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.