The British Open: A quiz
By Bill Felber
Not Hagen, not Jones, but…
A. Arthur Havers
Although little recalled today, Havers was actually one of the dominant players in European golf throughout the 1920s. When the tournament resumed in 1920, he tied for seventh, climbing to fourth behind Hutchison, Wethered and Tom Kerrigan in 1921, and missing the Hutchison-Wethered playoff by three strokes.
Two years removed from his famous mid-round walkoff at St. Andrews, Jones opted not to make the expensive and arduous ocean crossing to compete in the 1923 event at Troon. Hagen did compete, and made a brave run at defending the championship he had won one year earlier.
Through three rounds, Hagen stood fourth, but just two strokes behind Havers, the leader. On the 18th hole, Havers appeared to give Hagen a window to catch him, dropping his approach into a greenside bunker. But that window closed abruptly when Havers holed his bunker shot to turn in a 76.
Playing behind Havers, Hagen found the same bunker, and needed the same hole-out to force a playoff. He narrowly missed, finishing one stroke behind.
Question 5. Two Hall of Fame golfers won the British Open once, then never returned to defend their championships. Who were they?
Ben Hogan and Bobby Locke
Sam Snead and Bobby Locke
Sam Snead and Ben Hogan