1937 Open Championship

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}

{{Use British English|date=August 2013}}

{{Infobox individual golf tournament

| name = 1937 Open Championship

| image = Henry Cotton 1937.jpg

| dates = 7–9 July 1937

| location = Carnoustie, Scotland

| course = Carnoustie Golf Links
Medal Course{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=iUJAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xYQMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4105%2C694353 |newspaper=Glasgow Herald |location=(Scotland) |title=Carnoustie cards |date=5 July 1937 |page=19 }}

| par = 72

| yardage = {{convert|7200|yd|0}}

| field = 141 players, 47 after cut{{cite web|url=http://www.theopen.com/~/media/The%20Open/Information/Media_Guide.ashx |publisher=The Open Championship |title=Media guide |date=2011 |page=96 |access-date=20 May 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120418224641/http://www.theopen.com/~/media/The%20Open/Information/Media_Guide.ashx |archive-date=18 April 2012 |df=dmy }}

| cut = 153 (+9)

| purse = £500

| winners_share = £100

| champion = {{flagicon|ENG}} Henry Cotton

| score = 290 (+2)

| previous = 1936

| next = 1938

}}

{{Location map

|UK Scotland

|relief = 1

|label = Carnoustie

|lat = 56.497

|long = -2.717

|caption = Location in Scotland

|marksize = 5

|float =

|background =

|width = 230

}}

{{Location map

|Scotland Angus

|relief =

|label = Carnoustie

|position = top

|lat = 56.497

|long = -2.717

|caption = Location in Angus, Scotland

|marksize = 5

|float = top

|background =

|width = 180

}}

The 1937 Open Championship was the 72nd Open Championship, held 7–9 July at Carnoustie Golf Links in Carnoustie, Scotland. Henry Cotton won the second of his three Open titles, two strokes ahead of runner-up Reg Whitcombe.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jkJAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xYQMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4146%2C1584837 |newspaper=Glasgow Herald |location=(Scotland) |title=Cotton's brilliant victory |date=10 July 1937 |page=6}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8HYtAAAAIBAJ&sjid=j5gFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6578%2C1234258 |newspaper=Montreal Gazette |agency=Associated Press |title=Cotton wins Open in violent storm with total of 290 |date=10 July 1937 |page=15 }} The Ryder Cup was held in late June at Southport and Ainsdale Golf Club in North West {{nowrap|England,{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dE0bAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HEwEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2630%2C4851229 |newspaper=Pittsburgh Press |agency=United Press |title=Yankees win Ryder Cup from Britons |date=30 June 1937 |page=30}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6HYtAAAAIBAJ&sjid=j5gFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6572%2C73900 |newspaper=Montreal Gazette |agency=Associated Press |title=U.S. golfers down British, 8-4, to win Ryder Cup tourney |date=1 July 1937 |page=12 }}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9xE1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=vKULAAAAIBAJ&pg=5348%2C98166|newspaper=Glasgow Herald |location=(Scotland) |title=First victory on British soil |date=1 July 1937 |page=11}}}} and all the members of the victorious American team played in the championship, creating a star-studded field, similar to four years earlier in 1933.

Qualifying took place on 5–6 July, Monday and Tuesday, with 18 holes on the Medal Course (the championship course) and 18 holes on the Burnside Course.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=iUJAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xYQMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3346%2C694636 |newspaper=Glasgow Herald |location=(Scotland) |title=To-day's notable pairings |date=5 July 1937 |page=19}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ikJAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xYQMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6041%2C736069|newspaper=Glasgow Herald |location=(Scotland) |title=First day of Open Championship |date=6 July 1937 |page=2}} The number of qualifiers was increased to the top 140 and ties, having previously been the top 100 and ties. Two-time Masters champion Horton Smith led the qualifiers on 138;{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eU0bAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HEwEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4847%2C6692201 |newspaper=Pittsburgh Press |agency=United Press |title=H. Smith leader in British Open |date=6 July 1937 |page=29}} the qualifying score was 157 and 141 players advanced, and all the American Ryder Cup players qualified comfortably.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=i0JAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xYQMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3806%2C1091595|newspaper=Glasgow Herald |location=(Scotland) |title=Americans dominate Open qualifying golf |date=7 July 1937 |page=23}}{{cite news |newspaper = The Times |location=London |date=7 July 1937 |page=7 |title=Golf - Open Championship}}

In the opening round on Wednesday, Ed Dudley took the lead with a 70.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jEJAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xYQMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3730%2C1143414|newspaper=Glasgow Herald |location=(Scotland) |title=Carnoustie scene changes |date=8 July 1937 |page=3}} Reg Whitcombe led after the first two rounds at two-under 142,{{cite news |newspaper = The Times |location=London |date=9 July 1937 |page=7 |title=Golf - Open Championship}} with his brother Charles and Dudley two behind on 144, and Cotton was tied for fourth at 146.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=73YtAAAAIBAJ&sjid=j5gFAAAAIBAJ&pg=7171%2C1077191 |newspaper=Montreal Gazette |agency=Associated Press |title=British Open lead goes to home-bred with score of 142 |date=9 July 1937 |page=15}} Only the leading forty players and ties made the 36-hole cut,{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jUJAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xYQMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2540%2C1351239|newspaper=Glasgow Herald |location=(Scotland) |title=Britain takes the lead |date=9 July 1937 |page=5}} which was at 153 (+9) and 47 advanced. Previously the top sixty and ties made the cut.{{cite news |newspaper = The Times |date=3 February 1937 |page=6 |title=Golf - The Championships}}

The final two rounds on Friday were played in a steady, cold rain. Whitcombe maintained his lead with a third-round 74, two shots ahead of his brother, while Cotton moved up to three behind. The weather proved to be Whitcombe's downfall in the final round; on the 7th tee, his club slipped out of his hands as he was swinging and the ball traveled only {{convert|40|yd}}. He ended up taking a six and finished with a 76 and 292 total. Cotton did not seem affected by the conditions and arrived at the 18th needing only a six to lead. His approach shot found a greenside bunker, but he was able to get down in five to post a 290 total. Only Charles Whitcombe could catch Cotton, but his 76 and 294 finished four strokes behind in fourth place.

The American contingent included Byron Nelson and Sam Snead, both of whom were making their Open Championship debuts. Nelson finished fifth but played the Open just once more, returning in 1955. Snead tied for eleventh and played in four more, winning his next in 1946 at St. Andrews. The non-playing captain of the U.S. Ryder Cup team, four-time Open champion Walter Hagen, tied for 26th place in his final Open appearance at age 44.

In his last Open Championship as an amateur, nineteen-year-old Bobby Locke was the only amateur to make the cut and tied for seventeenth. As a professional, he won four times (1949, 1950, 1952, 1957).