The Open Championship: A Wee Bit Of History

"Every year at this time, I’m reminded that only us Yanks call this Historic Tournament: The British Open. The rest of the world refer to it as the Open Championship. What ever you would like to call it, is fine by me, but it typically it is one of the better golf matches we see every year. For the most part, the Americans who compete in this event every year are so out of their element, that it seems almost comical at times."

The stark comparison between our golf courses here in the states and the wind swept Links Courses of England are as different as night and day. For example, after wining the John Deere Classic on Sunday, where the local temperature was in the low 90’s, and the golf course was a lush and manicured post card setting, tournament winner Zach Johnson will play next week in an environment where the mercury will struggle to reach 60 degrees before the chill factor of the wind is added, and he will struggle to find a blade of green grass, even on the putting surface. Your defending champion from 2011 is Darren Clarke

This year’s Open Championship is being held at The Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club,  in Lancashire, England which is located on the West Coast of England. The par 70 layout plays to 7118 yards in it’s current configuration and has been lengthened over the years to accommodate changes in equipment.

The origional course was designed by George Lowe, and hosted the British Ladies Amateur Championship in 1893. The golf course was redesigned in 1919 by Harry Colt, and is the only course on the Open Rota (Rotation) that begins play with a par 3 hole on number one. It is a true links golf course, but is also the only one that is separated from the water by a line of housing.

As if the wind from the sea weren’t enough of a factor to deal with, Royal Lytham & St. Annes offers 206 bunkers on the course for your enjoyment, which is an average of about 11 sand traps per hole. This golf course is the epitimy of British golf, and is steeped in history.

Bobby Jones won the first of his British Open Championships here in 1926, and was one of only three Americans to win an Open at this Course. Tom Lehman won in 1996, and David Duval won his only Major here in 2001. Tom Watson won five British Opens, but never at Royal Lytham St. Annes.

The legend that would become Severiano Ballesteros would begin at Royal Lytham in 1979 on the sixteenth hole. After hitting his drive into a parking lot and getting relief, he hit his approach shot to the edge of the green and dropped a 30 ft. birdie putt. He finished with a three shot lead over Jack Nicklaus and Ben Crenshaw for the first of his three Open Titles, with two of them coming at Royal Lytham. The Brits called the 1979 win, “The Car Park Championship”.

Seve’s second victory at Royal Lytham came on a two stroke win over Nick Price in 1988, and would be the last of his five Major Championnships. Ballesteros was the first Open Champion from Continental Europe since 1907.

Gary Player won his third Open Championship here in 1974, and became only the third player in history to win the Open in three different decades. He won in 1959, 1968.

In 2001 at Royal Lytham, Ian Woosnam was asked to test fire a new driver on the practice tee. He put the club in his bag, and didn’t find out until he had birdied the first hole that he had violated Rule 4-4, he had 15 clubs in his bag. The birdie at the first hole had given Woosnam a share of the lead. After hurling the extra club into the rough and exploding with a few F Bombs, Woosie bogeyed the 3rd and 4th hole. After an Eagle at six, he birdied 11,13 and 16 but would finish in a tie for third place to tournament winner David Duval.

The Women’s British Open has been played here four times, with the first being in 1998. Sherri Steinhauer won in 1998 and 2006, and was the only American to win at Royal Lytham. The other two were won by Annika Sorenstam in 2003 and Catriona Matthew in 2009.

All eyes this week will be on one man, and I suspect you know who that will be. Everyone will be waiting to see if Tiger Woods can win that elusive 15th Major. So be sure to set your alarm clock if you want to see the tournament live. Action starts Thursday and Friday mornings at 5am Eastern Daylight Time on ESPN. Live coverage will continue on ESPN at 7AM EDT for Saturday and Sunday.

Relax, if you miss Sunday’s final round live at 7am, ABC will be carrying a Tape Delay broadcast from 3-6 pm Eastern. I’m sure you can tune in to the Golf Channel anytime and get updates if you miss the live coverage. So get your ear muffs out, and your best wind breaker ready, it’s time for the British Open.

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