2003 Senior British Open

The 2003 Senior British Open was a senior major golf championship and the 17th Senior British Open, held from 24–27 July at Turnberry in South Ayrshire, Scotland. It was the 5th Senior British Open played at the course and the first Senior British Open played as a senior major championship.

2003 Senior British Open
Tournament information
Dates24–27 July 2003
LocationSouth Ayrshire, Scotland
55°18′58″N 4°49′59″W / 55.316°N 4.833°W / 55.316; -4.833
Course(s)Turnberry
Organised byThe R&A
Tour(s)
Format72 holes stroke play
Statistics
Par70
Length6,715 yd (6,140 m)
Field144 players, 77 after cut
Cut144 (+4)
Prize fundUS$1,590,377
Winner's shareUS$255,731
222,779
Champion
United States Tom Watson
263 (−17)
Location map
Turnberry is located in Europe
Turnberry
Turnberry
Location in Europe
Turnberry is located in the United Kingdom
Turnberry
Turnberry
Location in the United Kingdom
Turnberry is located in Scotland
Turnberry
Turnberry
Location in Scotland
← 2002
2004 →

Tom Watson defeated Carl Mason in a playoff to win his first Senior British Open title and his second senior major championship victory.

Venue

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The 2003 event was the 5th Senior British Open played at Turnberry.

Course layout

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Hole Name Yards Par    Hole Name Yards Par
1 Ailsa Craig 358 4 10 Dinna Fouter 415 4
2 Mak Siccar 381 4 11 Maidens 174 3
3 Blaw Wearie 409 4 12 Monument 414 4
4 Woe-Be-Tide 165 3 13 Tickly Tap 412 4
5 Fin Me Oot 416 4 14 Risk-An-Hope 441 4
6 Tappie Toorie 221 3 15 Ca' Canny 209 3
7 Roon The Ben 475 5 16 Wee Burn 409 4
8 Goat Fell 431 4 17 Lang Whang 497 5
9 Bruce's Castle 454 4 18 Duel in the Sun 434 4
Out 3,310 35 In 3,405 35
Source:[1] Total 6,715 70

Field

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The field consisted of 144 competitors: 139 professionals and 5 amateurs.

18-hole stroke play qualifying rounds were held on Monday, 21 July, on two places in Scotland, the Barassie Links in Kilmarnock and the Kintyre course at Turnberry, for players who were not already exempt. The 31 leading players from the qualifying competitions joined the 113 exempt players for the championship.

77 players made the 36-hole cut, 76 professionals and one amateur. Arthur Pierce, Ireland, finished leading amateur at tied 62nd.

Past champions in the field

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Made the cut

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Player Country Year(s) won R1 R2 R3 R4 Total To par Finish
Bob Charles   New Zealand 1989, 1993 69 68 69 71 277 −3 T20
Noboru Sugai   Japan 2002 67 73 72 71 283 +3 T46
Gary Player   South Africa 1988, 1990, 1997 73 70 69 72 284 +4 T51
Christy O'Connor Jnr   Ireland 1999, 2000 73 71 70 71 285 +5 T54

Missed the cut

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Player Country Year(s) won R1 R2 Total To par
John Fourie   South Africa 1992 71 74 145 +5
Neil Coles   England 1987 72 74 146 +6
Ian Stanley   Australia 2001 79 74 153 +13
Bobby Verwey   South Africa 1991 86 69 155 +15

Past winners and runners-up at The Open Championship in the field

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The field included five former winners of The Open Championship. Four of them made the cut; 1975, 1977, 1980, 1982 and 1983 Open champion Tom Watson (won), 1966, 1970 and 1978 Open champion Jack Nicklaus (tied 14th), 1963 Open champion Bob Charles (tied 20th) and 1959, 1968 and 1974 Open champion Gary Player (tied 51st). 1961 and 1962 Open champion Arnold Palmer did not make the cut.

The field also included three former runners-up at The Open Championship; Tom Kite (4th), Rodger Davis (tied 27th) and Simon Owen (tied 32nd).

Round summaries

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First round

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Thursday, 24 July 2003

Tom Kite and Tom Watson posted four-under-par 66's on day one to lead by one shot.

Place Player Score To par
1   Tom Kite 66 −4
  Tom Watson
T3   Denis Durnian 67 −3
  Carl Mason
  Mark McCumber
  Des Smyth
  Noboru Sugai
  Russell Weir
  Fuzzy Zoeller
T10   Maurice Bembridge 68 −2
  Malcolm Gregson
  Bill Hardwick
  Bruce Summerhays

Second round

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Friday 25 July 2003

Carl Mason shot a 64 (−6) to take a one-shot lead over D.A. Weibring, who shot a seven-under-par 63.

Place Player Score To par
1   Carl Mason 67-64=131 −9
2   D. A. Weibring 69-63=132 −8
T3   Tom Kite 66-67=133 −7
  Bruce Summerhays 68-65=133
  Tom Watson 66-67=133
T6   Jim Colbert 72-62=134 −6
  Russell Weir 67-67=134
8   Denis Durnian 67-68=135 −5
T9   Bob Cameron 69-67=136 −4
  Terry Gale 70-66=136
  Mark McCumber 67-69=136
  Dana Quigley 71-65=136
  Bobby Wadkins 71-65=136
  Fuzzy Zoeller 67-69=136

Amateurs: Pierse (−1), Reynolds (+5), Boles (+9), Baldwin (+11), MacNamara (+15)

Third round

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Saturday, 26 July 2003

Mason and Weibring shot matching rounds of 65 (−5) as Mason maintained his one shot lead. Kite, Summerhays, and Watson all shot rounds of 66 (−4) to trail Mason by three shots. Jim Colbert backed up his eight-under-par 62 with a 66 (−4) in the third round, trailing Mason by 4 strokes.

Place Player Score To par
1   Carl Mason 67-64-65=196 −14
2   D. A. Weibring 69-63-65=197 −13
T3   Tom Kite 66-67-66=199 −11
  Bruce Summerhays 68-65-66=199
  Tom Watson 66-67-66=199
6   Jim Colbert 72-62-66=200 −10
7   Mark McCumber 67-69-65=201 −9
8   Brian Jones 69-69-65=203 −7
T9   Isao Aoki 66-67-66=204 −6
  Bob Cameron 69-67-68=204
  Denis Durnian 67-68-69=204
  Jack Nicklaus 70-67-67=204
  Fuzzy Zoeller 67-69-68=204

Amateurs: Pierse (+2)

Final round

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Sunday, 27 July 2003

Tom Watson trailed Carl Mason by one stroke heading into the 72nd hole. Needing birdie to tie Mason, Watson bogeyed the par-4 18th hole to fall two shots behind the leader. Mason, now leading by 2 strokes, double bogeyed the 18th hole and fell into a playoff with Watson.

Place Player Score To par Money ()
T1   Carl Mason 67-64-65-67=263 −17 Playoff
  Tom Watson 66-67-66-64=263
3   Bruce Summerhays 68-65-66-65=264 −16 83,648
4   Tom Kite 66-67-66-67=266 −14 66,848
5   D. A. Weibring 69-63-65-73=270 −10 56,641
T6   Brian Jones 69-69-65-68=271 −9 43,440
  Mark McCumber 67-69-65-70=271
T8   Denis Durnian 67-68-69-68=272 −8 31,673
  David Eger 71-68-66-67=272
T10   Jim Colbert 72-62-66-73=273 −7 24,734
  Graham Marsh 71-68-66-68=273
  Dana Quigley 71-65-70-67=273

Source:[2][3]
Amateurs: Pierse (+6)

Playoff

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Sunday, 27 July 2003

Tom Watson and Carl Mason both parred the first playoff hole. Watson won with par on the second playoff hole as Mason made bogey.

Place Player Score To par Money ()
1   Tom Watson 4-4=8 E 222,779
2   Carl Mason 4-5=9 +1 148,590

Notes and references

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  1. ^ "2003 Senior British Open – Course Card". European Tour.
  2. ^ "The Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex". Golf Channel. 27 July 2017. Archived from the original on 17 May 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  3. ^ "2003 Senior British Open – Results". European Tour.
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Preceded by Senior Major Championships Succeeded by

55°18′58″N 4°49′59″W / 55.316°N 4.833°W / 55.316; -4.833