
Perhaps it is sound of Peter Thomson’s voice, or the crazy weather, or the course conditions, or links golf, or the snooty traditions, or as I suspect, all of the aforementioned combined that makes the Open (in China they call it food, and in Britain it’s the Open) so special. In any case it is a pleasant change to watch some of the world’s most pampered athletes trek through the pastures of Scotland with the wind rolling their socks down at every turn.
There is also a Wimbledon vs. Forest Hills aspect to it; the clean fast track versus torn up grass. Imagine a U.S. Open venue looking like St. Andrews? It’s enough to give Tim Fenchem a heart attack and leave Johnny Miller at a loss for words. Golf is a gentle sport in the U.S. A., and a gentleman’s sport in Scotland… and there is a difference.
I love the open, and if we can hold it together a couple more years, maybe the folks at Tees2Greens will put together an outing. It would be a hell of a lot of fun.
They say that there are 18 holes because that’s how many shots are in a bottle of Scotch Whisky, but there is nothing in golf history to confirm that lovely story. However, golf history does testify that more than 400 years after golf first appeared on Scotland's Tayside coast, Royal Birkdale will host the 2009 Open, which is nothing new since it also hosted the Open in 1954, 1961, 1965, 1971, 1976, 1983, 1991, 1998, 2008.
Located in Southport, Merseyside, England, Royal Birkdale is the golfing jewel of a stretch of beautiful links-land which runs almost uninterrupted for 20 miles north of Liverpool. The course was first established in 1889, but was extensively redesigned in 1922 by Fred Hawtree and J. H. Taylor to create the current layout, which is characterized by its picturesque, snaking course through the sand dunes, which tower over each of the fairways.
The Open was originally due to visit Royal Birkdale in 1940, but the advent of war delayed this until 1954; since then, however, the course has been (alongside Royal Lytham) the most regular venue for the Championship other than Saint Andrews. The 2008 Open marks the ninth visit of the event to the Merseyside links.
Course length for the Open is 7,173 yards, par 71. And, if you’re looking for that memorable moment it would be when the 19-year-old Severiano Ballesteros stunned the golfing world with his dazzling debut in 1976. He led by two going into the final round, but fell away and finished second. Three years later he would finally cash in at 1979 Royal Lytham.
Royal Birkdale was also the first Open championships for Peter Thomson. He returned to the same course in 1965 to add his fifth and final title. Arnold Palmer's victory in 1961 is recognised as the turning point in the fortunes of The Open, giving new life and international impact to the championship. Since 1971, American players have dominated Birkdale’s Opens, with only Australian Ian Baker-Finch in 1991 breaking the run of successes achieved by Lee Trevino (1971), Johnny Miller (1976), Tom Watson (1983) and Mark O'Meara (1998).
A Few Open Championship Records
| Oldest Winner |
Old Tom Morris, 1867, 46 years 99 days |
| Youngest Winner |
Young Tom Morris, 1868, 17 years 5 months 8 days |
| Champions in Three Decades |
Harry Vardon, 1896, 1903, 1911 |
| Victories by Amateurs |
3, Bobby Jones 1926-27-30 |
| Most Victories |
6, Harry Vardon, 1896, 98, 99, 1903, 11, 14 |
| Most Times Runner-Up |
7, Jack Nicklaus, 1964, 67, 68, 72, 76, 77, 79 |
| Lowest Winning Aggregates |
267 (66, 68, 69, 64) Greg Norman |
| Lowest Individual Round |
63 - Mark Hayes, 2nd round Turnberry |
| Most of Rounds Under 70 |
33, Jack Nicklaus |
| Most Appearances |
46, Gary Player |
| Most Appearances Before Win |
16, Nick Price |
And here is a list of every winner all the way back too 1860. You’ll notice that World War One and Two interrupted the Open back in the teens and forties, then everyone seemed to over sleep in 1871 creating a hole in the record books, but otherwise they have been teeing it up for 148 years. Is that cool, or what?
The Open Champions 1860 -2007
2007 - Padraig Harrington, Carnoustie
2006 - Tiger Woods Royal Liverpool
2005 - Tiger Woods St. Andrews
2004 - Todd Hamilton Royal Troon
2003 - Ben Curtis Royal St. George's
2002 - Ernie Els Muirfield
2001 - David Duval Royal Lytham
2000 - Tiger Woods St. Andrews
1999 - Paul Lawrie Carnoustie
1998 - Mark O'Meara Royal Birkdale
1997 - Justin Leonard Royal Troon
1996 - Tom Lehman Royal Lytham
1995 - John Daly St. Andrews
1994 - Nick Price Turnberry
1993 - Greg Norman Royal St. George's
1992 - Nick Faldo Muirfield, Scotland
1991 - Ian Baker-Finch Royal Birkdale
1990 - Nick Faldo St. Andrews, Scotland
1989 - Mark Calcavecchia Royal Troon
1988 - Seve Ballesteros Royal Lytham
1987 - Nick Faldo Muirfield, Scotland
1986 - Greg Norman Turnberry, Scotland
1985 - Sandy Lyle Royal St. George's
1984 - Seve Ballesteros St. Andrews
1983 - Tom Watson Royal Birkdale
1982 - Tom Watson Royal Troon
1981 - Bill Rogers Royal St. George's
1980 - Tom Watson Muirfield
1979 - Seve Ballesteros Royal Lytham
1978 - Jack Nicklaus St. Andrews
1977 - Tom Watson Turnberry
1976 - Johnny Miller Royal Birkdale
1975 - Tom Watson Carnoustie
1974 - Gary Player Royal Lytham
1973 - Tom Weiskopf Troon
1972 - Lee Trevino Muirfield
1971 - Lee Trevino Royal Birkdale
1970 - Jack Nicklaus St. Andrews
1969 - Tony Jacklin Royal Lytham
1968 - Gary Player Carnoustie
1967 - Roberto de Vicenzo Hoylake
1966 - Jack Nicklaus Muirfield
1965 - Peter Thomson Southport
1964 - Tony Lema St. Andrews
1963 - Bob Charles Royal Lytham
1962 - Arnold Palmer Troon
1961 - Arnold Palmer Royal Birkdale
1960 - Kel Nagle St. Andrews
1959 - Gary Player Muirfield
1958 - Peter Thomson Royal Lytham
1957 - Bobby Locke St. Andrews
1956 - Peter Thomson Hoylake
1955 - Peter Thomson St. Andrews
1954 - Peter Thomson Royal Birkdale
1953 - Ben Hogan Carnoustie
1952 - Bobby Locke Royal Lytham
1951 - Max Faulkner Portrush
1950 - Bobby Locke Troon
1949 - Bobby Locke Royal St. George's
1948 - Henry Cotton Muirfield
1947 - Fred Daly Hoylake
1946 - Sam Snead St. Andrews
1945 - Not played
1944 - Not played
1943 - Not played
1942 - Not played
1941 - Not played
1940 - Not played
1939 - Richard Burton St. Andrews
1938 - R.A. Whitcombe Royal St. George's
1937 - Henry Cotton Carnoustie
1936 - Alfred Padgham Hoylake
1935 - Alfred Perry Muirfield
1934 - Henry Cotton Royal St. George's
1933 - Denny Shute St. Andrews
1932 - Gene Sarazen Prince's
1931 - Tommy Armour Carnoustie
1930 - Robert Jones Jr. Hoylake
1929 - Walter Hagen Muirfield
1928 - Walter Hagen Royal St. George's
1927 - Robert Jones Jr. St. Andrews
1926 - Robert Jones Jr. Royal Lytham
1925 - James Barnes Prestwick
1924 - Walter Hagen Hoylake
1923 - Arthur Havers Troon
1922 - Walter Hagen Royal St. George's
1921 - Jock Hutchison St. Andrews
1920 - George Duncan Deal
1919 - Not played
1918 - Not played
1917 - Not played
1916 - Not played
1915 - Not played
1914 - Harry Vardon Prestwick
1913 - J.H. Taylor Hoylake
1912 - Edward Ray Muirfield
1911 - Harry Vardon Royal St. George's
1910 - James Braid St. Andrews
1909 - J.H. Taylor Deal
1908 - James Braid Prestwick
1907 - Arnaud Massy Hoylake
1906 - James Braid Muirfield
1905 - James Braid St. Andrews
1904 - Jack White Royal St. George's
1903 - Harry Vardon Prestwick
1902 - Alexander Herd Hoylake
1901 - James Braid Muirfield
1900 - J.H. Taylor St. Andrews
1899 - Harry Vardon Royal St. George's
1898 - Harry Vardon Prestwick
1897 - Harold Hilton Hoylake
1896 - Harry Vardon Muirfield
1895 - J.H. Taylor St. Andrews
1894 - J.H. Taylor Royal St. George's
1893 - William Auchterlonie Prestwick
1892 - Harold Hilton Muirfield
1891 - Hugh Kirkaldy St. Andrews
1890 - John Ball Prestwick
1889 - Willie Park Jr. Musselburgh
1888 - Jack Burns St. Andrews
1887 - Willie Park Jr. Prestwick
1886 - David Brown Musselburgh
1885 - Bob Martin St. Andrews
1884 - Jack Simpson Prestwick
1883 - Willie Fernie Musselburgh
1882 - Robert Ferguson St. Andrews
1881 - Robert Ferguson Prestwick
1880 - Robert Ferguson Musselburgh
1879 - Jamie Anderson St. Andrews
1878 - Jamie Anderson Prestwick
1877 - Jamie Anderson Musselburgh
1876 - Robert Martin St. Andrews
1875 - Willie Park Prestwick
1874 - Mungo Park Musselburgh
1873 - Tom Kidd St. Andrews
1872 - Tom Morris Jr. Prestwick
1871 - Not played
1870 - Tom Morris Jr. Prestwick
1869 - Tom Morris Jr. Prestwick
1868 - Tom Morris Jr. Prestwick
1867 - Tom Morris Sr. Prestwick
1866 - Willie Park Prestwick
1865 - Andrew Strath Prestwick
1864 - Tom Morris Sr. Prestwick
1863 - Willie Park Prestwick
1862 - Tom Morris Sr. Prestwick
1861 - Tom Morris Sr. Prestwick
1860 - Willie Park Prestwick

