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Bob Charles

New Zealand · born , Carterton, New Zealand

1major championship

Summary

  • First major 1963 The Open
  • Runner-up in majors 3 times

Wins

  1. 1963 The Open Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club · 277 · won a playoff against Phil Rodgers

Near misses

  1. 1962 The Open Troon Golf Club (Old Course) · finished 5 · 290
  2. 1968 PGA Championship Pecan Valley Golf Club · runner-up to Julius Boros · 282
  3. 1968 The Open Carnoustie Golf Links (Championship Course) · runner-up to Gary Player · 291
  4. 1969 The Open Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club · runner-up to Tony Jacklin · 282
  5. 1973 The Open Troon Golf Club (Old Course) · finished T7 · 288 (E)
  6. 1979 The Open Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club · finished T10 · 292 (+8)

Rivals

Beat him

Beaten in finals and playoffs

Phil RodgersLost a playoff to Bob Charles, 1963 Open

Next in the chain: Julius Boros' rivals →

Moments

  1. 1963 Open Jack Nicklaus bogeyed the 72nd hole and missed the playoff by a single stroke on 278.
  2. 1963 Open Left-hander Charles one-putted 11 greens in the first playoff round and used 56 putts to Rodgers' 65 over 36 holes, winning by eight.

Records and firsts

  1. 1963 Open First Open champion from: New Zealand

Results by championship

    Best day

    1963 The Open

    Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club · 277 · won a playoff against Phil Rodgers (Charles 140 (69-71); Rodgers 148 (72-76))

    Jack Nicklaus bogeyed the 72nd hole and missed the playoff by a single stroke on 278.

    Left-hander Charles one-putted 11 greens in the first playoff round and used 56 putts to Rodgers' 65 over 36 holes, winning by eight.

    Record: New Zealand

    Chosen by rule: the major win our record tables single out. Year page: 1963.

    Career line, 1962–1979

    PGA Championship
    1968 PGA Championship: runner-up to Julius Boros
    The Open
    1962 The Open: finished 51963 The Open: won1968 The Open: runner-up to Gary Player1969 The Open: runner-up to Tony Jacklin1973 The Open: finished T71979 The Open: finished T10
    1965197019751980

    7 results. Hover or tap a mark; click it for the year.

    • Major win
    • Runner-up
    • Top 10

    Bob Charles was born on March 14, 1936, in Carterton, New Zealand. Charles won one major championship: the 1963 Open.

    See Bob Charles in our rooms: The Open and Every Ground.

    Cards you pull this visit stack here. Tap one to go back to it.

    The record

    Wins in the majors (1)

    1. 1963 The Open Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club · 277 · won a playoff against Phil Rodgers (Charles 140 (69-71); Rodgers 148 (72-76))

    Near misses

    Top-10 finishes are listed for The Open, the one championship with a full top 10 every year.

    1. 1962 The Open Troon Golf Club (Old Course) · finished 5 · 290
    2. 1968 PGA Championship Pecan Valley Golf Club · runner-up to Julius Boros · 282
    3. 1968 The Open Carnoustie Golf Links (Championship Course) · runner-up to Gary Player · 291
    4. 1969 The Open Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club · runner-up to Tony Jacklin · 282
    5. 1973 The Open Troon Golf Club (Old Course) · finished T7 · 288 (E)
    6. 1979 The Open Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club · finished T10 · 292 (+8)

    Records and firsts

    Rows from our record tables that name this player, worded as the tables word them.

    1. 1963 Open First Open champion from: New Zealand

    Sources

    Every fact on this page comes from Golf Network News data sets compiled in October 2026 (Masters, PGA Championship, The Open, U.S. Women's Open, Ryder Cup, PGA Tour 2024–2026, major host sites, Champions Dinner menus, and the U.S. Open and state rooms). These are the sources those rows cite.

    1. where2golf
    2. GC 1963
    3. R&A Journey 1963
    4. R&A 1962
    5. R&A 1973
    6. R&A 1979
    7. R&A one-champion countries