2003 Senior British Open

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2018}}

{{Use British English|date=May 2018}}

{{Infobox individual golf tournament

| name = 2003 Senior British Open

| image =

| caption =

| dates = 24–27 July 2003

| location = South Ayrshire, Scotland

| coordinates = {{coord|55.316|-4.833}}

| course = Turnberry

| lang = uk

| org = The R&A

| tour = {{Plainlist|

}}

| format = 72 holes stroke play

| par = 70

| yardage = {{convert|6715|yd|abbr=on}}

| field = 144 players, 77 after cut

| cut = 144 (+4)

| purse = {{currency|1,590,377|USD}}

| winners_share = {{currency|255,731|USD}}
{{currency|222,779|EUR}}

| champion = {{flagicon|USA}} Tom Watson

| score = 263 (−17)

| map = Europe#United Kingdom#Scotland

| map_label = Turnberry

| map_caption = Location in Europe##Location in the United Kingdom##Location in Scotland

| map_relief = yes

| map_label_position =

| map_size = 230

| previous = 2002

| next = 2004

}}

The 2003 Senior British Open was a senior major golf championship and the 17th Senior British Open, held from 24–27 July at Turnberry in South Ayrshire, Scotland. It was the 5th Senior British Open played at the course and the first Senior British Open played as a senior major championship.

Tom Watson defeated Carl Mason in a playoff to win his first Senior British Open title and his second senior major championship victory.

Venue

{{main|Turnberry (golf course)}}

The 2003 event was the 5th Senior British Open played at Turnberry.

=Course layout=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:100%;"

!Hole!!Name!!Yards!!Par!!{{spaces|2}}!!Hole!!Name!!Yards!!Par

1Ailsa Craig3584rowspan=10 style="background:#E6E8FA;"|10Dinna Fouter4154
2Mak Siccar381411Maidens1743
3Blaw Wearie409412Monument4144
4Woe-Be-Tide165313Tickly Tap4124
5Fin Me Oot416414Risk-An-Hope4414
6Tappie Toorie221315Ca' Canny2093
7Roon The Ben475516Wee Burn4094
8Goat Fell431417Lang Whang4975
9Bruce's Castle454418Duel in the Sun4344
colspan=2|Out3,31035colspan=2|In3,40535
colspan=2 align=left|Source:{{Cite web |url=https://www.europeantour.com/legends-tour/senior-british-open-presented-by-mastercard-2003/course |title=2003 Senior British Open – Course Card |publisher=European Tour}}colspan=5|Total6,71570

Field

The field consisted of 144 competitors: 139 professionals and 5 amateurs.

18-hole stroke play qualifying rounds were held on Monday, 21 July, on two places in Scotland, the Barassie Links in Kilmarnock and the Kintyre course at Turnberry, for players who were not already exempt. The 31 leading players from the qualifying competitions joined the 113 exempt players for the championship.

77 players made the 36-hole cut, 76 professionals and one amateur. Arthur Pierce, Ireland, finished leading amateur at tied 62nd.

=Past champions in the field=

==Made the cut==

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

!Player

CountryYear(s) wonR1R2R3R4TotalTo parFinish
align=left|Bob Charlesalign=left|{{NZL}}1989, 199369686971277−3T20
align=left|Noboru Sugaialign=left|{{JPN}}200267737271283+3T46
align=left|Gary Playeralign=left|{{ZAF}}1988, 1990, 199773706972284+4T51
align=left|Christy O'Connor Jnralign=left|{{IRL}}1999, 200073717071285+5T54

==Missed the cut==

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

!Player

CountryYear(s) wonR1R2TotalTo par
align=left|John Fouriealign=left|{{ZAF}}19927174145+5
align=left|Neil Colesalign=left|{{ENG}}19877274146+6
align=left|Ian Stanleyalign=left|{{AUS}}20017974153+13
align=left|Bobby Verweyalign=left|{{ZAF}}19918669155+15

= Past winners and runners-up at The Open Championship in the field =

The field included five former winners of The Open Championship. Four of them made the cut; 1975, 1977, 1980, 1982 and 1983 Open champion Tom Watson (won), 1966, 1970 and 1978 Open champion Jack Nicklaus (tied 14th), 1963 Open champion Bob Charles (tied 20th) and 1959, 1968 and 1974 Open champion Gary Player (tied 51st). 1961 and 1962 Open champion Arnold Palmer did not make the cut.

The field also included three former runners-up at The Open Championship; Tom Kite (4th), Rodger Davis (tied 27th) and Simon Owen (tied 32nd).

Round summaries

=First round=

Thursday, 24 July 2003

Tom Kite and Tom Watson posted four-under-par 66's on day one to lead by one shot.

class="wikitable"

!Place!!Player!!Score!!To par

rowspan=2 align=center|1{{flagicon|USA}} Tom Kiterowspan=2 align=center|66rowspan=2 align=center|−4
{{flagicon|USA}} Tom Watson
rowspan=7 align=center|T3{{flagicon|ENG}} Denis Durnianrowspan=7 align=center|67rowspan=7 align=center|−3
{{flagicon|ENG}} Carl Mason
{{flagicon|USA}} Mark McCumber
{{flagicon|IRL}} Des Smyth
{{flagicon|JPN}} Noboru Sugai
{{flagicon|SCO}} Russell Weir
{{flagicon|USA}} Fuzzy Zoeller
rowspan=4 align=center|T10{{flagicon|ENG}} Maurice Bembridgerowspan=4 align=center|68rowspan=4 align=center|−2
{{flagicon|ENG}} Malcolm Gregson
{{flagicon|CAN}} Bill Hardwick
{{flagicon|USA}} Bruce Summerhays

=Second round=

Friday 25 July 2003

Carl Mason shot a 64 (−6) to take a one-shot lead over D.A. Weibring, who shot a seven-under-par 63.

class="wikitable"

!Place!!Player!!Score!!To par

align=center|1{{flagicon|ENG}} Carl Mason67-64=131align=center|−9
align=center|2{{flagicon|USA}} D. A. Weibring69-63=132align=center|−8
rowspan=3 align=center|T3{{flagicon|USA}} Tom Kite66-67=133rowspan=3 align=center|−7
{{flagicon|USA}} Bruce Summerhays68-65=133
{{flagicon|USA}} Tom Watson66-67=133
rowspan=2 align=center|T6{{flagicon|USA}} Jim Colbertalign=center|72-62=134rowspan=2 align=center|−6
{{flagicon|SCO}} Russell Weir67-67=134
align=center|8{{flagicon|ENG}} Denis Durnianalign=center|67-68=135align=center|−5
rowspan=6 align=center|T9{{flagicon|ENG}} Bob Cameronalign=center|69-67=136rowspan=6 align=center|−4
{{flagicon|AUS}} Terry Gale70-66=136
{{flagicon|USA}} Mark McCumber67-69=136
{{flagicon|USA}} Dana Quigley71-65=136
{{flagicon|USA}} Bobby Wadkins71-65=136
{{flagicon|USA}} Fuzzy Zoeller67-69=136

Amateurs: Pierse (−1), Reynolds (+5), Boles (+9), Baldwin (+11), MacNamara (+15)

=Third round=

Saturday, 26 July 2003

Mason and Weibring shot matching rounds of 65 (−5) as Mason maintained his one shot lead. Kite, Summerhays, and Watson all shot rounds of 66 (−4) to trail Mason by three shots. Jim Colbert backed up his eight-under-par 62 with a 66 (−4) in the third round, trailing Mason by 4 strokes.

class="wikitable"

!Place!!Player!!Score!!To par

align=center|1{{flagicon|ENG}} Carl Mason67-64-65=196align=center|−14
align=center|2{{flagicon|USA}} D. A. Weibring69-63-65=197align=center|−13
rowspan=3 align=center|T3{{flagicon|USA}} Tom Kite66-67-66=199rowspan=3 align=center|−11
{{flagicon|USA}} Bruce Summerhays68-65-66=199
{{flagicon|USA}} Tom Watson66-67-66=199
align=center|6{{flagicon|USA}} Jim Colbert72-62-66=200align=center|−10
align=center|7{{flagicon|USA}} Mark McCumber67-69-65=201align=center|−9
align=center|8{{flagicon|AUS}} Brian Jones69-69-65=203align=center|−7
rowspan=5 align=center|T9{{flagicon|JPN}} Isao Aoki66-67-66=204rowspan=5 align=center|−6
{{flagicon|ENG}} Bob Cameron69-67-68=204
{{flagicon|ENG}} Denis Durnian67-68-69=204
{{flagicon|USA}} Jack Nicklaus70-67-67=204
{{flagicon|USA}} Fuzzy Zoeller67-69-68=204

Amateurs: Pierse (+2)

=Final round=

Sunday, 27 July 2003

Tom Watson trailed Carl Mason by one stroke heading into the 72nd hole. Needing birdie to tie Mason, Watson bogeyed the par-4 18th hole to fall two shots behind the leader. Mason, now leading by 2 strokes, double bogeyed the 18th hole and fell into a playoff with Watson.

class="wikitable"

!Place!!Player!!Score!!To par!!Money ()

rowspan=2 align=center|T1{{flagicon|ENG}} Carl Mason67-64-65-67=263rowspan=2 align=center|−17rowspan=2 align=center|Playoff
{{flagicon|USA}} Tom Watson66-67-66-64=263
align=center|3{{flagicon|USA}} Bruce Summerhays68-65-66-65=264align=center|−16align=center|83,648
align=center|4{{flagicon|USA}} Tom Kite66-67-66-67=266align=center|−14align=center|66,848
align=center|5{{flagicon|USA}} D. A. Weibring69-63-65-73=270align=center|−10align=center|56,641
rowspan=2 align=center|T6{{flagicon|AUS}} Brian Jones69-69-65-68=271rowspan=2 align=center|−9rowspan=2 align=center|43,440
| {{flagicon|USA}} Mark McCumber67-69-65-70=271
rowspan=2 align=center|T8{{flagicon|USA}} Denis Durnian67-68-69-68=272rowspan=2 align=center|−8rowspan=2 align=center|31,673
| {{flagicon|USA}} David Eger71-68-66-67=272
rowspan=3 align=center|T10{{flagicon|USA}} Jim Colbert72-62-66-73=273rowspan=3 align=center|−7rowspan=3 align=center|24,734
| {{flagicon|AUS}} Graham Marsh71-68-66-68=273
| {{flagicon|USA}} Dana Quigley71-65-70-67=273

Source:{{cite news |url=https://www.golfchannel.com/tours/champions-tour/2003/senior-british-open/ |work=Golf Channel |title=The Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex |date=27 July 2017 |accessdate=15 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180517153307/https://www.golfchannel.com/tours/champions-tour/2003/senior-british-open/ |archive-date=17 May 2018 |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web |url=https://www.europeantour.com/legends-tour/senior-british-open-presented-by-mastercard-2003/results?round=4 |title=2003 Senior British Open – Results |publisher=European Tour}}

Amateurs: Pierse (+6)

=Playoff=

Sunday, 27 July 2003

Tom Watson and Carl Mason both parred the first playoff hole. Watson won with par on the second playoff hole as Mason made bogey.

class="wikitable"

!Place!!Player!!Score!!To par!!Money ()

align=center|1{{flagicon|USA}} Tom Watson4-4=8align=center|Ealign=center|222,779
align=center|2{{flagicon|ENG}} Carl Mason4-5=9align=center|+1align=center|148,590

Notes and references

{{reflist}}