The British Open: A quiz
By Bill Felber
The 1871 non-Open
A. They couldn’t agree on a trophy
When the Open was created, it was agreed that the champion would receive possession of a fancy belt…the kind of thing wrestling and boxing champions wear today. It was further stipulated that were any person to retain the belt for three consecutive years, they would get permanent possession.
That latter stipulation was based on the supposition that retaining the belt for three straight seasons would be impossible. It wasn’t. From 1868 through 1970, Young Tom Morris plowed through the field of competitors, winning by an aggregate of 26 strokes.
When Young Tom polished off the 1870 field – finishing a dozen strokes ahead of David Strath in what was then only a 36-hole event, he thus under the rules earned permanent possession of the belt.
No shrinking violet, Tom displayed the belt frequently, including posing for it in pictures.
But that left the tournament organizers without a trophy to present to the 1871 champion. When agreement could not be reached, the event was cancelled.
In time, somebody found an old claret jug presumably laying around the kitchen at St. Andrews and got the bright idea to make it the new championship trophy. So, in 1872, the Open resumed. Young Tom won again, this time beating Strath by three strokes. In so doing he became, for all time, the only person to win BOTH British Open trophies.
Question 2: Who was the first non-Britisher to win the British Open?
Walter Hagen
Bobby Jones
Arnaud Massy