Under the rotation system then in place, the Open should have been held at Muirfield. However some doubt existed "as to the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers being desirous of their course being used for the event"[6] and the Championship was moved to Troon, the first Open Championship to be played there. Troon hosted the Open for the second time in 1950, the first time the Open had been held in southwest Scotland since 1925 at nearby Prestwick.
Qualifying took place on 11–12 June, Monday and Tuesday, with 18 holes on the New (Portland) Course at Troon Golf Club and 18 holes on Troon Municipal Course number 2 (now called Lochgreen).[7][8][9] The top eighty and ties qualified. Albert Tingey Jr., Syd Wingate, and Charles Whitcombe led the field on 146; the qualifying score was 159 and 88 players advanced.[10][11]
Hagen was among the eleven who just qualified on 159, while future champions Jim Barnes (1925) and Gene Sarazen (1932) both scored 160 and missed out by a stroke.[10][11] After a 75 on Monday, Sarazen was in the first group out on the New Course on Tuesday morning; they had the worst of the rain and wind, and he shot 85.[10][11][12] Sarazen, age 21, already a winner of two majors, had won the Daily Dispatch Northern Professional Championship just ten days earlier at Lytham.[13][14] Six-time champion Harry Vardon was at 163;[10][11] it was the first time he did not play in an Open in over thirty years. Wednesday was an idle day.[15][16]
In the opening round on Thursday morning, Joe Kirkwood led with 72; after the second round that afternoon, Havers and Charles Whitcombe co-led at 146, with Hagen a stroke back.[17][18] In the two-day format, there was no cut after 36 holes.
Havers carded a third consecutive 73 on Friday morning to carry a two-stroke lead over Hagen into the final round that afternoon.[3][4][19] Hagen threatened the lead throughout the round, and when Havers found a bunker on his approach shot at the 18th it appeared as if the door was open for Hagen. Havers, however, chipped in from the bunker to post a 76 for 295. Hagen found the same bunker and needed to hole out to force a 36-hole playoff on Saturday, but his shot narrowly missed and he finished a shot behind Havers. Macdonald Smith finished a stroke behind Hagen in third place.[3][4][20]
This was the first Open at Troon and its Old Course was changed significantly with the addition of sixty new banked-up bunkers. Its length was reduced slightly, from 6,439 to 6,415 yards (5,888 to 5,866 m); the 5th hole (Greenan) was reduced from 323 to 185 yards (295 to 169 m).
