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1968 Open Championship

Coordinates: 56°29′49″N 2°43′01″W / 56.497°N 2.717°W / 56.497; -2.717
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1968 Open Championship
Tournament information
Dates10–13 July 1968
LocationAngus, Scotland
Course(s)Carnoustie Golf Links
Championship Course
Statistics
Par72[1]
Length7,252 yards (6,631 m)[1]
Field130 players
70 after 1st cut
45 after 2nd cut[1]
Cut155 (+11) (1st cut)
228 (+12) (2nd cut)[1]
Prize fund£20,000[1]
Winner's share£3,000
$7,200
Champion
South Africa Gary Player
289 (+1)
← 1967
1969 →
Carnoustie is located in Scotland
Carnoustie
Carnoustie

The 1968 Open Championship was the 97th Open Championship, played 10–13 July at Carnoustie Golf Links in Angus, Scotland. Gary Player won the second of his three Open titles, two strokes ahead of runners-up Bob Charles and Jack Nicklaus.[2] It was the fifth of Player's nine major titles.

This Open introduced the second cut at 54 holes, used through 1985. In addition, starting with this Championship all past Open champions were exempt from qualifying (though, eventually, an age restriction was placed on past champions).

The inaugural Greater Milwaukee Open was held in the United States during the same week, with a first prize of $40,000, over five times the winner's share of the Open Championship, which was $7,200 (£3,000).

The PGA Championship was played the next week in San Antonio, Texas, the fifth and final time in the 1960s that these two majors were played in consecutive weeks in July. The PGA Championship moved permanently to August in 1969 (except 1971, when it was played in late February) and remained there until 2019, when it moved to May between The Masters and U.S. Open.

Course

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Carnoustie Golf Links - Championship Course

Hole Name Yards Par Hole Name Yards Par
1 Cup 406 4 10 South America 446 4
2 Gulley 468 4 11 Dyke 370 4
3 Jockie's Burn 343 4 12 Southward Ho 473 4
4 Hillocks 429 4 13 Whins 168 3
5 Brae 389 4 14 Spectacles 485 5
6 Long 565 5 15 Lucky Slap 460 4
7 Plantation 386 4 16 Barry Burn 243 3
8 Short 163 3 17 Island 458 4
9 Railway 475 4 18 Home 525 5
Out 3,624 36 In 3,628 36
  Total 7,252 72

Round summaries

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First round

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Wednesday, 10 July 1968

Place Player Score To par
T1 Scotland Brian Barnes 70 −2
England Michael Bonallack (a)
T3 England Maurice Bembridge 71 −1
England Peter Mills
T5 United States Billy Casper 72 E
New Zealand Bob Charles
England Tony Jacklin
Republic of Ireland Paddy Skerritt
T9 England Peter Alliss 73 +1
United States Billy Casper
Spain Sebastián Miguel
Scotland Sandy Wilson

Second round

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Thursday, 11 July 1968

Place Player Score To par
1 United States Billy Casper 72-68=140 −4
T2 Scotland Brian Barnes 70-74=144 E
New Zealand Bob Charles 72-72=144
England Tony Jacklin 72-72=144
T5 United States Jack Nicklaus 76-69=145 +1
South Africa Gary Player 74-71=145
Republic of Ireland Paddy Skerritt 72-73=145
T8 England Maurice Bembridge 71-75=146 +2
Wales Dave Thomas 75-71=146
T10 Scotland Harry Bannerman 74-73=147 +3
England Michael Bonallack (a) 70-77=147
United States Gay Brewer 74-73=147
Wales Brian Huggett 76-71=147
England Peter Mills 71-76=147

Amateurs: Bonallack (+3), Monguzzi (+8), O'Connor (+12), Sweeny Jr (+12), Shade (+13), Oosterhuis (+16), Saddler (+16).

Third round

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Friday, 13 July 1968

Place Player Score To par
1 United States Billy Casper 72-68-74=214 −2
2 New Zealand Bob Charles 72-72-71=215 −1
3 South Africa Gary Player 74-71-71=216 E
4 United States Jack Nicklaus 76-69-73=218 +2
T5 England Maurice Bembridge 71-75-73=219 +3
United States Gay Brewer 74-73-72=219
England Tony Jacklin 72-72-75=219
8 United States Arnold Palmer 77-71-72=220 +4
9 England Michael Bonallack (a) 70-77-74=221 +5
T10 England Neil Coles 75-76-71=222 +6
Australia Bruce Devlin 77-73-72=222
Wales Brian Huggett 76-71-75=222
Republic of Ireland Paddy Skerritt 72-73-77=222

Amateurs: Bonallack (+5), Monguzzi (+18).

Final round

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Saturday, 13 July 1968

Place Player Score To par Money (£)
1 South Africa Gary Player 74-71-71-73=289 +1 3,000
T2 New Zealand Bob Charles 72-72-71-76=291 +3 1,738
United States Jack Nicklaus 76-69-73-73=291
4 United States Billy Casper 72-68-74-78=292 +4 1,225
5 England Maurice Bembridge 71-75-73-74=293 +5 1,000
T6 Scotland Brian Barnes 70-74-80-71=295 +7 658
United States Gay Brewer 74-73-72-76=295
England Neil Coles 75-76-71-73=295
9 Canada Al Balding 74-76-74-72=296 +8 475
T10 Argentina Roberto De Vicenzo 77-72-74-74=297 +9 402
Australia Bruce Devlin 77-73-72-75=297
United States Arnold Palmer 77-71-72-77=297

Amateurs: Bonallack (+12).

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Media guide". The Open Championship. 2011. pp. 68, 203–8. Archived from the original on 18 April 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
  2. ^ Brown, Gwilym S . (22 July 1968). "A sweet win on a sour links". Sports Illustrated. p. 20. Archived from the original on 13 September 2012.
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56°29′49″N 2°43′01″W / 56.497°N 2.717°W / 56.497; -2.717