Everything has led to this.
As we continue to count down the days to The 150th Open at St Andrews in July, TheOpen.com is celebrating the remarkable journey of golf and its original Championship.
Our latest article focuses on the 1940s, a decade that featured only four editions of The Open but nevertheless provided a host of iconic Champions.
The Champion Golfer of 1939, Dick Burton, ultimately held the Claret Jug for seven years as the outbreak of World War II led to the longest hiatus in The Open’s history.
When the Championship was able to resume in 1946, it did so at St Andrews, the host of the previous Open.
Having served in the RAF throughout the war, Burton returned to defend the Claret Jug and finished in a creditable 12th place.
Yet on this occasion, victory went to a player who was well on the way to establishing himself as one of golf’s all-time greats.
Sam Snead boasted a glorious swing that was the envy of his peers and the powerful American proved the class of the field over the Old Course.
On a windy final day, scores of 74 and 75 were enough to give Snead a four-stroke victory over Bobby Locke and Johnny Bulla. No Champion Golfer has since recorded a higher final-round score, but Snead’s closing 75 represented a fine effort in the conditions.
To read about the other Open Championships that took place in the 1940s, visit: https://www.theopen.com/latest/decades-of-the-open-1940s.
1860s | 1870s | 1880s | 1890s | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s
The R&A