The 1902 Open Championship was the 42nd Open Championship, held 4–5 June at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, England. Sandy Herd won the Championship, a stroke ahead of runners-up James Braid and Harry Vardon.

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.

Vardon sliced his first two shots out of bounds at the 1st hole and took six, there being no penalty stroke for out of bounds at that time. However, he played the rest of the round so well that his score of 72 was four shots ahead of the second place Willie Fernie, the 1883 champion. Vardon again started badly in the afternoon but his 77 still gave him a four shot lead over Herd and Ted Ray. 45 players, including nine amateurs, made the cut on 168.

The next morning, Herd shot 73, four strokes better than anyone else. This gave him a three stroke lead over Vardon who had taken 80. Braid, J.H. Taylor and Tom Vardon were in third place, eight strokes behind Herd.

Herd started his final round well but took six at the 8th and 9th holes and then 5 at the short 11th. Another shot was dropped at the short 13th and he eventually finished in 81. Harry Vardon took six at the 3rd and 8th but then rallied and needed a four at the last to tie with Herd. However, he three putted to finish a shot behind. Braid was the final player with a change to match Herd. Reaching the turn in 40, the same as Herd, he need to come back in 33 to tie. He had a putt at the last to tie but missed to finish in a tie for second place with Vardon. The amateur Robert Maxwell matched Braid's 74 to finish in fourth place, the only player under 80 in all four rounds.

First day leaderboard Wednesday, 4 June 1902 PlacePlayerScore1 Harry Vardon 72-77=149T2 Sandy Herd 77-76=153 Ted Ray 79-74=1534 James Braid 78-76=154T5 Harold Hilton (a) 79-76=155 Andrew Kirkaldy 77-78=155T7 Robert Maxwell (a) 79-77=156 Tom Vardon 80-76=156T9 Sidney Fry (a) 78-79=157 Rowland Jones 79-78=157 Peter Rainford 78-79=157 Jack Rowe 79-78=157 J.H. Taylor 81-76=157 Jack White 82-75=157

Final leaderboard Source:

Thursday, 5 June 1902 PlacePlayerScoreMoney1 Sandy Herd 77-76-73-81=307 £50T2 James Braid 78-76-80-74=308 £20 Harry Vardon 72-77-80-79=3084 Robert Maxwell (a) 79-77-79-74=309 −5 Tom Vardon 80-76-78-79=313 £10T6 Harold Hilton (a) 79-76-81-78=314 − James Kinnell 78-80-79-77=314 £7 10s J.H. Taylor 81-76-77-80=3149 Ted Ray 79-74-85-80=318 0T10 Andrew Kirkaldy 77-78-83-82=320 0 Arnaud Massy 77-81-78-84=320

References

External links Royal Liverpool 1902 (Official site)