Wd
91
-
-
-
-
M/C
W.L. MACKIE
Wd
101
-
-
-
-
M/C
William LEWIS
Wd
89
-
-
-
-
M/C
Charles LAWRENCE
Wd
91
-
-
-
-
M/C
F. GOLDSMITH
Wd
91
-
-
-
-
M/C
P.J. GAUDIN
Wd
86
-
-
-
-
M/C
Earl of WINCHELSEA
Wd
84
-
-
-
-
M/C
Hon. H.arold FINCH-HATTON
Wd
89
-
-
-
-
M/C
J. SHERLOCK
Wd
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
Tom YEOMAN
Wd
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
Alex BROWN
Wd
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
Thomas HOOD
Wd
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
W.G. DIVALL
Wd
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
O.C. BEVAN
Wd
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
Alex MARR
Wd
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
Everard Martin SMITH
Wd
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
Fred SAUNDERS
Wd
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
A.J. HOWLETT
Wd
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
G. WALLS
Wd
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
Hugh MORRIS
Wd
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
G.E. PRIDEAUX-BRUNE
Wd
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
A.E. MONK
Wd
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
W. HOULDSWORTH
Wd
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
G.T. HARRIS
Wd
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
Major LAMONT
Wd
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
G. SAUNDERS
Wd
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
C. ROWE
Wd
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
Samuel Mure FERGUSSON
Wd
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
Tom VARDON
Wd
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
John LOW
Wd
-
-
-
-
-
M/C