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Bobby Locke

1952 / Royal Lytham & St Annes

Bobby Locke’s third Open title was almost thwarted by a locked garage on the morning of the last day of the 1952 Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes. 

Locke’s clubs were in his car boot and his car was in a private garage near his hotel in Blackpool. 

Up early for the final 36 holes, the South African found the garage locked but fortunately a passing milkman knew the owner and gave Locke a lift to get the key.

Locke arrived at the course with just enough time to change his shoes and walk to the first tee.

After rounds of 69 and 71, he was four behind Fred Daly, the 1947 Champion Golfer who had started 67, 69 and would lead for each of the first three rounds. 

But after a 77 in the third round, Daly’s lead was only one from Locke, who had a 74, unflustered, it seemed, by nearly missing his tee time. 

Daly closed with a 76 while Locke had a 73 and the only other person who could beat him was a young Australian playing in his second Open.

Peter Thomson birdied the last for a 70 but fell one short of Locke’s 287 total. Not for another seven years did Thomson fare worse than second in The Open. 

Locke had won three Opens in four years, emulating the feats of Harry Vardon and James Braid. 

Since The Open had been extended to 72 holes in 1892, no one managed to win three in a row until Thomson in 1954-56.

Daly finished two behind but Henry Cotton in fourth place was seven strokes adrift. Gene Sarazen, aged 50 and 20 years since he won at Prince’s, finished tied for 17th alongside reigning Champion Golfer of the Year Max Faulkner. 

This was only the second Open staged at Lytham, 26 years after its first in 1926.

Name
Finish
R1
R2
R3
R4
Total
Par
Bobby LOCKE
Champion Golfer
1
69
71
74
73
287
-
Peter THOMSON
2
68
73
77
70
288
-
Fred DALY
3
67
69
77
76
289
-
Sir Henry COTTON
4
75
74
74
71
294
-
Antonio CERDA
5
73
73
76
73
295
-
Sam KING
5
71
74
74
76
295
-
Flory VAN DONCK
7
74
75
71
76
296
-
Fred BULLOCK
8
76
72
72
77
297
-
Harry BRADSHAW
9
70
74
75
79
298
-
Syd SCOTT
9
75
69
76
78
298
-
Arthur LEES
9
76
72
76
74
298
-
Eric BROWN
9
71
72
78
77
298
-
Norman VON NIDA
9
77
70
74
77
298
-
Willie GOGGIN
9
71
74
75
78
298
-
John PANTON
15
72
72
78
77
299
-
Harry WEETMAN
15
74
77
71
77
299
-
Walter SMITHERS
17
73
74
76
77
300
-
Gene SARAZEN
17
74
73
77
76
300
-
Max FAULKNER
17
72
76
79
73
300
-
Norman SUTTON
20
72
74
79
76
301
-
E. NOKE
21
72
78
76
76
302
-
Jimmy HINES
21
73
78
74
77
302
-
Ken BOUSFIELD
21
72
73
79
78
302
-
F.G. ALLOTT
21
77
71
76
78
302
-
J.A. JACOBS
25
74
72
81
76
303
-
Alan POULTON
25
71
74
76
82
303
-
Dai REES
27
76
74
77
77
304
-
J.W. JONES
27
73
70
78
83
304
-
John JACOBS
27
72
76
79
77
304
-
Jack HARGREAVES
27
75
75
79
75
304
-
Peter ALLISS
31
72
72
80
81
305
-
Reg HORNE
31
77
74
80
74
305
-
D. RAWLINSON
33
74
73
79
80
306
-
Alex KYLE
34
71
75
80
81
307
-
Robert HALSALL
35
74
75
78
81
308
-
Henri DE LAMAZE
35
73
72
80
83
308
-
George JOHNSON
37
73
75
78
83
309
-
Frank STRANAHAN
37
75
76
78
80
309
-
Tom HALIBURTON
37
75
76
80
78
309
-
Hector THOMSON
37
73
77
80
79
309
-
J.H. HAWKINS
37
76
72
82
79
309
-
H.A.J. YOUNG
37
70
77
77
85
309
-
George KNIGHT
43
74
75
80
82
311
-
R.G. FRENCH
44
72
78
79
83
312
-
F. MORRELL
45
75
74
86
79
314
-
Bernard HUNT
46
75
75
82
83
315
-
A.J. HARMAN
M/C
78
74
-
-
-
M/C
Alf PERRY
M/C
76
76
-
-
-
M/C
William BRANCH
M/C
76
76
-
-
-
M/C
W.C.A. HANCOCK
M/C
74
78
-
-
-
M/C
Eddie WHITCOMBE
M/C
75
77
-
-
-
M/C
H.W. MEYERS
M/C
76
76
-
-
-
M/C
H.W. DAVIES
M/C
78
75
-
-
-
M/C
K.G. GEDDES
M/C
73
80
-
-
-
M/C
R.L. GARNER
M/C
70
83
-
-
-
M/C
Charlie WARD
M/C
77
76
-
-
-
M/C
Bert GADD
M/C
75
78
-
-
-
M/C
Ken REDFORD
M/C
76
78
-
-
-
M/C
R. FERGUSON
M/C
75
79
-
-
-
M/C
W.S. COLLINS
M/C
78
77
-
-
-
M/C
H. COLEMAN
M/C
76
79
-
-
-
M/C
Cecil DENNY
M/C
74
81
-
-
-
M/C
Gregor MCINTOSH
M/C
74
81
-
-
-
M/C
G.A. MAISEY
M/C
78
77
-
-
-
M/C
Jean-Baptiste ADO
M/C
75
81
-
-
-
M/C
Peter MILLS
M/C
76
80
-
-
-
M/C
Dick KEMP
M/C
75
81
-
-
-
M/C
Bill SHANKLAND
M/C
75
81
-
-
-
M/C
D. RUDDUCK
M/C
82
75
-
-
-
M/C
W.R. FIRKINS
M/C
76
81
-
-
-
M/C
T. GARDNER
M/C
79
78
-
-
-
M/C
J. SHANKS
M/C
75
82
-
-
-
M/C
Willie HUNTER
M/C
74
83
-
-
-
M/C
Robert JARMAN
M/C
81
77
-
-
-
M/C
C. KANE
M/C
74
84
-
-
-
M/C
Albert ISHERWOOD
M/C
80
78
-
-
-
M/C
Hamish BALLINGALL
M/C
80
78
-
-
-
M/C
Alan THIRLWELL
M/C
79
80
-
-
-
M/C
Russell DAILEY
M/C
79
80
-
-
-
M/C
Ernest SMITH
M/C
83
76
-
-
-
M/C
Frank JOWLE
M/C
76
83
-
-
-
M/C
J. WADE
M/C
78
81
-
-
-
M/C
T. HASSALL
M/C
80
79
-
-
-
M/C
Alfred G. BECK
M/C
80
80
-
-
-
M/C
Ken BECKETT
M/C
78
82
-
-
-
M/C
G. WHITEHEAD
M/C
79
82
-
-
-
M/C
L. TOPPING
M/C
80
81
-
-
-
M/C
L.J. RANELLS
M/C
79
83
-
-
-
M/C
J. KENNEDY
M/C
79
83
-
-
-
M/C
Walter LEES
M/C
77
85
-
-
-
M/C
D.F. SMALLDON
M/C
82
80
-
-
-
M/C
J. MCLACHLAN
M/C
84
81
-
-
-
M/C
William MACDONALD
M/C
81
85
-
-
-
M/C
Derek RATTY
M/C
83
84
-
-
-
M/C
T.W. ALLEN
Wd
80
-
-
-
-
M/C
R.B. LAWRENCE
NR
-
-
-
-
-
M/C

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