The 1907 Open Championship was the 47th

Open Championship The Open Championship, often referred to as The Open or the British Open, is the oldest golf tournament in the world, and one of the most prestigious. Founded in 1860, it was originally held annually at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. Later th ...

, held 20–21 June at

Royal Liverpool Golf Club The Royal Liverpool Golf Club is a golf club in Wirral in Merseyside, England. It was founded in 1869 on what was then the racecourse of the Liverpool Hunt Club. It received the "Royal" designation in 1871 due to the patronage of the Duke of ...

Hoylake Hoylake is a coast, seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England. It is at the north west of the Wirral Peninsula, near West Kirby and where the River Dee, Wales, River Dee meets the Irish Sea. Historic counties of En ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

Arnaud Massy Arnaud George Watson Massy (; 6 July 1877 – 16 April 1950) was one of France's most successful professional golfers, most notable for winning the 1907 Open Championship. Early life Massy was born in Biarritz, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France. Th ...

won his only

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

title, two strokes ahead of runner-up

J.H. Taylor John Henry "J.H." Taylor (19 March 1871 – 10 February 1963) was an English professional golfer and one of the pioneers of the modern game of golf. Taylor is considered to be one of the best golfers of all time. He was a significant golf ...

. From

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, Massy was the first non-Briton to win the Open Championship. Qualifying was introduced for the first time, replacing the 36-hole cut. It took place on Tuesday and Wednesday, 18–19 June, and the 193 entries were divided into two "sections," with each playing 36 holes on one day; the leading thirty players and ties from each section qualified. On Tuesday, 34 players scoring 165 or better qualified, led by Massy on 147. In windier conditions on Wednesday, 33 players at 170 or better qualified, led by Taylor on 154. There was some feeling that those in the first section would benefit from the day's rest. In a strong wind on Thursday morning, Massy and

Walter Toogood Walter George Toogood (1874 – 13 October 1914) was an English professional golfer who played in the late 19th century into the early 20th century. He was a consistent performer in the The Open Championship, Open Championships where he posted a ...

were the co-leaders after the first round at 76, with the next closest score at 79. After the second round that afternoon, Massy led at 157, one stroke over Taylor and Tom Ball, with Tom Williamson and

George Pulford John George Pulford (born 1873) was an English professional golfer. His skill on the links enabled him to place high on the leaderboard in several Open Championships. He finished tied for third in both the 1897 Open Championship and the 1907 Ope ...

a further shot behind. The strong wind persisted into Friday. In the morning, Massy scored 78 while Taylor's 76 gave him a one shot lead.

Harry Vardon Henry William Vardon (9 May 1870 – 20 March 1937) was a professional golfer from Jersey. He was a member of the Great Triumvirate with John Henry Taylor and James Braid. Vardon won The Open Championship a record six times, and also won the ...

's 74 was the best round of the championship and moved him into a tie for third place with Pulford and Ball, five strokes behind Taylor. In the afternoon, Massy's 77 earned him the title at 312, two strokes ahead of Taylor, who scored 80 for 314. Taylor had some difficulties on the third hole where he sliced his drive into some long grass and took a seven, going out in 41. He came home in 39, but it wasn't enough to make up for his miscues on the front nine. Massy became the first overseas player to win the Open, while Taylor finished runner-up for the fourth successive time. Vardon's brother, Tom, made a powerful move up the leaderboard with a 75 in the final round to secure a tie for third.

Round summaries

First round

''Thursday, 20 June 1907 (morning)'' Source:

Second round

''Thursday, 20 June 1907 (afternoon)'' Source:

Third round

''Friday, 21 June 1907 (morning)'' Source:

Final round

''Friday, 21 June 1907 (afternoon)'' Source:

References

External links

Royal Liverpool 1907 (Official site)
{{coord, 53.385, -3.190, type:event, display=title The Open Championship Golf tournaments in England Sport in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral