1869 British Open Winner and Scores

The 1869 British Open was the 10th one played. Once again the tournament took place over the 12-hole Prestwick links, three rounds for a total of 36 holes, played in a single day.

Winner: Tom Morris Jr., 157

Where it was played: Prestwick Golf Club, Ayrshire, Scotland

Tournament dates: Sept. 16, 1869

Leader after first round: Tom Morris Jr., 50

Leader after second round: Tom Morris Jr., 105

What Happened in the 1869 Open Championship

Young Tom Morris made it two wins in a row with a runaway victory. Morris, 18 years old, led by three strokes after the first circuit around the 12-hole Prestwick. His lead after Round 2 was four strokes, and he ultimately won by 11 strokes. Bob Kirk, who finished second, shot 57 in the final round to Morris' 52. But Kirk had made a 10 on one hole in the second round after needing four strokes to get out of a bunker.

Morris accomplished something else historically significant at this Open. In the first round he recorded the first hole-in-one in major championship golf history. Morris holed out on the 166-yard eighth hole. It's possible there were earlier aces made in the game of golf, but if so none of them were noted in historical records. That makes Young Tom's hole-in-one here not just the first ace in a major, but the first recorded hole-in-one in golf history. Morris didn't see his ball go into the hole. It was a blind tee shot on the eighth hole. But when the ball hit the front of the green, rolled across and curved into the hole, the spectators let out golf's first-ever hole-in-one roar.

The runner-up here, Bob Kirk, played in 12 Open Championships, finishing second twice. He became a golfer working as a caddie for Old Tom Morris at St. Andrews. Old Tom was runner-up to his son in the Open one year previously, but this time finished 19 strokes behind Tommy.

Fourteen golfers entered the 1869 Open, but only nine of them (including two amateurs) finished all 36 holes. All nine of those golfers were Scottish.

1869 British Open Final Scores

Tom Morris Jr.	50-55-52—157
Bob Kirk	53-58-57—168
Davie Strath	53-56-60—169
Jamie Anderson	60-56-57—173
a-William Doleman	60-56-59—175
Tom Morris Sr.	56-62-58—176
a-G.M. Innes	64-58-58—180
Tom Dunn	62-61-59—182
Charlie Hunter	62-61-64—187

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