2021 - The Open

“Playing Royal St. George’s is like trying to read the mind of a beautiful woman. It can be difficult but never onerous. It is for reading, not bashing. You can be in the soup at St. George’s, but it is delicious.”

--British politician and journalist William Deedes (1913 to 2007). He was editor of The Daily Telegraph from 1974 to 1986.

I love all four of golf’s Majors, but if I had to pick one favorite, it would be The Open Championship. It’s the combination of its history, the beauty and wildness of the links courses, the unpredictable weather and the fact that my all-time favorite golfer, Tom Watson, is an Open icon. (I will never forget Watson’s 1977 one-shot victory (Duel in the Sun) over Jack Nicklaus at Turnberry.)

Below are Need-To-Know facts, Fun-To-Know trivia, Quotes, the latest Betting Odds and my Tournament Predictions:

History

The Open Championship is the oldest golf championship, dating back to 1860. The first 12 Opens were played at Prestwick Golf Club. Willie Park Sr. won the first and fourth tournaments, defeating Old Tom Morris. Old Tom defeated Park in years two and three. Both men won four Opens.

In 1894, Royal St. George's (Sandwich, England) became the first Open to be played outside of Scotland. Englishman John Henry Taylor won the first of his five Open titles (1894, 1895, 1900, 1909 & 1913), defeating Scotland’s Douglas Rolland 326 to 331. Taylor won £30 and Rolland £20.

Tournament Information

St. George’s has hosted The Open 14 times, more than any course outside of Scotland.

The winners have been: 2011 -- Darren Clarke (winning score 275); 2003 -- Ben Curtis (283); 1993 -- Greg Norman (267); 1985 -- Sandy Lyle (282); 1981 -- Bill Rogers (276); 1949 -- Bobby Locke (Tie 283 total. Won in 36-hole playoff); 1938 -- Reg Whitcombe (295); 1934 -- Henry Cotton (283); 1928 -- Walter Hagen (292); 1922 -- Walter Hagen (300); 1911 -- Harry Vardon (303); 1904 -- Jack White (296); 1899 -- Harry Vardon (310); 1894 – John Henry (J.H.) Taylor (326);   

Length: 7,189 yards. Par 70: 4 Par 3s (239/174/238/162); 2 Par 5s (566/547); 12 Par 4s (445/421/491/422/450/412/415/379/456/496/426/450).

Field: 156 players. Prize fund: US$11,500,000. Winner's share: $2,070,000.

The defending champion is Ireland’s Shane Lowry, who won 148th Open Championship at the Royal Portrush GC (Northern Ireland) in 2019. Last year’s tournament was cancelled due to the virus. 

Fun-To-Know Trivia

There is a rotation – or "rota" – of courses used for The Open. Currently there are 10: In Scotland: St Andrews, Carnoustie, Royal Troon, Turnberry and Muirfield. In England: Royal Birkdale, Royal St. George's, Royal Liverpool and Royal Lytham and St. Annes. In Northern Ireland: Royal Portrush.

Oldest winner: In 1867, “Old” Tom Morris Sr won The Open at 46 years and 99 days old.

Youngest winner: In 1868, his son, “Young” Tom Morris Jr. won The Open at 17 years and five months old.

Walter Hagen was the first native-born American to win The Open in 1922. In all, Hagen won the title four times in eight years -- 1922, ‘24, ’28 & 29.

Harry Vardon, who was from the Channel Island of Jersey, won The Open a record six times between 1896 and 1914. Australian Peter Thomson, American Tom Watson, Scot James Braid and Englishman J.H. Taylor each won five times.

Gary Player has played in The Open more than anyone with 46 appearances. He won 1959, 1968, and 1974, making him the only golfer in the 20th century to win the Open in three different decades. Vardon (1896, 1898, 1899, 1903, 1911, 1914) and Taylor (1894, 1895, 1900, 1909 & 1913) are the other two men to have won in three different decades.

In 2003, Ben Curtis became the first player since Francis Ouimet in the 1913 U.S. Open to win a Major in his first try. Despite four bogeys on his last seven holes, Curtis finished with a 2-under 69. He made an 8-foot par putt on the 18th that proved to be the winner. Thomas Bjorn was in control until taking three shots to get out of a pot bunker on the 16th hole and making double bogey. Curtis was a PGA Tour rookie who had yet to record a top 10 until winning golf’s oldest championship.

Greg Norman On Royal St. George’s

Said before the start of the 1993 Open at St. George’s: “It’s different. I’d swear the Royal Air Force used a couple of the fairways for bombing runs. Out of the 18 holes there are 11 that I like very much. The others, I’d rather not play.”

Said after shooting a final round 64, defeating Nick Faldo by two stokes (267 vs. 269): “This is the world championship of imagination. And I love it.”

Open Championship Betting Odds, World Rankings & 2021 U.S. Open Finish

Based on exhaustive research and numerous conversations with a variety of respected experts, this year’s Championship Golfer will be: Four-time Major winner Brooks Koepka. He is healthy, patient and is a consistent contender in golf’s big events, having finished in the Top 10 in 14 of the last 21 Majors. Also, look for Jordan Spieth to be a contender. This year the 2017 Open champion has one win and seven Top 10 finishes.

Watch Away!

Allan Stark