The 1929 Open Championship was the 64th Open Championship, held 8–10 May at Muirfield in Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland. Walter Hagen successfully defended his 1928 title, six strokes ahead of runner-up Johnny Farrell. It was Hagen's fourth win at the Open and his eleventh and final major title.
Qualifying was held 6–7 May, Monday and Tuesday, with 18 holes at Muirfield and 18 holes at the number 1 course Gullane, and the top 100 and ties qualified. Leo Diegel led the field with 144; the qualifying score was 162 and 109 players advanced.
Percy Alliss held the lead after the first round with a 69, while Leo Diegel matched that score in the second round to take the 36-hole lead. After a first-round 75, defending champion Hagen recorded an Open Championship record 67 in the second round on Thursday and was two back of Diegel. There was a change in the cut rule; players needed to be within fourteen strokes of the leader after 36 holes, but there was to be a minimum of sixty left in the field. The cut was at 157 (+17) and 64 advanced.
Windy conditions on Friday caused scores to soar over the final two rounds. Diegel shot 82 in the morning, with Alliss and Abe Mitchell at 76 and 78, respectively. Hagen finished with two rounds of 75 for 292. Diegel was a shot behind runner-up Farrell in third place, while Alliss and Mitchell shared fourth at 300.
Hagen, age 36, played the tournament just twice more, in 1933 and 1937, both following Ryder Cup matches in England. Six-time champion Harry Vardon, age 59, qualified for the Open for the final time and missed the cut by three strokes. Similar to 1928, this Open was played earlier than usual, in early May.
Course
HoleYardsParHoleYardsPar14504 1045942353411359433804123804418031312835510514450464504153934715331619338455417507594834184104 Out3,41435 In3,27935Source: Total 6,69370
Round summaries First round Wednesday, 8 May 1929 PlacePlayerScoreTo par1 Percy Alliss 69 −1 T2 Jim Barnes 71 +1 Leo DiegelT4 Ed Dudley 72 +2 Johnny Farrell Herbert Jolly Abe MitchellT8 Michael Bingham 73 +3 Bobby Cruickshank Gene Sarazen Macdonald Smith Al Watrous Tom Williamson Source:
Second round Thursday, 9 May 1929 PlacePlayerScoreTo par1 Leo Diegel 71-69=140 E 2 Walter Hagen 75-67=142 +2 3 Abe Mitchell 72-72=144 +4 4 Percy Alliss 69-76=145 +5 T5 Bobby Cruickshank 73-74=147 +7 Johnny Farrell 72-75=147 Johnny Golden 74-73=147 Gene Sarazen 73-74=147T9 Tommy Armour 75-73=148 +8 Aubrey Boomer 74-74=148 Bill Mehlhorn 74-74=148 Source:
Third round Friday, 10 May 1929 (morning) PlacePlayerScoreTo par1 Walter Hagen 75-67-75=217 +7 2 Percy Alliss 69-76-76=221 +11 T3 Leo Diegel 71-69-82=222 +12 Abe Mitchell 72-72-78=2225 Johnny Farrell 72-75-76=223 +13 6 Bobby Cruickshank 73-74-78=225+15 7 Archie Compston 76-73-77=226 +16 T8 Tommy Armour 75-73-79=227 +17 Mark Seymour 75-74-78=227 Al Watrous 73-79-75=227 Source:
Final round Friday, 10 May 1929 (afternoon) PlacePlayerScoreTo parMoney (£)1 Walter Hagen 75-67-75-75=292 +12 752 Johnny Farrell 72-75-76-75=298 +18 503 Leo Diegel 71-69-82-77=299 +19 25T4 Percy Alliss 69-76-76-79=300 +20 15 Abe Mitchell 72-72-78-78=3006 Bobby Cruickshank 73-74-78-76=301+21 107 Jim Barnes 71-80-78-74=303 +23 T8 Gene Sarazen 73-74-81-76=304 +24 Al Watrous 73-79-75-77=30410 Tommy Armour 75-73-79-78=305 +25 Source:
Amateurs: Perkins (+32), MacKenzie (+33), Tolley (+33), Von Elm (+38)
References
External links Muirfield 1929 (Official site)