The 147th Open Championship takes place at Carnoustie Golf Links this week and we take a look at five things you need to know ahead of the year’s third Major Championship...
Awesome Americans
The United States of America has a strong grip on golf’s Majors, with all four titles currently belonging to the country’s natives. Patrick Reed’s Masters Tournament win in April made it a clean sweep for the Americans, following Justin Thomas’ victory at the US PGA Championship and Jordan Spieth’s Open Championship triumph at Royal Birkdale. It was former European Challenge Tour product Brooks Koepka who began the run of American winners with victory at last year’s U.S. Open.
Rory’s Major debut
Rory McIlroy made his Major Championship debut at Carnoustie in The 2007 Open Championship. Playing as an amateur, McIlroy carded rounds of 68-76-73-72 to claim the Silver Medal, the prize awarded to the highest-placed amateur. Then 18 years old, he shot the only bogey-free round of Day One, sharing third place on the leaderboard after making his Open debut in a three-ball with Henrik Stenson and Miguel Ángel Jiménez. He secured the Silver Medal after the second round when he was the only amateur to make the cut and finished the week in a tie for 42nd place on five over par. The Northern Irishman turned professional later that year and has since won four Majors, including one Open Championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in 2014.
The luck of the Irish
Carnoustie’s last Open Championship was one which will live long in the memory, as Padraig Harrington won the first of back-to-back Opens following a dramatic play-off victory over Sergio Garcia. The Spaniard had led from the off by posting rounds of 65-71-68 and Harrington began the final day six shots behind his Ryder Cup colleague. However, a stunning closing 67 for the Irishman put the pressure on Garcia who bogeyed the last to sign for a 73 sending the 136th Open Championship to a play-off. The duo entered a four-hole play-off to decide the winner, where Harrington birdied the first hole to Garcia’s bogey. The Spaniard was unable to erase the two-shot deficit despite the Dubliner carding a bogey on the final play-off hole and Harrington emerged victorious.
Play-off history
Three of the seven Open Championships held at Carnoustie have been decided by a play-off. The Scottish venue first held an Open play-off in 1975 when Tom Watson came up against Australia’s Jack Newton. The American signed for a closing 72 – two shots better than Newton – to force an 18-hole play-off the next day, which was then the format. The links legend narrowly defeated Newton in the Monday-finish — shooting one under for his round to Newton’s level par. Carnoustie’s second play-off is arguably the most memorable in the history of golf. The year was 1999 and Scotsman Paul Lawrie was ten shots off the lead going into the final day. What happened next was extraordinary. Lawrie carded a final round 67 while overnight leader Jean van de Velde took a three-shot advantage to the 72nd hole but signed for a 77 following a roller-coaster triple bogey that saw the Frenchman take driver off the tee, remove his shoes, take a drop and still hole a ten-foot putt for triple bogey. The duo were joined by American Justin Leonard in a four-hole play-off, which Lawrie won after finishing level par over the four holes while his competitors both finished three over par. The most recent play-off was that between Harrington and Garcia, which the Irishman won.
Location, location, location
Carnoustie Golf Links is the most northern venue to ever hold The Open Championship. Located in Angus, Scotland, Carnoustie can be found 12 miles away from Dundee on the east coast of the country. It first held The Open in 1931 and this year’s tournament will be the eighth time it has taken place at the venue. Carnoustie has been host to winners from five different countries; Tommy Armour, Ben Hogan and Tom Watson of America, Irishman Padraig Harrington, South African Gary Player and Paul Lawrie, of Scotland. It is widely regarded as one of the toughest golf courses in the world and is also the longest venue in The Open rota. Sir Michael Bonallack, one of the greatest amateur golfers of all-time, said of Carnoustie: “When the wind is blowing, it is the toughest golf course in Britain. And when it’s not blowing, it’s probably still the toughest.”
