1921: St Andrews

Hutchison was favourite for the tournament. He led the field with a first round 72 which included a hole in one at the 8th and a two at the 270 yard ninth where his teeshot lipped the hole. By the last round a good field was still in contention, George Duncan might have retained the title but let it slip with a third round 78 ('Just think of it', wrote Sandy Herd, 'a 78 in the third round actually destroyed his chances. A 78 at St Andrews is no mean performance'). Herd himself was also well in with a chance, leading the field with Jim Barnes, the Cornishman who emigrated to the US. He would have needed a 73 to win and, as one the caddies expressed it to him. 'the jail wudna haud us a' if you win, Sandy'. The capacity of the cells, however, was not tested; both Herd and Barnes shot 80.

Three behind at the start of the last round was the English amateur, Roger Wethered, then a student at Oxford. Famously, or infamously, his 225 to this point included a penalty shot for standing on his ball at the 14th in the third round. He had five threes round the loop in the final round and looked on course for the win. Like so many since, he was short to the 18th and his ball ended up in the Valley of Sin. Three more shots to complete the hole and Jock Hutchison had a target to aim for. He needed a four at the last for a 70 and a playoff. This he did, narrowly missing out on a three when his second ended five yards from the flag. Battle-hardened professional against amateur in the 36 hole playoff proved no contest and Hutchison won by nine strokes.

Sandy Herd describes Hutchison carried shoulder high when he won the playoff with a crowd of many thousands and 'an arm raised in the act of giving him the cup. There was very little ceremony - too little, I think. Jock himself expressed some disappointment at this omission afterwards.' This was tact on Sandy Herd's part. Burnet describes the Chairman of the Green Committee as thoroughly boorish and quotes a letter in the St Andrews Citizen, 'Mr Wethered played like a sportsman and heartily congratulated the winner; but the Chairman of the Green Committee was such a poor loser that he practically threw cup at Hutchison, did not call for cheers for the new Champion - instead heat once called for "Three cheers for Roger Wethered".'

The other controversy of the Championship was the deep-grooved club used by Hutchison. The Rules of Golf Committee had decided to ban this type of club at its meeting in May 1921, the ban coming into effect on 1 July. The Championship was held from 23- 25 June. The "ribbed" club in question was later presented to the R&A by Jock Hutchison.

Another young amateur playing his first Open Championship at St Andrews retired at the 11th hole on his third round after a severe contretemps with a bunker. He may or may not have torn up his card but he would be back. The next time the Open came to St Andrews, in 1927, Bobby Jones successfully defended his title won at Royal Lytham the previous year.