The Open is the oldest of the 4 males’s Majors, courting means again to 1860. This yr, we’ll see its 152nd staging as Royal Troon performs host, with Brian Harman the unlikely defending champion.
The
legendary Harry Vardon holds the report for essentially the most Open victories, with six,
whereas Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods every have three wins.
On this article, we’ll have a look at 10 of essentially the most defining Open championship moments within the historical past of the match. So, not essentially the perfect photographs, however a set of happenings or rounds which have made the Open arguably essentially the most eagerly-anticipated week of {the golfing} yr.
The ten greatest Open Championship moments of all time
1. Bobby Jones, 1930
Jones
is the one participant to have gained the unique Grand Slam, which consisted of the
Novice and Open Championships plus the US Open and US Novice.
The American newbie, who would retire at simply 28, performed in 4 Opens—he withdrew within the first after which gained the following three at Lytham, St Andrews, and Royal Liverpool.
Jones
went into the ultimate spherical one shot adrift of Archie Compston, however a closing 75
helped by an excellent bunker shot on the sixteenth gave him a two-shot
success.
He was the primary participant since 1890 to win each the Novice and the Open, and later accomplished his Grand Slam on the US Novice at Merion. He would by no means play within the Open once more, however the Masters would get entering into 1934 with Jones now an expert.
2. Tony Jacklin, 1969
To
present some context, no Brit had gained the Open since 1951 (Max Faulkner), and
it took till 1985 for Sandy Lyle to observe in Jacklin’s footsteps after his
victory in 1969.
The Scunthorpe golfer would win by two photographs from Bob Charles amongst euphoric scenes at Lytham. At one level, Jacklin led by 4 within the last spherical, and regardless of dropping three photographs coming dwelling, he held his nerve to face on the ultimate tee with a two-shot lead.
He
laced his last tee shot—‘what a corker’ got here Henry Longhurst’s well-known commentary—and
misplaced a shoe as he was mobbed by the followers earlier than two-putting to turn into a
nationwide hero.
Later that yr, there was the well-known Ryder Cup concession with Jack Nicklaus at Birkdale, and Jacklin would land his second Main the next yr on the US Open.
3. Costantino Rocca, 1995
It
takes one thing particular to be remembered so clearly once you haven’t gained the
match.
The Italian wanted a birdie to tie John Daly, however his pitch to St Andrews’ 18th was horrific as he chunked it a fraction of the gap. However he then hit one of many sweetest putts by way of the Previous Course’s Valley of Sin to take the American right into a play-off.
“I
bear in mind on the 18th tee, I mentioned to my caddy: if I put it on the
inexperienced, I’ll make two. In my thoughts, there isn’t any 4, solely two or three. After,
once you see it on TV, you’re feeling what you had round you and I believe it was
implausible. To see folks leaping on the terrace and the best facet of 18 and
leaping in all places,” Rocca remembers.
“That was a pleasant second, I turned extra well-known for that putt than if I gained the match. I’m essentially the most well-known runner-up on this planet. At St Andrews, you breathe the true air of golf. Each time I come again after that second, it’s emotional.”
4. Seve Ballesteros, 1984
Seve
would win three Opens, two of them at Lytham, nevertheless it was the victory on the Previous
Course that at all times stands out.
With Tom Watson and Bernhard Langer chasing him all the best way, the Spaniard would lastly make a 4 on the Street Gap. This left him at 11-under and in the midst of the ultimate fairway, from the place he would pitch it to fifteen ft of the pin. Then got here some of the iconic celebrations within the historical past of the game’—la meti!’ (I put it in!)—which has been copied and loved ever since.
The silhouette of that successful putt would sit on the Ryder Cup group’s clothes and luggage at Medinah the yr after Seve’s passing in 2011, and the navy blue Slazenger V-neck sweater has equally been copied ever since.
5. Jean van de Velde, 1999
What’s typically forgotten right here is that Paul Lawrie shot a four-under 67 on the Sunday, and Van de Velde obtained up and down on the three earlier holes to offer himself a three-shot lead going up the final.
What
occurred subsequent, although, was {the golfing} model of a automobile crash. Supposedly, he
thought he solely had a two-shot lead, so he went with the driving force. He hit an enormous
shove proper, which fortunately stayed above floor, however his luck then ran out as
his 2-iron method struck the grandstand and ricocheted again past the Barry
Burn. The subsequent one completed within the water, and from there adopted the ridiculous
scenes as Van de Velde toyed with taking part in it.
He superior it into the sand and one way or the other obtained up and down for a surprisingly sensible seven. He would shoot a 77, and Lawrie would emerge triumphant in a four-hole play-off, ending 3-3 in entrance of his personal followers. Van de Velde would win once more seven years later in Madeira.
6. Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus, 1977
Even almost 50 years later, The Duel In The Solar at Turnberry remains to be thought to be the perfect head-to-head shoot-out in golf.
The pair led by three after a few 65s, and by the tip of the Championship, Hubert Inexperienced was a distant 10 photographs again of Nicklaus in second. This was the primary time that Turnberry had staged The Open, and whereas it doesn’t seem like staging an Open any time quickly, it’s nonetheless fondly regarded, with its 18th now named after what occurred in 1977.
The fantastic thing about this was that the 2 titans had the identical rating in every spherical up till the Sunday, they usually performed collectively over the weekend. Up to now, Nicklaus had 14 Majors to his identify whereas Watson had simply two, however it will be the youthful of the 2 who would come from behind on that superb Sunday.
Nicklaus truly led by three early on and by two after 12, however 4 Watson birdies within the final six holes edged him over the road. Nicklaus would miss a four-footer on 17 however then make a ridiculous three from the sting of a gorse bush at 18, whereas Watson would slam a mid-iron subsequent to the opening to safe his second of 5 Claret Jugs.
7. Ben Hogan, 1953
Hogan
would solely play in a single Open nevertheless it’s now one of many match’s most iconic
victories and greatest Open Championship moments.
The
American, who was concerned in a near-fatal automobile crash 4 years earlier, would
play in six tournaments through the 1953 season and win 5 of them. Two of
them would come on the Masters (by 5) and the US Open (by six), and he would
prevail at Carnoustie by 4 photographs. He wouldn’t get the possibility to play in what
is now the fourth leg of the Grand Slam, as the 2 tournaments overlapped with
the journey preparations of the 50s.
Hogan, like the remainder of the sector, must come by way of 36 holes of qualifying and arrived in Britain two weeks early to get accustomed to the smaller British ball. Hogan must rise up and down from the sand at 17 to make a double-bogey six within the Friday morning third spherical, however a birdie on the final would give him a share of the lead with Roberto De Vicenzo.
Within the afternoon spherical, a brand new course report of 68 despatched him properly clear, which he signed off with one other birdie on the final. Within the years to return, the sixth gap can be renamed ‘Hogan’s Alley’ after the champion managed to search out the slender fairway in between the bunker and out of bounds in every of the 4 rounds.
8. Jack Nicklaus, 2005
After
131 Majors and 18 victories, Nicklaus would log out in model. It regarded for a
whereas like 2000 can be his last Open exhibiting on the Previous Course, however a
dialog with the chief government of the R&A quickly modified that.
“I spoke to Peter Dawson at St Andrews in 2000 and requested him once we can be coming again. He mentioned 2006, and I mentioned that was a disgrace as I might be previous my eligibility, which runs till I’m 65. He requested me if it was held in 2005, would I play—and the following factor I see, it’s introduced for 2005.”
Nicklaus
acquired a prolonged ovation developing the final, and a birdie gave him a
level-par 72, which noticed him miss the lower by two.
As for the putt on the final, the Golden Bear mentioned: “I knew that the opening would transfer the place I hit it; I at all times make it on the 18th. I aimed six inches left of the opening, performed a six-inch break, hit it, and the ball was going alongside, and each different putt going that means missed the opening, however this one wolfed it in. It was like Pac-Man.
“After I are available in right here and say that I shot 72, and it’s the perfect spherical I shot this yr, and I performed properly, and I’m lacking the lower, you realize it’s time to go away. That’s type of the best way I have a look at it.”
9. Tiger Woods, 2000
Woods’ eight-shot win across the Previous Course was his first Open triumph and meant he had accomplished the profession Grand Slam at simply 24. He would win by eight—not fairly the 15-shot demolition of Pebble Seaside the earlier month—however he would then full the Tiger Slam the next April at Augusta.
Day
one introduced a 67, and he would lead by three after a second-round 66 from David
Duval. He made his first bogey of the week on the Saturday on the 2nd,
however a barrage of birdies across the flip gave him one other 67 and a six-shot
cushion. He would finish the week one way or the other with out discovering a single bunker, and a
69 left him on 19-under. Duval made an early impression on Woods’ lead, nevertheless it
was to be short-lived.
“It’s
the last word,” he revealed after selecting up the Claret Jug. “It’s
ironic that it has all occurred in the identical yr. Having gained the US Open and
The Open is wonderful. I’m lucky to have achieved this feat so early in my
profession. I wished to shoot 4 straight rounds within the 60s.”
Thomas Bjorn, who tied for second with Ernie Els, added: “It definitely seems like any person out there may be taking part in golf on a unique planet than the remainder of us. When he brings his A-game, he’s simply totally different class.”
10. Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson, 2016
We’re again at Troon in 2024, and if it’s wherever close to as thrilling as in 2016, then we’re in for a deal with. You might say that that is the modern-day model of The Duel In The Solar, though we skilled some less-than-glorious climate in Scotland.
Phil
Mickelson lipped out on the final for the primary 62 in Main historical past, and by
Saturday evening, it was a transparent two-horse race. Henrik Stenson led by one from
the American and 6 from Invoice Haas.
The Sunday was a real basic with each gamers buying and selling birdies—Mickelson had 4 of them and an eagle in a 65, whereas Stenson had a ridiculous 10. The Swede even had room for a pair of bogeys in his closing 63 to win by three. Three years earlier, he had completed three photographs again of Mickelson at Muirfield. JB Holmes was again in third, 11 photographs away.
“I
knew he wasn’t going to again down at any level, and in a means that makes it
simpler for myself. I knew I needed to carry on pushing, carry on giving myself
birdie probabilities and he wasn’t going to offer it to me, so I needed to draw back. I’m
simply delighted I managed to try this with a few birdies on the proper time
on the ultimate stretch.”
The 2024 Open Championship takes place at Royal Troon Golf Membership, Scotland, from July 18-21. Will we see any extra defining moments so as to add to this listing?
When you weren’t already trying ahead to The Open, you nearly definitely will probably be now, after a visit down reminiscence lane trying again at among the greatest Open Championship moments from years passed by.
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