The Open Championship: The very best 5 last rounds, ranked

Based in 1860, the Open Championship is the oldest main championship in skilled golf. The R&A, golf’s governing physique exterior of the USA, hosts the event yearly in the UK.

With the PGA Championship transferring to mid-Might in 2019, the Open Championship is now the fourth and last main of the yr, as it’s at all times contested in mid-July.

This yr’s version will happen at Royal Liverpool, the place Rory McIlroy received the Claret Jug in 2014.

Cameron Smith will head to Liverpool because the defending champion, as he turned the “Champion Golfer of the 12 months” at St. Andrews in 2022.

With that, let’s check out the highest 5 most exhilarating Open Championships to this point:

5. 2009 – Stewart Cink – Turnberry

The 2009 Open Championship is usually remembered as what may have been, not about what was.

5-time champion golfer of the yr Tom Watson was on fireplace at Turnberry because the 59-year-old turned again the clock.

Watson opened the 2009 Open with a 5-under 65 and continued to play fantastically all through the event.

He shot an even-par 70 on Friday, battled harsh situations on Saturday, and carded a 1-over 71 for his third spherical. Solely 5 gamers had been under-par in the course of the penultimate spherical.

Watson then entered the ultimate day with a one-shot lead over Ross Fisher of England and Matthew Goggin of Australia.

The eight-time main champion started his last spherical with a few hiccups, bogeying two of his first three holes. Watson then steadied himself as he took benefit of the par-5 seventh with a birdie.

He then birdied the seventeenth gap and walked to the 18th with a one-shot lead over Stewart Cink, who rolled in a 15-foot birdie putt on the final to carry the clubhouse lead at 2-under par.

A par would make Watson the oldest main champion of all time.

He blistered his tee shot at Turnberry’s closing gap after which confronted a down-wind mid-iron shot into the inexperienced.

Watson hit his second shot completely, nevertheless it bounced on a downslope on the inexperienced, raced previous the flagstick, and settled past the placing floor. He did not rise up and down from there and settled for bogey, forcing a playoff with Cink.

Cink then dominated the four-hole combination playoff to assert his solely main championship victory, leaving the golf world questioning what may have been.

Picture by R&A through Getty Pictures

4. 1970 – Jack Nicklaus – St. Andrews

One of many largest heartbreaks in Open Championship historical past occurred on the 18th inexperienced at St. Andrews in 1970.

After getting up and down from the treacherous street gap bunker on the seventeenth, Doug Sanders walked over to the quick par-4 18th, holding a one-shot lead.

If he makes par, he wins The Open.

Sanders, who received 20 occasions on the PGA Tour, hit his tee shot proper down the center of the green on maybe essentially the most well-known closing gap in all of golf.

His drive landed 74 yards wanting the inexperienced, and to keep away from the dreaded ‘Valley of Sin,’ Sanders launched his second shot 30 toes previous the flag stick.

He then confronted a treacherous downhill putt.

Two putts and Sanders is the Champion Golfer of the 12 months.

For his birdie putt, Sanders lagged it to about three toes wanting the opening.

Now he confronted each golfer’s worst nightmare: a downhill three-footer that he needed to make.

In one of the vital well-known gestures in {golfing} historical past, Sanders approached his ball and took his placing stance.

Picture by A. Jones/Categorical/Getty Pictures

As he was about to hit his stoke, Sanders bent down together with his left hand and picked one thing that disturbed him from the bottom.

As a substitute of regaining his composure, Sanders stored in his stance.

He proceeded to putt and missed on the low aspect, thus tying Nicklaus after 72 holes.

At the moment, playoffs at The Open had been 18 holes and passed off the next day.

Nicklaus shot an excellent par-72 within the playoff, whereas Sanders completed one shot worse.

The Golden Bear captured his second of three Open Championships, whereas Sanders would by no means win a single main championship.

3. 1984 – Seve Ballesteros – St. Andrews

Every time the house of golf hosts the Open Championship, one thing particular normally transpires.

1984 was no totally different.

Tom Watson and Seve Ballesteros, one of the best golfers on the planet then, battled one another down the stretch on Sunday.

Watson received the 1982 and 1983 Open Championships and, in 1984, vied for a 3rd straight Claret Jug and sixth general. His very good play in the UK earned him the title of one of the best hyperlinks golfer on the planet.

He fired a 6-under 66 on Saturday to place him at 11-under for the championship heading into the ultimate spherical. Watson shared the lead with Ian Baker-Finch of Australia.

Baker-Finch pale on Sunday, however Ballesteros, who began the spherical two pictures again of Watson, introduced his ‘A-game’ that day.

The Spaniard, who received the 1979 Open, was within the penultimate group alongside Bernhard Langer of Germany.

Watson and Baker-Finch comprised the ultimate pairing.

After battling the Outdated Course all day, Watson arrived on the well-known seventeenth gap at 11-under for the championship.

Up on the inexperienced, Ballesteros was additionally 11-under, realizing that Watson shared the identical rating 461 yards behind him.

The Spaniard escaped the troublesome street gap with a par and headed to the final.

Watson, in the meantime, rifled his tee shot over the Landmark Resort and into the seventeenth fairway.

However his second shot was considered one of his worst swings all week. With a 2-iron, Watson’s method sailed proper of the inexperienced, caromed over the street, and sat immediately subsequent to the wall behind the inexperienced.

Picture by R&A through Getty Pictures

Watson had nothing. He proceeded to make bogey.

On the similar time, Ballesteros confronted a birdie putt on the 18th gap.

The ten-foot birdie putt had nearly a foot of break, however Ballesteros drained it, giving him the victory.

The Spaniard celebrated emphatically, and his emotion on the 18th inexperienced is without doubt one of the most well-known photos in golf historical past. This later turned a rallying cry for the European Ryder Cup staff, particularly in 2012—a yr after Ballesteros died of mind most cancers at 54.

His victory at St. Andrews marked his second Open title and fourth main general. Ballesteros would go on to win the 1988 Open as effectively.

Picture by David Cannon/Allsport/Getty Pictures

2. 1977 – Tom Watson – Turnberry

Every time a sporting occasion earns a nickname, it’s normally one thing of historic significance.

Consider ‘The Immaculate Reception’ in soccer or ‘The Shot’ hit by Michael Jordan in 1989 and 1998.

Possibly the ‘Kick-Six’ involves thoughts for school soccer followers.

Nonetheless, The 1977 Open Championship earned the excellence of ‘The Duel within the Solar,’ as Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson battled it out over 36 holes on Saturday and Sunday at Turnberry.

At this level, each Nicklaus and Watson had been on the peak of their powers.

Nicklaus had 14 majors to his title in 1977, and Watson had simply received The Masters in April.

Getting into the third spherical, Nicklaus and Watson every sat at 2-under par, one stroke behind 36-hole chief Roger Maltbie.

Picture by Don Morley/Allsport/Getty Pictures

Through the third spherical, the 2 Individuals separated themselves from the sphere as each males shot 5-under 65s to get to 7-under for the championship.

The following day, Nicklaus and Watson every turned in performances for the ages.

Watson bogeyed the second, whereas Nicklaus made a birdie, thus giving the Golden Bear a two-shot benefit by way of two holes.

When the ultimate pairing reached the fifth tee field, Nicklaus held a three-shot lead and appeared destined to run away with it.

However Watson chipped away as he birdied the fifth, sixth, and eighth. He and Nicklaus then stood on the ninth tee tied at 9-under.

The following closest pursuant, Hubert Inexperienced, stood at 1-under at that juncture—the one different man below par for the championship.

The ultimate pairing continued to duel on the again 9.

Nicklaus held a one-shot benefit over Watson when the 2 arrived on the lengthy par-3 fifteenth.

Measuring 209 yards, Watson pulled his tee shot into the sunshine tough adjoining to the inexperienced. Nicklaus, in the meantime, knocked it onto the placing floor and confronted an uphill putt for birdie.

Since he was away, Watson performed first. Utilizing his putter from off the inexperienced, Watson holed the 20-yard shot, sending the Turnberry crowd right into a frenzy.

Nicklaus may solely watch as he proceeded to overlook his birdie try.

So with three holes to play, the 2 high golfers on the planet had been tied with the Claret Jug on the road.

Each pared the par-4 sixteenth and headed to the par-5 seventeenth.

At 17, Nicklaus and Watson every discovered the green.

Watson performed first and instantly put stress on Nicklaus by discovering the inexperienced. He now had a makable eagle putt.

Nicklaus then felt the stress as he hit his second shot fats. It ended up quick and proper of the inexperienced, which left him a troublesome chip.

No downside for Nicklaus, nonetheless, as he scuttled his chip shot to 4 toes previous the opening, giving himself an incredible take a look at birdie.

Watson missed his eagle try however tapped in for a birdie-four to get to 11-under for the championship.

Nicklaus, who hardly ever makes a mistake, missed his quick birdie at 17, thus giving Watson the solo lead for the primary time within the championship as the 2 headed to the 72nd gap.

Watson hammered his tee shot proper down the center of the green, however Nicklaus nonetheless rattled after his mishap at 17, pushed his tee shot proper.

Fortunately for the Golden Bear, his ball missed the gorse bush and had a midway respectable lie within the thick tough.

Earlier than Nicklaus may play, nonetheless, Watson hit his second shot at 18 to about two toes, thus producing one other considered one of golf’s most enduring photos.

Picture by S&G/PA Pictures through Getty Pictures

At that time, The Open was all however over, however Nicklaus gave himself a glimpse of hope by smashing his shot onto the inexperienced.

It was one of the vital spectacular pictures the Golden Bear ever hit.

“That was one of the vital highly effective, animalistic golf pictures I’ve seen,” muttered Peter Alliss on the ABC telecast.

Nicklaus proceeded to empty the 50-foot putt for birdie, briefly tying Watson. It additionally ramped up the stress on the little two-foot putt.

However Watson didn’t endure the identical destiny Nicklaus did at 17 as he made the putt, which gave him his second Claret Jug.

Nicklaus and Watson walked off the 18th inexperienced with arms round each other, every realizing they’d simply produced a championship for the ages.

“I gave it my greatest shot, and it was not ok,” Nicklaus stated after the spherical. “You had been higher. Effectively performed.”

1. 1999 – Paul Lawrie – Carnoustie

The 1999 Open Championship produced the craziest end in main championship historical past.

Jean van de Velde of France had by no means received a serious championship earlier than, nor did he ever rank increased than seventieth within the Official World Golf Rankings.

He was a journeyman golfer by commerce, though he didn’t play like one over the primary 71 holes on the 1999 Open.

Carnoustie, colloquially often known as ‘Automotive-nasty’ for its brutality, confirmed its enamel in the course of the 1999 Open.

Solely Van de Velde stood at even par or higher by way of three rounds. After rounds of 75, 68, and 70, the Frenchman sat at even par for the championship by way of 54 holes.

The following closest pursuers, Justin Leonard and Craig Perry of Australia, had been 5-over par after three rounds.

On Sunday, Van de Velde battled the tough situations and arrived on the 18th tee 3-over for the championship. He held a three-shot lead over Paul Lawrie and Justin Leonard when he pulled out a driver.

At this level, the trophy engraver may have begun to etch Van de Velde’s title into the Claret Jug, however fortunately he didn’t achieve this.

Van de Velde’s drive went proper of the Burn and landed safely within the seventeenth fairway. He had escaped hassle and regarded effectively on his option to successful.

All he wanted was a double-bogey six to win the championship.

However his second shot was when every part started to disintegrate.

Van de Velde pushed his lengthy iron up to now proper that it bounced off the grandstands and sailed into deep, gnarly fescue wanting the Barry Burn.

He had a brutal lie, and Van de Velde then chunked his third shot proper into the Burn, which then produced one of the vital iconic moments within the historical past of the game.

R&A

Van de Velde then took off his sneakers and socks to see if he may play his shot from the Burn.

Nevertheless, the tide was not low sufficient, so the Frenchman determined to not make an additional mess of issues and take a drop.

His fifth shot then went into the sand lure quick and proper of the inexperienced and nestled proper subsequent to Perry, his enjoying companion.

Now Van de Velde wanted to gap his shot from the bunker to win The Open. An up-and-down would pressure a playoff with Lawrie and Leonard.

Realizing that Van de Velde simply went to hell and again on the 18th at Automotive-nasty, Perry gave the Frenchman a minute to gather himself and proceeded to play his third from the bunker.

The Australian holed his shot, a tremendous feat contemplating that’s what Van de Velde wanted to win The Open.

Van de Velde didn’t have the identical destiny; his sixth shot stopped about eight toes left of the flagstick.

He then confronted a fragile putt for a triple-bogey seven, which might pressure a playoff.

Van de Velde made it and celebrated emphatically as he had simply received The Open. It’s the most well-known triple-bogey within the historical past of golf.

Sadly for Van de Velde, he couldn’t compose himself within the playoff. Paul Lawrie received the Claret Jug within the four-hole combination playoff, and Van de Velde was left to marvel what may have been.

Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By means of. You possibly can observe him on Twitter and Instagram @jack_milko for extra golf protection. You’ll want to take a look at @_PlayingThrough too.