1955 Open Championship

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}}

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

{{Infobox individual golf tournament

| name = 1955 Open Championship

| image =

| dates = 6–8 July 1955

| location = St Andrews, Scotland

| course = Old Course at St Andrews

| tour =

| par = 72{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1ppRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BGwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5567%2C6538345 |newspaper=Pittsburgh Post Gazette |agency=Associated Press |title=Three tied for lead in British Open golf |date=8 July 1955 |page=19}}

| yardage = {{convert|6936|yd}}

| field = 94 players, 49 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 |pages=81 |access-date=9 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 }}

| cut = 148 (+4)

| purse = £3,750
$10,500

| winners_share = £1,000
$2,800

| champion = {{flagicon|AUS}} Peter Thomson

| score = 281 (−7)

| previous = 1954

| next = 1956

}}

{{Location map

|UK Scotland

|relief = 1

|label = St Andrews 

|lat = 56.343

|long = -2.803

|caption = Location in Scotland

|position =

|marksize = 5

|float =

|background =

|width = 230

}}

{{Location map

|Scotland Fife

|relief =

|label = St Andrews 

|position = bottom

|lat = 56.343

|long = -2.803

|caption = Location in Fife, Scotland

|marksize = 5

|float =

|background =

|width = 230

}}

The 1955 Open Championship was the 84th Open Championship, played 6–8 July at the Old Course in St Andrews, Scotland. Peter Thomson won the second of three consecutive Open titles, two strokes ahead of runner-up John Fallon.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SD9AAAAAIBAJ&sjid=d1kMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6360%2C951254|work=The Herald|location=Glasgow |title=P.W. Thomson's second victory |date=9 July 1955 |page=5}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=voMtAAAAIBAJ&sjid=iJkFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6959%2C1278981 |newspaper=Montreal Gazette |agency=Associated Press |title=Thomson edges Fallon by two strokes in British Open |date=9 July 1955 |page=9}}{{cite news |url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1955/07/09/page/38/article/thomsons-281-keeps-british-open-crown |work=Chicago Daily Tribune |agency=Associated Press |title=Thomson's 281 keeps British Open crown |date=9 July 1955 |page=4, sec. 3}} Thomson won a total of five Claret Jugs, the last in 1965.

Qualifying took place on 4–5 July, Monday and Tuesday, with 18 holes on the Old Course and 18 holes on the New Course. The number of qualifiers was limited to a maximum of 100, and ties for 100th place did not qualify. On Monday, Frank Jowle scored 63 on the New Course,{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=RD9AAAAAIBAJ&sjid=d1kMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2667%2C413310|work=The Herald|location=Glasgow |title=Lowest score ever returned in Open golf championship |date=5 July 1955 |page=4 }} and after a 72 on the Old Course the next day he led the qualifiers at 135, a shot ahead of Laurie Ayton.{{cite news |newspaper = The Times |date=6 July 1955 |page=4 |title=Thomson goes easily and efficiently on – Chance of retaining his Open Golf Championship}} The qualifying score was 148 and 94 players advanced to the first round on Wednesday.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=RT9AAAAAIBAJ&sjid=d1kMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1929%2C545077 |work=The Herald|location=Glasgow |title=Ninety-four qualifiers for "Open" |date=6 July 1955 |page=4 }}

Three shot 69 in the opening round on Wednesday;{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Rj9AAAAAIBAJ&sjid=d1kMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4524%2C656240 |work=The Herald|location=Glasgow |title=Only three players beat 70 in first round |date=7 July 1955 |page=2}} after the second round on Thursday, three shared the 36-hole lead at 139: Eric Brown, Dennis Smalldon, and Thomson, with Fallon a stroke back in fourth. The maximum number of players making the cut was set at fifty, and ties for 50th place were not included. Five Americans were in the field of 94, three professionals and two amateurs.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Rz9AAAAAIBAJ&sjid=d1kMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3786%2C788039 |work=The Herald|location=Glasgow |title=Holder shares halfway lead in Open title golf |date=8 July 1955 |page=4}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=voMtAAAAIBAJ&sjid=iJkFAAAAIBAJ&pg=7031%2C1159755 |newspaper=Montreal Gazette |agency=Associated Press |title=Thomson, Brown, Smalldon lead British Open with 139 |date=8 July 1955 |page=19}} All five made the cut,{{cite news |url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1955/07/08/page/31/article/thomsons-68-ties-for-lead-in-british-open |work=Chicago Daily Tribune |agency=Associated Press |title=Thomson's 68 ties for lead in British Open |date=8 July 1955 |page=3, sec. 3}} and the top U.S. finisher was Ed Furgol in a tie for 19th place. Byron Nelson, whose only previous appearance at The Open was a fifth-place finish in 1937, tied for 32nd. The two amateurs finished in the top thirty.

Previously the 17th hole (the "Road Hole") was a par 5; for this Open it became a par 4, which reduced the course par from 73 to 72.

The winner's share was increased from £750 to £1,000, while the others were unchanged, bringing the total purse to £3,750.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SDpAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=XFkMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1328%2C5767714 |work=The Herald|location=Glasgow |title=Larger prize for "Open"|date=24 December 1954 |page=7 }}