British Open: Ranking the 25 most dominant performances of all time
By Bill Felber
21. Gene Sarazen, 1932, -2.84
Sarazen’s 1932 victory washed away an otherwise frustrating record in the British Open championship. Although already a U.S. Open and PGA Champion, he had tried and failed to qualify for the 1923 event at Troon, then returned in 1928 and 1931 to finish second and third.
When victory finally came, it was an emphatic one, by five strokes over fellow American Macdonald Smith. Sarazen held the outright lead all four rounds, only the third person ever to spreadeagle a field in that fashion.
His score of 283 broke the record of 285 set by Bobby Jones in 1927.
Sarazen opened with a 70 to lead by one, and a second-round 69 opened that advantage to three strokes over Percy Alliss.
The lead grew to four, over Arthur Havers, following his third round 70. Playing early in the final round, he turned in a score of 74 that made it all but impossible for him to be caught. Smith came the closest with 70 for a 288 total as Havers faded to a 76 and third place, six strokes out of the lead.
The victory gave Sarazen possession of every major professional championship in existence at the time. The Masters was founded two years later and Sarazen wasted little time completing what would come to be known as the career grand slam, winning that title in 1935.