“Another Open entry record was set as 5,786 were accepted, 11 more than last year’s record of 5,775. At that, 5,902 submitted entries, but 116 were rejected for various reasons, most commonly ineligibility (37), those whose past performances didn’t match up with their claimed handicaps. Thirty-three applicants were rejected because they had handicaps above the Open limit of 2. Another 26 withdrew, 16 lacked verified handicaps and four were duplicates – cases in which applicants, possibly stricken with nervous amnesia, entered twice.

Although entry forms are available months in advance, it is typical each year for the bulk of them to show up in the final days. Indeed, this year one prospect drove up (to Far Hills, New Jersey) from Washington, D.C, on the final day with his entry, and a woman, acting for the club professional for whom she works, drove down from Connecticut and managed to beat the deadline. She said she never spent a day quite like it. Golf House is not easy to find.

Still another of the huge last-minute crowd flew his entry into Newark, where a courier waited to pick up the form and his check, and rushed it to Golf House, 30 miles away, where it arrived at 4:50 p.m., 10 minutes before the deadline. Despite all the advance publicity about requirements and the firm deadline, 176 entries trickled in after the witching hour.

Some things never change.”