Founded in 1860, the Open Championship is the world’s oldest continuously running golf tournament and among the most prestigious. That has made for decades and decades of interesting moments like the ones listed below.
The Event Was Cancelled Because There Was No Trophy
It sounds pretty simple, but its hard to hold a championship without a trophy. That was the case in 1871 when the Open Championship was cancelled because there was no trophy. The legendary Claret Jug was introduced the following year.
A 71-Year-Old Legend Had a Hole in One
Gene Sarazen won the event in 1932 and took part in the 1973 Open, held at Royal Troon. The iconic golfer shocked the crowd on the 8th hole, also known as The Postage Stamp, when he recorded a hole-in-one.
Seve Introduces Himself to the Golfing World
Few had heard of 19-year-old Seve Ballesteros when the 1976 Open Championship began, but that wasn’t the case by the end. Ballesteros was neck and neck with Johnny Miller for much of the weekend, but he finished in a tie for second place with Jack Nicklaus.
A 300-1 Favorite Wins In His Major Debut
Ben Curtis worked his way into the 2003 Open Championship by playing well at the Western Open. He went into the tournament as a complete unknown but ended it as the first player to win In his major debut since Frances Ouimet at the 1913 U.S. Open.
A Former Champion Says No Mas to His Skilled Opponent
Frenchman Arnaud Massy was a tremendous player who had captured the Open Championship in 1907. He was in the mix again in 1911, facing off against Harry Vardon in a 36-hole playoff. On the 35th hole, he conceded the title to Vardon, saying he couldn’t keep up.
Doug Sanders Collapses in Dramatic Fashion
Doug Sanders was a terrific golfer, good enough to finish second in four majors. That included the 1970 Open Championship, where he missed a three-foot putt that would have sealed the title, only to lose in a playoff to Jack Nicklaus.
Kel Nagle Blocks Arnie’s Attempt at a Grand Slam
Arnold Palmer won the first two legs of the Grand Slam in 1960, the Masters and U.S. Open, and was looking for the third as the favorite at that year’s Open Championship. However, it was not to be as Australia’s Kel Nagle hit the putt of his life to take the title.
Sandy Lyle Brings the Open Championship Back to England
By the time 1985 rolled around, a Brit hadn’t won the Open Championship since Tony Jacklin in 1970 and it looked like Tom Kite would extend that streak for another year. But after the American Kite fell apart, the Scottish Lyle was able to snag the title.
Todd Hamilton Slays a Giant
Less than a year before the 2004 Open Championship, Todd Hamilton considered giving up golf. He earned an unconditional card that allowed him to play in the tournament, where he shocked the world by beating Ernie Els in a four-round playoff.
An Ebayer Purchased the Opportunity to be a Caddy
David Diaz, a golfer from Australia, decided to make a little extra money when he qualified for the 2005 Open Championship by auctioning off the chance to be his caddy on eBay. The winning bidder spent over £8,000.00, but Diaz missed the cut.
Mark Henby Wanted to Give Up His Spot
Mark Henby won the 2004 John Deere Classic which earned him a place in that year’s Open Championship. Feeling that he wouldn’t have time to prepare, Henby instead tried to give his spot to the Deere runner-up John E. Morgan. It was declared that Henby didn’t have the right to give up the spot and neither he nor Morgan ended up at Royal Troon.
Walter Hagen Refused to Use the Clubhouse to Get Dressed
Walter Hagen, one of the biggest stars of the day, was not happy at all that the golfers wouldn’t be able to use the front doors at Deal, Kent, England. He decided not to enter the building and used his car as a dressing room and had everything delivered there.
Thomas Bjorn and the Bunkers
Ben Curtis was the surprise winner of the 2003 Open Championship, but he couldn’t have done it without Thomas Bjorn. The Dane’s bunker troubles on the 17th hole and the 16th hole in consecutive days cost him seven strokes in a tournament he lost by one.
Harry Bradshaw and the Bottle
Irishman Harry Bradshaw was playing well at the 1949 Open until one of his shots landed directly in a broken glass bottle. He played the shot where it lay and ended up a 77 for the second round. That mattered later on as Bradshaw lost the tournament in a playoff.
The Jean van de Velde Incident
Jean van de Velde wasn’t supposed to win the 1999 Open Championship, but on the 18th hole of the last round, he only needed a double bogey to capture it. An almost impossible string of bad shots and worse luck ensued as he triple-bogeyed the hole and lost in a playoff.
