▁ball - making ▁skills . ▁ ▁G olf ▁career ▁ ▁The ▁ 1 8 7 3 ▁Open ▁Championship ▁The ▁ 1 8 7 3 ▁Open ▁Championship ▁was ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁Open ▁Championship , ▁held ▁ 4 ▁October ▁at ▁the ▁Old ▁Cour se ▁at ▁St ▁Andrew s , ▁F ife , ▁Scotland . ▁G our lay ▁had ▁r ounds ▁of ▁ 9 2 - 9 6 = 1 8 8 ▁and ▁finished ▁in ▁sixth ▁place . ▁Tom ▁K idd ▁won ▁the ▁Championship ▁by ▁a ▁stroke ▁from ▁Jam ie ▁Anderson . ▁This ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁Open ▁Championship ▁not ▁held ▁at ▁Pr est wick . ▁ ▁Details ▁of ▁playing ▁conditions ▁In ▁the ▁days ▁before ▁the ▁Championship ▁heavy ▁ra ins ▁had ▁so aked ▁the ▁course . ▁However , ▁when ▁the ▁first ▁round ▁got ▁under way ▁it ▁was ▁sun ny ▁with ▁light ▁wind s — ide al ▁conditions ▁except ▁for ▁the ▁wet ▁tur f . ▁Under ▁these ▁ad verse ▁wet ▁ground ▁conditions ▁G our lay ▁was ▁still ▁able ▁to ▁post ▁good ▁scores . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁there ▁wasn ' t ▁a ▁specific ▁rule ▁in ▁place ▁to ▁take ▁free ▁dro ps ▁from ▁cas ual ▁water . ▁The ▁only ▁option , ▁other ▁than ▁playing ▁the ▁ball ▁as ▁it ▁lay , ▁was ▁to ▁drop ▁( or ▁te e ▁up ) ▁a ▁ball ▁behind ▁the ▁ha z ard ▁with ▁a ▁ 1 - stroke ▁penalty . ▁The ▁winning ▁score ▁of ▁ 1 7 9 ▁was ▁the ▁highest ▁recorded ▁while ▁the ▁Championship ▁was ▁over ▁ 3 6 ▁holes . ▁This