1968 Open Championship
# 1968 Open Championship

The 1968 Open Championship was the 97th Open Championship, played 10–13 July at Carnoustie Golf Links in Angus, Scotland. Gary Player won the second of his three Open titles, two strokes ahead of runners-up Bob Charles and Jack Nicklaus. It was the fifth of Player's nine major titles.

This Open introduced the second cut at 54 holes, used through 1985. In addition, starting with this Championship all past Open champions were exempt from qualifying (though, eventually, an age restriction was placed on past champions).

The inaugural Greater Milwaukee Open was held in the United States during the same week, with a first prize of $40,000, over five times the winner's share of the Open Championship, which was $7,200 (£3,000).

The PGA Championship was played the next week in San Antonio, Texas, the fifth and final time in the 1960s that these two majors were played in consecutive weeks in July. The PGA Championship moved permanently to August in 1969 (except 1971, when it was played in late February) and remained there until 2019, when it moved to May between The Masters and U.S. Open.

## Course

Carnoustie Golf Links - Championship Course

| Hole | Name | Yards | Par | Hole | Name | Yards | Par |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Cup | 406 | 4 | 10 | South America | 446 | 4 |
| 2 | Gulley | 468 | 4 | 11 | Dyke | 370 | 4 |
| 3 | Jockie's Burn | 343 | 4 | 12 | Southward Ho | 473 | 4 |
| 4 | Hillocks | 429 | 4 | 13 | Whins | 168 | 3 |
| 5 | Brae | 389 | 4 | 14 | Spectacles | 485 | 5 |
| 6 | Long | 565 | 5 | 15 | Lucky Slap | 460 | 4 |
| 7 | Plantation | 386 | 4 | 16 | Barry Burn | 243 | 3 |
| 8 | Short | 163 | 3 | 17 | Island | 458 | 4 |
| 9 | Railway | 475 | 4 | 18 | Home | 525 | 5 |
| Out | Out | 3,624 | 36 | In | In | 3,628 | 36 |
| | | | | Total | Total | 7,252 | 72 |

## Round summaries

### First round

Wednesday, 10 July 1968

| Place | Player | Score | To par |
| - | - | - | - |
| T1 | Brian Barnes | 70 | −2 |
| T1 | Michael Bonallack (a) | 70 | −2 |
| T3 | Maurice Bembridge | 71 | −1 |
| T3 | Peter Mills | 71 | −1 |
| T5 | Billy Casper | 72 | E |
| T5 | Bob Charles | 72 | E |
| T5 | Tony Jacklin | 72 | E |
| T5 | Paddy Skerritt | 72 | E |
| T9 | Peter Alliss | 73 | +1 |
| T9 | Billy Casper | 73 | +1 |
| T9 | Sebastián Miguel | 73 | +1 |
| T9 | Sandy Wilson | 73 | +1 |

### Second round

Thursday, 11 July 1968

| Place | Player | Score | To par |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Billy Casper | 72-68=140 | −4 |
| T2 | Brian Barnes | 70-74=144 | E |
| T2 | Bob Charles | 72-72=144 | E |
| T2 | Tony Jacklin | 72-72=144 | E |
| T5 | Jack Nicklaus | 76-69=145 | +1 |
| T5 | Gary Player | 74-71=145 | +1 |
| T5 | Paddy Skerritt | 72-73=145 | +1 |
| T8 | Maurice Bembridge | 71-75=146 | +2 |
| T8 | Dave Thomas | 75-71=146 | +2 |
| T10 | Harry Bannerman | 74-73=147 | +3 |
| T10 | Michael Bonallack (a) | 70-77=147 | +3 |
| T10 | Gay Brewer | 74-73=147 | +3 |
| T10 | Brian Huggett | 76-71=147 | +3 |
| T10 | Peter Mills | 71-76=147 | +3 |

Amateurs: Bonallack (+3), Monguzzi (+8), O'Connor (+12), Sweeny Jr (+12), Shade (+13), Oosterhuis (+16), Saddler (+16).

### Third round

Friday, 13 July 1968

| Place | Player | Score | To par |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Billy Casper | 72-68-74=214 | −2 |
| 2 | Bob Charles | 72-72-71=215 | −1 |
| 3 | Gary Player | 74-71-71=216 | E |
| 4 | Jack Nicklaus | 76-69-73=218 | +2 |
| T5 | Maurice Bembridge | 71-75-73=219 | +3 |
| T5 | Gay Brewer | 74-73-72=219 | +3 |
| T5 | Tony Jacklin | 72-72-75=219 | +3 |
| 8 | Arnold Palmer | 77-71-72=220 | +4 |
| 9 | Michael Bonallack (a) | 70-77-74=221 | +5 |
| T10 | Neil Coles | 75-76-71=222 | +6 |
| T10 | Bruce Devlin | 77-73-72=222 | +6 |
| T10 | Brian Huggett | 76-71-75=222 | +6 |
| T10 | Paddy Skerritt | 72-73-77=222 | +6 |

Amateurs: Bonallack (+5), Monguzzi (+18).

### Final round

Saturday, 13 July 1968

| Place | Player | Score | To par | Money (£) |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Gary Player | 74-71-71-73=289 | +1 | 3,000 |
| T2 | Bob Charles | 72-72-71-76=291 | +3 | 1,738 |
| T2 | Jack Nicklaus | 76-69-73-73=291 | +3 | 1,738 |
| 4 | Billy Casper | 72-68-74-78=292 | +4 | 1,225 |
| 5 | Maurice Bembridge | 71-75-73-74=293 | +5 | 1,000 |
| T6 | Brian Barnes | 70-74-80-71=295 | +7 | 658 |
| T6 | Gay Brewer | 74-73-72-76=295 | +7 | 658 |
| T6 | Neil Coles | 75-76-71-73=295 | +7 | 658 |
| 9 | Al Balding | 74-76-74-72=296 | +8 | 475 |
| T10 | Roberto De Vicenzo | 77-72-74-74=297 | +9 | 402 |
| T10 | Bruce Devlin | 77-73-72-75=297 | +9 | 402 |
| T10 | Arnold Palmer | 77-71-72-77=297 | +9 | 402 |

Amateurs: Bonallack (+12).

