1962 Open Championship
# 1962 Open Championship

The 1962 Open Championship was the 91st Open Championship, played from 11 to 13 July at Troon Golf Club in Troon, Scotland. Arnold Palmer won his second consecutive Open, six strokes ahead of runner-up Kel Nagle. It was the sixth of Palmer's seven major titles and the second of the year; he won his third Masters in April.

Qualifying took place on 9–10 July, and entries played 18 holes on the Old Course at Troon Golf Club and 18 holes on the Lochgreen Troon Municipal course. A maximum of 120 players qualified; the qualifying score was 154 and 119 players qualified. Eric Brown of Scotland led the qualifiers with 139, and Palmer was at 143. This was the last Open in which all players had to qualify; in 1963 a system of exemptions for the leading players was introduced. A maximum of 50 players could make the cut to play 36 holes on the final day.

Jack Nicklaus, the U.S. Open champion, competed in his first Open Championship. Following an opening round 80, he rebounded with a 72 to make the cut and tied for 34th place.

The PGA Championship was played the next week (19–22 July) near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the first of five times in the 1960s that these two majors were played in consecutive weeks in July.

## Round summaries

### First round

Wednesday, 11 July 1962

| Place | Player | Score | To par |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Keith MacDonald | 69 | −3 |
| 2 | Peter Thomson | 70 | −2 |
| T3 | Kel Nagle | 71 | −1 |
| T3 | Arnold Palmer | 71 | −1 |
| T5 | Doug Beattie | 72 | E |
| T5 | Harry Bradshaw | 72 | E |
| T5 | Peter Butler | 72 | E |
| T5 | Sebastián Miguel | 72 | E |
| T5 | Donald Swaelens | 72 | E |
| T10 | Hugh Boyle | 73 | +1 |
| T10 | Jimmy Martin | 73 | +1 |

Source:

### Second round

Thursday, 12 July 1962

A maximum of 50 players could make the cut, but 51 players scored 153 (+9) or better. The 12 players on 153 were therefore excluded and just the 39 who scored 152 (+8) or better qualified for the final day.

| Place | Player | Score | To par |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Arnold Palmer | 71-69=140 | −4 |
| 2 | Kel Nagle | 71-71=142 | −2 |
| T3 | Bob Charles | 75-70=145 | +1 |
| T3 | Jimmy Martin | 73-72=145 | +1 |
| T3 | Ralph Moffitt | 75-70=145 | +1 |
| T3 | Phil Rodgers | 75-70=145 | +1 |
| T7 | Peter Alliss | 77-69=146 | +2 |
| T7 | Brian Huggett | 75-71=146 | +2 |
| T7 | Keith MacDonald | 69-77=146 | +2 |
| T10 | Doug Beattie | 72-75=147 | +3 |
| T10 | Harry Bradshaw | 72-75=147 | +3 |
| T10 | Harold Henning | 74-73=147 | +3 |
| T10 | John Panton | 74-73=147 | +3 |
| T10 | Dave Thomas | 77-70=147 | +3 |
| T10 | Peter Thomson | 70-77=147 | +3 |

Source:

Amateurs: Green (+7), Cannon (+9), Carr (+9), Saddler (+9), Sinclair (+9), Stuart (+10), Blair (+11), Clark (+11), Edgar (+11), Shade (+11), Christmas (+12), Foster (+12), Walker (+13), MacCaskill (+17), Wilson (+18), Morrison (+19).

### Third round

Friday, 13 July 1962 - (morning)

| Place | Player | Score | To par |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Arnold Palmer | 71-69-67=207 | −9 |
| 2 | Kel Nagle | 71-71-70=212 | −4 |
| 3 | Bob Charles | 75-70-70=215 | −1 |
| 4 | Phil Rodgers | 75-70-72=217 | +1 |
| 5 | Dave Thomas | 77-70-71=218 | +2 |
| 6 | Ralph Moffitt | 75-70-74=219 | +3 |
| T7 | Peter Alliss | 77-69-74=220 | +4 |
| T7 | Brian Huggett | 75-71-74=220 | +4 |
| T9 | Jimmy Martin | 73-72-76=221 | +5 |
| T9 | Sam Snead | 76-73-72=221 | +5 |
| T9 | Harry Weetman | 75-73-73=221 | +5 |
| T9 | Ross Whitehead | 74-75-72=221 | +5 |

### Final round

Friday, 13 July 1962 - (afternoon)

| Place | Player | Score | To par | Money (£) |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Arnold Palmer | 71-69-67-69=276 | −12 | 1,400 |
| 2 | Kel Nagle | 71-71-70-70=282 | −6 | 1,000 |
| T3 | Brian Huggett | 75-71-74-69=289 | +1 | 710 |
| T3 | Phil Rodgers | 75-70-72-72=289 | +1 | 710 |
| 5 | Bob Charles | 75-70-70-75=290 | +2 | 475 |
| T6 | Sam Snead | 76-73-72-71=292 | +4 | 300 |
| T6 | Peter Thomson | 70-77-75-70=292 | +4 | 300 |
| T8 | Peter Alliss | 77-69-74-73=293 | +5 | 190 |
| T8 | Dave Thomas | 77-70-71-75=293 | +5 | 190 |
| 10 | Syd Scott | 77-74-75-68=294 | +6 | 145 |

Amateurs: Green (+20) Source:

