1903 Open Championship

The 1890 Open Championship was the 30th Open Championship, held 11 September at Prestwick Golf Club in Prestwick, South Ayrshire, Scotland. John Ball won the Championship, three strokes ahead of Willie Fernie and Archie Simpson. Ball was both the first Englishman to win the Open and the first amateur to win it. Andrew Kirkaldy had the lead after the morning round with an 81. He was followed by his brother Hugh Kirkaldy and Ball on 82. These were the only players better than 85. Ball was playing with Willie Campbell who had a disappointing 86 to trail Ball by four strokes. Fernie was one of the early finishers in the afternoon and came back with a total of 167. Willie Park Jr. had an excellent 80 but was out of contention after a terrible start to his morning round. Hugh Kirkaldy was playing with Simpson. While Kirkaldy faded after a 91, Simpson matched Fernie with his total of 167. Andrew Kirkaldy was in the next group but, like his brother, had a poor second round. Ball and Campbell were the next group, the last of the contenders. Initially Campbell matched Ball in the second round but after taking eight at the 9th he lost another shot to Ball at the 10th and, after topping his drive at the 11th, he tore up his card. Ball continued playing steadily and it became known that he needed 20 for the last four holes to win. Finishing 5-4-5-4 he won eventually by three strokes. He had completed each nine holes in exactly 41.

The 1898 Open Championship was the 38th Open Championship, held 8–9 June at Prestwick Golf Club in Prestwick, South Ayrshire, Scotland. Harry Vardon won the Championship for the second time, a stroke ahead of Willie Park Jr., the 1887 and 1889 winner. With the increasing number of "hopeless competitors" and "second-class golfers" entering the Open, a cut was introduced for the first time to reduce the number of players on the final day. All entries played 36 holes on the first day with all those within 19 strokes of the leader making the cut and playing 36 holes on the final day, with the additional provision that the final day's field had to contain at least 32 professionals. There was a change to the prize money distribution. The total remained unchanged at £90 but was only given to the first 6 and not the first 12. Defending champion Harold Hilton and Willie Park Jr. led after the first round on 76. Park was even better in the afternoon and led after the first day on 151. Vardon also scored 75 and was second on 154 with Thomas Renouf and J.H. Taylor on 156. Hilton led the amateurs on 157. 43 players made the cut, including five amateurs. Willie Auchterlonie, who had won the previous Open Championship at Prestwick in 1893, was amongst those who failed to make the cut. Vardon scored a useful 77 in the third round despite a seven at the 15th. Park scored 78 to maintain the lead. Freddie Tait had the best round of 75 and shared third place with Taylor four shots behind Park. In the final round Vardon reached the turn in 38 and finished with a 76 after an excellent three at the last. Park reached the turn in 39 after sixes at the 1st and 3rd holes. Taking six at the 10th dropped him behind and he reached the last needing a three to tie Vardon. On the edge of the green after his tee shot, he putted to four feet but missed to finish one behind. Hilton reached the turn in 35 to be level with Vardon but came back in 40 and finished two strokes behind. Tait took eight at the 3rd to drop out of contention.

The 1893 Open Championship was the 33rd Open Championship, held 31 August–1 September at Prestwick Golf Club in Prestwick, South Ayrshire, Scotland. William Auchterlonie won the Championship, two strokes ahead of the amateur Johnny Laidlay. The entries includes 46 professionals and 26 amateurs. The weather on the first day was very wet, rain falling heavily all day. In his first Open Championship, J.H. Taylor made an immediate impact, leading after the first round with a score of 75. Auchterlonie was next after a 78. In the afternoon Taylor has a disappointing 89. At the end of the day Auchterlonie led on 159, three ahead of John Ball, James Kay, Hugh Kirkaldy, and Robert Simpson, all on 162. Sandy Herd and Laidlay were a further stroke behind. Auchterlonie started his third round badly, taking six on the 1st hole and four at the short 2nd. However, he recovered well and took only 19 strokes for the final five holes to finish on 81 and a total 240. This was enough for him to retain the lead, but now by only one stroke from Herd, with Kay and Simpson only a shot further back and Laidlay three behind. Taylor disappointed again with an 86 to be 10 shots behind. In the final round, Auchterlonie again took six at the 1st hole but finished with an 82 and a total of 322 to set a difficult target for his challengers. Laidlay seemed to have ruined his chances with a seven at the 3rd but he played well for the rest of round and finished just two behind Auchterlonie on 324. Herd started badly taking 15 on the first three holes. He reached the 17th needing seven on the last two holes to match Auchterlonie. His second shot to the 17th found a bunker and he eventually finished three strokes behind the winner. Auchterlonie won the gold Championship Medal valued at £10 and the £30 first prize. He was just 21 years old and remains the second youngest Open Championship winner after Tom Morris Jr.In tieing for 6th place James Kay, long-term professional at Seaton Carew Golf Club, reached his second highest position in the 22 Open Championships in which he played. He also tied for 5th in 1892.

The 1925 Open Championship was the 60th Open Championship, held 25–26 June at Prestwick Golf Club in Prestwick, South Ayrshire, Scotland. In the final Open at Prestwick, Jim Barnes captured his only Open title, one stroke ahead of runners-up Ted Ray and Archie Compston. It was Barnes' fourth and final major title; he won the first two PGA Championships in 1916 and 1919, and the U.S. Open in 1921. Qualifying took place on 22–23 June 1925. Qualification took place at Troon with 18 holes on the Old Course and 18 holes the Portland Course. The top 80 and ties qualified. The qualifying score was 158 and 83 players qualified. Irishman Moses O'Neill led the qualifiers on 146.Born and raised in Cornwall, England, Barnes opened with a course record 70 to take a four stroke lead as the course was dry and fast. In the second round, Macdonald Smith carded a new course record 69 for the lead at 145, two shots ahead of Barnes, who only managed a 77. Smith followed with a 76 in the third round on Friday morning and took a five-shot lead over Barnes and Compston into the final round. Barnes finished his round early and posted a 74 for a 300 total. Beginning his round after Barnes had already finished his, Smith knew that a round of 78 would win him the championship. But after starting with a 4–3 on the first two holes, he dropped three shots on the next three holes. Smith took a 6 at the 7th and 8th and went out in 42. He found a bunker on the 11th and took a 5, and shot another 6 on the 15th. Smith finished the round with an 82 and a 303 total, good enough only for fourth place. Ted Ray, the 1912 champion, finished tied for second with Compston at 301. Smith's problems in the final round were possibly due to the huge gallery that followed him. Anticipating that he would easily win, 10,000 spectators crowded around Smith, more than the course layout or tournament stewards could handle. Ray's runner-up finish was his final top-ten in a major, as was John Henry Taylor's sixth place showing. Smith never won a major, but was runner-up on three occasions. This was the last of the 24 Opens played at Prestwick, which hosted the first twelve. It was replaced by adjacent Troon Golf Club ("Royal Troon" since 1978) as the Open venue for southwestern Scotland. Turnberry was added to the rota in 1977, southwest of Prestwick. It was the last Open scheduled for just two days, at 36 holes each. In 1926, the first two rounds were on Wednesday and Thursday, and following a 36-hole cut, the final two rounds were played on Friday. This format was continued through 1965.

The 1908 Open Championship was the 48th Open Championship, held 18–19 June at Prestwick Golf Club in Prestwick, South Ayrshire, Scotland. James Braid won the Championship for the fourth time, eight strokes ahead of runner-up Tom Ball.Qualifying took place on Tuesday and Wednesday, 16–17 June, and the players were divided into two "sections." Those in the first section played on the first morning and second afternoon while those in the second section played on the first afternoon and second morning. After the 36 holes the leading thirty players and ties qualified from each section. The qualifying score of 163 was the same in both sections, and 65 players qualified. J.H. Taylor led the first section with a score of 150 while the Scottish amateur Robert Andrew led the second section with the same score.The first round on Thursday morning was noted for its low scoring, especially on the first nine holes. Ernest Gray, from Littlehampton, went out in 31 and equalled J.H. Taylor's record score of 68 set at Royal St George's in 1904. Braid finished with a 70 after going out in 33, with Fred Robson in third place after a 72. Ben Sayers was amongst those in fourth place on 74 after he too went out in 33. In the afternoon Gray was eleven shots worse with a round in 79 while Braid added a 72 to lead by five strokes from Gray with Sandy Herd and David Kinnell a further stroke behind. Braid again played the front nine in 33 and although he took six at the 13th he had a comfortable lead at the end of the day.On Friday morning, Braid began the third round badly. After taking five at the first hole, he followed with an eight at the third. Despite slicing his tee shot into the rough he tried to carry the Cardinal Bunker but failed. His bunker shot hit the sleepers and went out of bounds and, after dropping in the bunker, he hit the sleepers again, this time landing further back in the bunker. He finally escaped the bunker, played a further shot to the green and two-putted for an eight. Under modern rules, he would have scored nine but at the time there was no penalty stroke for "out of bounds." After this, he recovered well and finished with a 77, only three strokes worse than the best rounds of the morning. With Gray taking 83 and Herd coming back in 45, Braid, on 219, had extended his lead to six strokes over Ball and Ted Ray.Braid had a final round of 72, the best of the afternoon to win by eight shots. His total of 291 was an Open Championship record, beating Jack White's 296 in 1904. After poor scores on the first day, Harry Vardon and Taylor were amongst the best scorers on the second day and finished in ties for fifth and seventh places.

The 1914 Open Championship was the 54th Open Championship, held 18–19 June at Prestwick Golf Club in Prestwick, South Ayrshire, Scotland. Harry Vardon won a record sixth Open Championship title, three strokes ahead of runner-up J.H. Taylor, the defending champion. Entering the championship, Vardon, Taylor, and James Braid had five Open wins each. This was the sixteenth and final Open title for these three, the Great Triumvirate. Due to World War I, it was the last Open for six years; the next was in 1920. Qualification took place the week before on 11−12 June at Troon, with 18 holes on the Old Course and 18 holes on Troon municipal number 2, and exactly 100 players qualified. Taylor and Ted Ray, winners of the last two Opens, led the field on 150 and 96 players at 163 or better advanced. The thirteen at 164 played an additional 18 holes at Prestwick the next day to determine the final four places; scores of 79 and better qualified.After the first two rounds on Thursday, Vardon led at 150, by one shot ahead of a relatively unknown James Ockenden from West Drayton Golf Club. Taylor was a shot back in third at 152. One shot back after an opening 74, Braid's 82 in the afternoon dropped him into a tie for ninth.Vardon and Taylor were paired together on Friday and, after Ockenden had a disappointing 83, they were clear leaders after the morning's third round. Taylor led on 226 with Vardon two back; amateur James Jenkins was third on 232 and three were tied at 233.With the two leaders playing together, huge crowds followed in the final round that afternoon. Taylor extended his lead to three at the first hole, but at the third, he was distracted by a photographer and dropped a stroke to Vardon. The championship was largely decided at the fourth hole, where Taylor found the water and took seven to Vardon's four, which changed the lead. Taylor dropped more strokes to Vardon at the 5th, 8th, 10th, and 11th holes and Vardon led by five. Taylor recovered somewhat and shot 83, but Vardon won by three shots at 78 for 306. Phil Gaudin had the best score in the final round at 74.This was the penultimate Open at Prestwick, which hosted 24, including the first twelve; the last was eleven years later in 1925. It was replaced by adjacent Troon Golf Club ("Royal Troon" since 1978) as the Open venue for southwestern Scotland. Turnberry was added to the rota in 1977, southwest of Prestwick.

The 1884 Open Championship was the 24th Open Championship, held 3 October at Prestwick Golf Club in Prestwick, South Ayrshire, Scotland. Jack Simpson won the Championship by four strokes, ahead of runners-up Willie Fernie and Douglas Rolland. This was the first Open Championship to be played at Prestwick after it had been extended from 12 to 18 holes in 1882. The contest was still over 36 holes but consisted of two 18-hole rounds rather than three 12-hole rounds. Conditions were difficult with a strong wind. Simpson, one of the early starters, had the best score in both rounds and was the surprise winner. Fernie and Rolland were joint second and shared the second and third prizes.

Prestwick Golf Club is a golf course in Prestwick, South Ayrshire, Scotland. It is approximately 30 miles (50 km) southwest of Scotland's largest city, Glasgow. Prestwick is a classic links course, built on the rolling sandy land between the beach and the hinterland. The course is near the Prestwick airport, and some holes run along railway tracks on the eastern side of the course. The Open Championship originated at Prestwick Golf Club, and was played there 24 times between 1860 and 1925.

The 1887 Open Championship was the 27th Open Championship, held 16 September at Prestwick Golf Club in Prestwick, South Ayrshire, Scotland. Willie Park Jr. won the Championship, a stroke ahead of Bob Martin. The Open was played in almost incessant rain and a cross wind. Willie Campbell was the warm favourite amongst the local crowd and was followed by the majority of the spectators. Willie Park, Jr. and Willie Fernie were paired together in the preceding group. Campbell made a good start reaching the turn in 35 and eventually finishing with a 77. This was enough for a four stroke lead over Bob Martin and Archie Simpson with David Brown and Willie Park Jr. a further shot behind. Ben Sayers took 83 and they were the only six players to score better than 85. In the second round Campbell reached the turn in 39. Park had reached the same hole in 37 but was still three behind. Playing a few groups behind Martin reached the turn in 38 and was level with Park at that point. The other contenders had faded away. Reaching the 16th hole Campbell was still two ahead of Park. Park had an excellent three at the hole. Campbell tried to carry the fairway bunker but his ball landed in the thick grass at the top of it. "He made a desperate effort to force it onto the green, but it proved futile, and five strokes were lost in the bunker". He eventually took nine and his chances of winning were gone. Park finished with two fives for a total of 161. In the second round he didn't have a score worse than five and wasn't in a single bunker in either round. Campbell finished one better than Park on the final two holes but was still three behind on 164. Martin couldn't quite match Park's good finish and ended a stroke behind on 162. The bunker at the 16th became known as “Willie Campbell’s Grave”.

Prestwick Town railway station is a railway station serving the town of Prestwick, South Ayrshire, Scotland. The station is managed by ScotRail and is on the Ayrshire Coast Line. Originally known only as Prestwick, it was one of the original stations on the Ayr to Irvine portion of the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway opened in August 1839. Prestwick Town is one of the few stations on the Ayrshire Coast Line that remains staffed (the ticket office being staffed part-time, seven days per week - Monday - Saturday 06:35 - 17:50, Sunday 09:10 - 16:50). Facilities include a medium-sized car park and a café is present in the station building itself.The ticket office at Prestwick Town has recently been refurbished, and now includes a height-adjustable ticket desk and automatic doors. Smartcard validators have been installed at the entrances to both platforms. Step-free access is only available on platform 2, as the opposite platform is only reachable via a stepped footbridge or steep ramp from the nearby road.

Prestwick (Scottish Gaelic: Preastabhaig) is a town in South Ayrshire on the west coast of Ayrshire in Scotland about 30 miles (50 kilometres) southwest of Glasgow. It adjoins the larger town of Ayr to the south on the Firth of Clyde coast, the centre of which is about two miles (three kilometres) south, and the small village of Monkton to the north. It had a population of 14,901 at the 2011 census. The town is served by Glasgow Prestwick Airport, which serves many European destinations as well as transatlantic and other international cargo flights. The town was the first home of the Open Golf Championship, which was played on the Prestwick Old Course from 1860 to 1872.

Prestwick South Parish Church is located in South Prestwick, South Ayrshire, Scotland. It is a Parish Church in the Church of Scotland and within the Presbytery of Ayr. It is a category B listed building.