Peter Thomson’s winning total at Royal Birkdale in the 1954 Open Championship was 283. He shot rounds of 72, 71, 69 and 71 to finish nine under par on the par-73 course.
Thomson entered the final round tied for the lead with Dai Rees and Syd Scott after all three players stood at 212. He closed with a 71, while each of his principal rivals finished at 284. Bobby Locke had a chance to force another tie at the 18th, but his birdie putt missed, leaving Thomson as the champion by one stroke.
The 1954 tournament was the first Open Championship held at Royal Birkdale. Thomson was 23 years old and became the first Australian to win the championship. The victory also began a remarkable run: he won three consecutive Opens from 1954 through 1956, then added another title in 1965, also at Royal Birkdale.
His 283 should not be confused with the later Birkdale winning totals, which varied with course setup, weather and scoring conditions. The 1954 course played to par 73, unlike the par-70 layout used for the 1998 and 2017 Opens.