The Open Championship is the oldest of golf’s four majors — commencing in 1860 — and is the only one played outside the United States.
The continual involvement of links golf and the need for maximum shotmaking dexterity in dealing with varying weather elements is central to those fortunate few golfers who have climbed the ultimate mountain and hoisted the famed Claret Jug at the highest point.
Since World War II, The Open has evolved greatly. Coming out of the devastation from the ravages of war, the championship restarted but it took a number of years for it to gain traction.
The championships listed below are placed in chronological order. No doubt some may be debatable but what is clear is that The Open is the ultimate barometer in testing the physical and mental strength of those seeking the ultimate prize in golf.
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1953 / Ben Hogan / Carnoustie
The mystique of Hogan has only grown since the nine-time major winner passed in 1997 at age 84.
Hogan made only one visit to play in The Open. The 1953 event was hosted by Carnoustie. How fitting to pit the rota’s most feared challenge against the game’s most determined player.
Hogan did not have automatic entry into the final field even when arriving in Scotland after winning the Masters and US Open earlier in that year.
Interestingly, the Texan played 36 holes just to qualify for the final field.
Thousands of Scots hustled to see the famed American player and he did not disappoint — claiming the Claret Jug with a final round score of 68 and a four-shot win.
In the years to follow the win has become more noted. The victor’s sum was a paltry £515, however, the lasting connection of Hogan and The Open remains forever among golf’s most cherished connections.
1962 / Arnold Palmer / Royal Troon
Palmer nearly won the 100th Open Championship during the centennial event at The Old Course / St Andrews. The “King” would return in 1961 and claim the Claret Jug.
The 1962 event at Troon pushed the stature of Palmer and The Open to heights not seen previously.
Palmer was the favorite to win and his record-setting four-round total of 276 kept the Claret Jug in his possession with a noteworthy six-shot win.
Arnold’s charisma resurrected The Open. The championship prior to Palmer’s arrival was not deemed of value to most American players. Palmer’s fingerprints on the championship provided the lift-off for all players seeking international acclaim.
1972 / Lee Trevino / Muirfield
There are times when the biggest names are in contention and the stage becomes truly magnetic. That was the case with the return of The Open to Muirfield.
Six years earlier, Jack Nicklaus won his first Open and became the youngest player to have achieved the career Grand Slam. Coming into the event the Golden Bear was seeking to win his third consecutive major after winning the Masters in April and the US Open at Pebble Beach.
Both Lee Trevino and Tony Jacklin had other plans. Trevino had become the chief rival to Nicklaus and was the defending champion. Jacklin, the talented Englishman was set to add a third major title after winning The Open in 1969 and the US Open in 1970.
Heading into the final round Nicklaus trailed Trevino by six shots but even with a final round 66 the Golden Bear finished one shot back courtesy of playing the final three holes one-over-par. Trevino and Jacklin were locked in a head-to-head contest and when the duo arrived together at the par-5 17th. Trevino looked finished after he could only get to the area behind the green in four shots. Jacklin had pitched to no more than ten feet.
Then, the unfathomable happened – Trevino chipped in from off the green for the fourth time in the event and Jacklin was rocked by the circumstances and feebly three-putted to give Trevino a lead he would not relinquish. Nicklaus and Trevino would win future majors but for Jacklin the events at Muirfield proved insurmountable and he faded from the elite level before a Ryder Cup captaincy in the 1980s resurrected him.
1977 / Tom Watson / Turnberry
The classic “Duel in the Sun” match between Watson and Nicklaus. The two men had squared off at Augusta earlier in the year and now the sequel happened at Turnberry hosting its first Open Championship.
Watson played with Nicklaus the final two rounds and scored 65-65 to win by a single shot over the Golden Bear.
The two played superb golf with each displaying an incredible array of golf shots. None was finer than what both men did at the final hole.
Watson emphatically ended matters with an approach shot to the 18th no more than three feet away. Nicklaus would heroically escape from a brush with the gorse and then proceed to make a 40-foot birdie putt requiring Watson to hole his short putt for the title which he promptly did.
Remarkably, the next closest player to Nicklaus was ten shots back with Hubert Green.
The victory by Watson provided the catalyst to be the sport’s most dominant player through the early 1980s. The saving grace for Nicklaus came the next year in 1978 when claiming his third and final Claret Jug at St. Andrews for the second time.
1984 / Seve Ballesteros / St. Andrews
The image of Ballesteros sinking the birdie putt on the final hole at The Old Course remains forever vivid. Ballesteros was in a tight battle with Tom Watson who was searching for a three-peat defense.
The famed Road Hole would prove pivotal. Watson opted for an aggressive approach with a two-iron but his shot went too far right and finished alongside the treacherous road. A bogey resulted and when coupled with Seve’s closing birdie the Claret Jug was heading home with the Spaniard.
2000 / Tiger Woods / St. Andrews
When Woods won at The Old Course he became the youngest career Grand Slam winner. His performance was surgeon-like – not ending up in any of the many bunkers that dot the landscape of the iconic layout and finishing with a score of 269 (-19) – besting the previous mark by Nick Faldo in 1990.
Tiger won by eight shots, and coupled with his 15-shot win at the US Open at Pebble Beach, the outcome at St. Andrews sealed the reality that Woods was miles beyond his peers.
2009 / Stewart Cink / Turnberry
The 2009 Open will always be noteworthy not because of the win by Stewart Cink but because of the failure of Tom Watson to finish off what could have been the ultimate golf accomplishment.
At age 59 the five-time Open winner returned to the venue 32 years after besting Nicklaus and nearly claimed a record-tying sixth Claret Jug. As marvelous as the ’77 win was – a sequel victory would have broken the record of oldest man to win a major by a sensational 11 years!
To this day the inexplicable bad bounce Watson received from his 8-iron approach at the final hole remains a head-scratching moment. Watson would show his age with a fumbling three-putt and then surrender in the playoff with Cink.
2013 / Phil Mickelson / Muirfield
If there was one golfer few thought could ever capture The Open title it was Phil Mickelson. Many believed the ability to craft the necessary shots to deal with the vagaries of links golf were beyond his capabilities.
Coming into Muirfield, Mickelson had had another late round collapse in losing the US Open at Merion.
But Mickelson rebounded with a win at the Scottish Open the week prior to arriving at Muirfield.
The final round score of 66 shot by Lefty was his finest moment – even topping his epic triumph in becoming the first golfer at age 50 to win a major event which he did at the 2021 PGA Championship.
Mickelson’s Muirfield final round magic was nothing shot of a tour de force moment.
2016 / Henrik Stenson / Royal Troon
The tussle between Stenson and Mickelson was on par with what Watson and Nicklaus did at Turnberry. The main difference is that the 1977 showdown was between the number one and two players in the world.
Stenson had past issues with his putter in key events but the flatstick worked superbly throughout the 72 holes.
Mickelson started the event with a near major championship record 62 when his 18th hole birdie putt barely missed.
Stenson tied the low 18-hole score in a major with a 63 and won his first major championship with a record 264 total for The Open.
2019 / Shane Lowry / Royal Portrush
The Open Championship had been played outside of England and Scotland just once before – also at Portrush in 1951.
The return was met with great enthusiasm as over 250,000 people attended the event through the full week.
Partisan Irish fans were hoping for pre-tournament favorite Rory McIlroy to be in the thick of things but after opening his 1st round with an out-of-bounds tee shot he faded completely and missed the cut.
But the departure of McIlroy did not stop another Irishman from coming forward. Shane Lowry played solid golf and bolstered by a 3rd round score of 63 was able to coast home the final round with a score of 72 and a six-shot winning margin.
Needless to say, all attendees left Portrush with Irish eyes smiling.
