2004 Senior British Open Championship

2004 Senior British Open Championship
Tournament information
Dates22–25 July 2004
LocationPortrush, County Antrim,
Northern Ireland
55°12′00″N 6°38′06″W / 55.200°N 6.635°W / 55.200; -6.635
Course(s)Royal Portrush Golf Club
Dunluce Links
Organised byThe R&A
Tour(s)
Format72 holes stroke play
Statistics
Par72
Length6,834 yd (6,249 m)
Field144 players, 70 after cut
Cut152 (+10)
Prize fundUS$1,600,000
Winner's shareUS$289,153
Champion
United States Pete Oakley
284 (-4)
Location map
Royal Portrush GC is located in Europe
Royal Portrush GC
Royal Portrush GC
Location in Europe
Royal Portrush GC is located in the United Kingdom
Royal Portrush GC
Royal Portrush GC
Location in the United Kingdom
Royal Portrush GC is located in island of Ireland
Royal Portrush GC
Royal Portrush GC
Location in Ireland
Royal Portrush GC is located in Northern Ireland
Royal Portrush GC
Royal Portrush GC
Location in Northern Ireland
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The 2004 Senior British Open Championship, for sponsorship reasons named Senior British Open Championship presented by MasterCard, was a senior major golf championship and the 18th Senior British Open Championship, held from 22 to 25 July at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Portrush, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. It was the second Senior British Open Championship played as a senior major championship.[1]

Pete Oakley won by one stroke over Tom Kite and Eduardo Romero to win his first Senior British Open title and his first senior major championship victory.[2][3][4]

Graham Marsh, who finished tied ninth, became the first player on the four main golf tours (PGA Tour, PGA European Tour, PGA Tour Champions or the Legends Tour) to ace the same hole twice in a tournament, when he had a hole-in-one on the 170-yard 11th hole in the third round with an 8-iron, as well as with a 9-iron in the first round.[5]

Venue

Main article: Royal Portrush Golf Club
Royal Portrush GC 5th hole

Course layout

Name Hole Par Yards
Hughie's 1 4 392
Giant's Grave 2 5 505
Islay 3 3 155
Fred Daly's 4 4 457
White Rocks 5 4 411
Harry Colt's 6 3 189
P.G. Stevenson's 7 4 431
Himalayas 8 4 393
Tavern 9 5 475
Dhu Varren 10 5 478
Feather Bed 11 3 170
Causeway 12 4 392
Skerries 13 4 340
Calamity Corner 14 3 210
Purgatory 15 4 365
Babington's 16 4 442
Glenarm 17 5 548
Greenaway 18 4 469
Out 36 3,408
In 36 3,414
Total 72 6,822

Source:[6]

Field

The field consisted of 144 competitors; 138 professionals and six amateurs.

70 players made the 36-hole cut, 69 professionals and one amateur. Roy Smethurst finished leading amateur at tied 41st.

An 18-hole stroke play qualifying round was held on Monday, 19 July, on Valley Links, for players who were not already exempt. The 27 leading players from the qualifying competition joined the 117 exempt players for the championship.[7]

Past champions in the field

Eight past Senior Open champions participated. Three of them made the 36-hole cut; 2003 champion Tom Watson (tied 22nd), 2002 champion Noboru Sugai (tied 46th) and 1989 and 1993 champion Bob Charles (tied 65th). 1987 champion Neil Coles, 1999 and 2000 champion Christy O'Connor Jnr, 1991 champion Bobby Verway, 2001 champion Ian Stanley and 1988, 1990 and 1997 champion Gary Player did not make the cut.

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

The field included three former winners of The Open Championship. Two of them made the cut; 1975, 1977, 1980, 1982 and 1983 Open champion Tom Watson (tied 22nd), and 1963 Open champion Bob Charles (tied 65th). 1959, 1968 and 1974 Open champion Gary Player did not make the cut.

The field also included seven former runners-up at The Open Championship; Tom Kite (2nd), Mark McNulty (tied 5th), Andy Bean (tied 13th), Simon Owen (tied 38th), Ben Crenshaw (missed cut), Neil Coles (missed cut) and Rodger Davis (missed cut).

Final round summary and results

Sunday, 25 July 2004

Pete Oakley sank a 10-foot par putt on the final hole to win by one stroke and avoid a playoff. The victory made him only the 10th open qualifier to win a Champions Tour event. Defending champion Tom Watson, who withdrew from The Open Championship the week before, due to a shoulder injury, finished tied 22nd, 13 shots from the winner.[4]

Place Player Score To par Money ($)
1 United States Pete Oakley 73-68-73-70=284 −4 289,153
T2 United States Tom Kite 71-71-74-69=285 −3 150,715
Argentina Eduardo Romero 69-75-74-67=285
4 England Mark James 72-70-74-70=286 −2 86,764
T5 Republic of Ireland Mark McNulty 72-69-74-72=287 −1 67,121
United States Don Pooley 69-72-74-72=287
7 Scotland Bill Longmuir 71-71-76-72=290 +2 52,040
8 England Carl Mason 70-71-81-69=291 +3 43,336
T9 South Africa Bobby Lincoln 78-69-73-72=292 +4 33,799
Australia Graham Marsh 76-73-72-71=292
United States Bruce Summerhays 73-73-75-71=292
Scotland Sam Torrance 72-73-78-69=292

Source:[2]

References

  1. ^ "The Senior Open Championship". The R&A. Archived from the original on 13 February 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  2. ^ a b "The Senior Open Championship presented by MasterCard – Results". European Tour. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  3. ^ "The Senior Open – Past Results". PGA Tour. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Unknown Oakley wins Senior British". ESPN. Associated Press. 25 July 2004. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  5. ^ "Marsh calls historic feat 'freaky'". ESPN. Associated Press. 24 July 2004. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  6. ^ "Senior British Open Championship presented by MasterCard – Course Card". European Tour. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  7. ^ "Qualifying Results - Valley Links". European Tour. July 2004. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
Preceded by Senior Major Championships Succeeded by

55°12′00″N 6°38′06″W / 55.200°N 6.635°W / 55.200; -6.635