1891 British Open Winner and Scores

The 1891 British Open was the 31st time this major was played. But it was the last time the Open Championship was played over 36 holes on a single day. It also produced the second 1-2 finish by brothers.

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

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