1891 British Open Winner and Scores
Winner: Hugh Kirkaldy, 166
Where it was played: The Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland
Tournament dates: Oct. 6, 1891
Leader after first round: Hugh Kirkaldy, 83
What Happened In the 1891 Open Championship
The 1891 Open Championship was the last British Open contested over 36 holes. Henceforth, British Opens were 72 holes in length.But this one still being 36, it was played in a single day and in terrible weather — cold, rain and wind. Despite that, Hugh Kirkaldy won the championship with a score of 166, the best score posted in any of the 36-hole Opens played on The Old Course at St. Andrews.
Hugh's brother Andrew Kirkaldy finished second for the third time in an Open Championship. Although Andrew had 14 Top 10 finishes in the Open, he never won.
Hugh Kirkaldy earned £10 for the victory. Andrew and Willie Fernie (the 1883 Open winner) each earned £6, although Andrew defeated Fernie in a playoff for second place (the last time such a playoff took place).
Andrew Kirkaldy had a chance to beat his brother, but stumbled late with a six on the 35th hole. On the final hole he could have tied by sinking a long putt, but missed. Hugh Kirkaldy's second-round 83 goes down in history as the first Open round ever at St. Andrews that did not contain any 6s on the scorecard.
This was the second time at the Open that brothers finished 1-2. At the 1866 British Open, Willie Park Sr. won and David Park was runner-up.
1891 British Open Final Scores
| Hugh Kirkaldy | 83-83—166 |
| Andrew Kirkaldy | 84-84—168 |
| Willie Fernie | 84-84—168 |
| a-Samuel Mure Fergusson | 86-84—170 |
| W.D. More | 84-87—171 |
| Willie Park Jr. | 88-85—173 |
| David Brown | 88-86—174 |
| Willie Auchterlonie | 85-90—175 |
| a-Harold Hilton | 89-86—175 |
| Ben Sayers | 91-85—176 |
| Tom Vardon | 89-87—176 |
| a-John Ball | 94-83—177 |
| Archie Simpson | 86-91—177 |
| Sandy Herd | 87-91—178 |
| David Grant | 84-95—179 |
| James Kay | 93-86—179 |
| Jack Kirkaldy | 90-89—179 |
| Bob Mearns | 88-91—179 |
| Laurie Auchterlonie | 87-93—180 |
| a-Charles Hutchings | 89-91—180 |
| a-John E. Laidlay | 90-90—180 |
| David Simpson | 91-89—180 |
| David Anderson Jr. | 90-91—181 |
| David Ayton | 94-87—181 |
| a-Ernly Blackwell | 90-91—181 |
| Willie Campbell | 94-87—181 |
| a-Horace Hutchinson | 89-92—181 |
| George Mason | 94-87—181 |
| a-Harry Everard | 89-93—182 |
| William Greig | 95-87—182 |
| a-R.H. Johnston | 95-87—182 |
| a-Freddie Tait | 94-88—182 |
| William Anderson | 96-87—183 |
| G. Douglas | 94-89—183 |
| a-Allan Macfie | 94-89—183 |
| Bob Martin | 89-94—183 |
| a-Harry S. Colt | 93-91—184 |
| Bob Simpson | 89-95—184 |
| David Herd | 91-94—185 |
| David Anderson Sr. | 94-92—186 |
| a-T. Carmichael | 92-94—186 |
| George Fernie | 93-93—186 |
| Peter Paxton | 94-92—186 |
| Jack Simpson | 94-92—186 |
| a-Peter Anderson | 97-91—188 |
| a-James Hunter | 94-94—188 |
| a-Andrew Lawson | 94-94—188 |
| a-David Leitch | 98-90—188 |
| a-James Kirk | 91-98—189 |
| Douglas McEwan | 101-88—189 |
| George Pearson | 96-93—189 |
| a-John M. Williamson | 97-92—189 |
| a-John Cuthbert | 95-95—190 |
| a-William Young | 91-99—190 |
| Lindsey Ross | 96-95—191 |
| Albert Tingey | 98-94—192 |
| a-Thomas Gilroy | 98-95—193 |
| Old Tom Morris | 99-94—193 |
| a-Robert Scott | 102-92—194 |
| a-Garden Smith | 97-98—195 |
| a-David Anderson | 100-99—199 |
| D. Sheppard | 98-101—199 |
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1890 British Open - 1892 British Open
Sources:
(Book titles are affiliate links; commissions earned)
Brenner, Morgan. The Majors of Golf, Volume 1, 2009, McFarland and Company.
Glasgow Herald. "Victory of Hugh Kirkaldy — Details of the Play," Oct. 7, 1891.
TheOpen.com. "1891 / St. Andrews," The R&A, https://www.theopen.com/previous-opens/31st-open-st-andrews-1891
