1989 Open Championship Explained

1989 Open Championship
Dates:20–23 July 1989
Location:Troon, Scotland
Course:Royal Troon Golf Club
Tour:European Tour
PGA Tour
Par:72[1]
Yardage:[2]
Field:156 players, 80 after cut
Cut:146 (+2)
Purse:£725,000
$1,165,600
Winners Share:£80,000
$128,000
Champion: Mark Calcavecchia
Score:275 (−13), playoff
Previous:1988
Next:1990

The 1989 Open Championship was a men's major golf championship and the 118th Open Championship, held from 20 to 23 July at the Royal Troon Golf Club in Troon, Scotland. Mark Calcavecchia won his only major championship in a playoff over Greg Norman and Wayne Grady.[3] [4] [5] It was the first playoff at the Open in fourteen years and the first use of the four-hole aggregate playoff, adopted in 1985.[6] The playoff was formerly 18 holes the following day (and 36 holes prior to 1964).[7] Calcavecchia was the first American champion at The Open in six years.[8] Norman shot a course record 64 (−8) in the final round to get into the playoff.[9] In the playoff, over holes 1-2-17-18 of the course, Norman started off in the same form he had finished the main round, with birdies at the first two holes. Calcavecchia also scored a birdie at the second, Grady only making par at both: but at the short 17th, Calcavecchia was the only one to make par while Norman dropped a shot, back into a tie for the lead, and Grady also bogeyed it to be two shots behind. Then Calcavecchia made a birdie at the last, and Grady a regulation par, whereas Norman found two bunkers in succession and then mishit his third shot out of bounds, following which he picked up his ball and conceded without completing the hole.

Course

See main article: Royal Troon Golf Club. Old Course

HoleNameYardsParHoleNameYardsPar
1Seal364410Sandhills4384
2Black Rock391411The Railway4815
3Gyaws379412The Fox4314
4Dunure557513Burmah4654
5Greenan210314Alton1793
6Turnberry577515Crosbie4574
7Tel-el-Kebir402416Well5425
8Postage Stamp126317Rabbit2233
9The Monk423418Craigend4524
Out3,42936In3,66836
Source: Total7,09772
Lengths of the course for previous Opens (since 1950):[10]
Opens from 1962 through 1989 played the 11th hole as a par-5.

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, 20 July 1989

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
1 Wayne Stephensalign=center 66−6
T2 Paul Azinger68−4
Fred Couples
Wayne Grady
Miguel Ángel Martín
José María Olazábal
Eduardo Romero
Lee Trevino
T9 Derrick Cooper69−3
Mark James
Gavan Levenson
Brian Marchbank
Greg Norman
Steve Pate
Philip Walton
Tom Watson

Second round

Friday, 21 July 1989

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
1 Wayne Gradyalign=center 68-67=135−9
T2 Payne Stewartalign=center 72-65=137−7
Tom Watsonalign=center 69-68=137
T4 David Feherty71-67=138−6
Eduardo Romero68-70=138
Wayne Stephens66-72=138
T7 Mark Calcavecchiaalign=center 71-68=139−5
Derrick Cooperalign=center 69-70=139
Fred Couplesalign=center 68-71=139
Mark Jamesalign=center 69-70=139
Mark McCumberalign=center 71-68=139
Greg Normanalign=center 69-70=139
Steve Patealign=center 69-70=139
Scott Simpsonalign=center 73-66=139

Amateurs: Claydon (E), Karlsson (+1), Els (+4), Evans (+5), Dodd (+10), Milne (+10), Hare (+11), O'Shea (+11), Noon (+14), Meeks (+17).

Third round

Saturday, 22 July 1989

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
1 Wayne Gradyalign=center 68-67-69=204−12
2 Tom Watsonalign=center 69-68-68=205−11
3 Payne Stewartalign=center 72-65-69=206−10
T4 Mark Calcavecchiaalign=center 71-68-68=207−9
Fred Couplesalign=center 68-71-68=207
David Feherty71-67-69=207
T7 Paul Azingeralign=center 68-73-67=208−8
Jodie Muddalign=center 73-67-68=208
T9 Mark McCumber71-68-70=209 −7
José María Olazábal68-72-69=209
Steve Pate69-70-70=209

Final round

Sunday, 23 July 1989

PlacePlayerScoreTo parMoney (£)
T1 71-68-68-68=275 −13 Playoff
69-70-72-64=275
68-67-69-71=275
4 69-68-68-72=277 −11 40,000
5 73-67-68-70=278 −10 30,000
T6 68-71-68-72=279 −9 26,000
71-67-69-72=279
T8 68-70-75-67=280−8 21,000
68-73-67-72=280
72-65-69-74=280

Amateurs: Claydon (+5), Karlsson (+11).

Source:[3] [11]

Playoff

PlacePlayerScore
To parMoney (£)
1 Mark Calcavecchia 4-3-3-3=13 −2 80,000
T2 4-4-4-4=16 +1 55,000
3-3-4-x=x x
The four-hole aggregate playoff was held on holes 1, 2, 17, and 18; three par fours and a par three (#17).[5] [6]
Scorecard

Playoff

Hole 1  2 1718
Par4434
Calcavecchia E−1−1−2
Grady E E +1 +1
Norman −1−2−1x
Cumulative playoff scores, relative to par
Source:[3]

External links

55.316°N -4.832°W

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Media guide . The Open Championship . 2011 . 43, 203 . 16 July 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120418224641/http://www.theopen.com/~/media/The%20Open/Information/Media_Guide.ashx . 18 April 2012 .
  2. News: British Open Hole by Hole . Times Daily . Florence, Alabama . Associated Press . 16 July 1989 . 8B.
  3. News: Calcavecchia wins British title . Spokesman-Review . Spokane, Washington . Green . Bob . Associated Press . 24 July 1989 . C1.
  4. News: Calcavecchia tops British Open . Toledo Blade . Ohio . Knight News Service . 24 July 1989 . 17.
  5. News: High noon at Troon . Sports Illustrated . Reilly . Rick . Rick Reilly . 31 July 1989.
  6. News: Calcavecchia wins British Open. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Parascenzo. Marino. 24 July 1989. 9.
  7. Web site: Media guide . The Open Championship . 2011 . 208 . 3 July 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120418224641/http://www.theopen.com/~/media/The%20Open/Information/Media_Guide.ashx . 18 April 2012 .
  8. News: American survives Shark attack . The Bulletin . Bend, Oregon . Associated Press . Siddons . Larry . 24 July 1989 . D1 .
  9. News: Calcavecchia pulls off British Open surprise . Pittsburgh Press . Gretz . Bob . Scripps Howard News . 24 July 1989 . D1 .
  10. Web site: Media guide . The Open Championship . 2011 . 33, 203 . 2 July 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120418224641/http://www.theopen.com/~/media/The%20Open/Information/Media_Guide.ashx . 18 April 2012 .
  11. Web site: 1989 Open Championship results. databasegolf.com. 3 July 2012.