1876 British Open Winner and Scores
Winner: Bob Martin, 176
Where it was played: The Old Course at St. Andrews
Tournament dates: Sept. 30 and Oct. 2, 1876
Leader after first round: Davie Strath and Bob Martin, 86
Bob Martin's Unusual Method of Winning the 1876 Open Championship
Bob Martin and Davie Strath finished the scheduled 36 holes tied at 176. A playoff was scheduled, but Strath refused to play in it. So Martin showed up several days later and walked the course, claiming the playoff win — a literal walk-over — and the Open victory.Strath's objection? In the final round — which was played while other golfers were also playing the golf course — Strath played to the 17th green before it was clear. His ball hit one of those golfers and ricocheted, coming to rest on the green. Strath wound up two-putting for a five, then made a six on the final hole, tying Martin's score.
Responding to a complaint about the incident — some felt Strath's ball would have wound up on the road behind the green (it is the Road Hole) — the R&A said it would issue a ruling, but only after the playoff. That made no sense to Strath since, obviously, if the ruling went against him there would be no need for a playoff. So he protested by refusing to participate in the playoff. Had the playoff actually happened, it would have been the first in tournament history.
Martin had finished runner-up the year before in the 1875 Open, and he won a second time in the 1885 British Open.
Final Scores of the 1876 British Open
| Bob Martin | 86-90—176 |
| Davie Strath | 86-90—176 |
| Willie Park Sr. | 94-89—183 |
| Old Tom Morris | 90-95—185 |
| Mungo Park | 95-90—185 |
| W. Thompson | 90-95—185 |
| a-Henry Lamb | 94-92—186 |
| Walter Gourlay | 98-89—187 |
| Bob Kirk | 95-92—187 |
| George Paxton | 95-92—187 |
| Robert Kinsman | 88-100—188 |
| Jamie Anderson | 96-93—189 |
| a-David Lamb | 95-94—189 |
| David Anderson Sr. | 93-97—190 |
| John Thompson | 89-101—190 |
| James Fenton | 91-100—191 |
