British Open: Ranking the 25 most dominant performances of all time
By Bill Felber
11. Johnny Miller, 1976, -3.11
As had been the case at Oakmont three years earlier, one round was all Johnny Miller needed to claim the 1976 British Open title.
At that 1973 U.S. Open, Miller laid down a Sunday 63 that shot him from six strokes out of the lead to the title. In the process he passed no fewer than a dozen competitors.
At Royal Birkdale, Miller trailed by two strokes the astonishing story that teen phenom Seve Ballesteros had become through the first three rounds. Then on Sunday, while Ballesteros fought his way to a 74, Miller dazzled the field with a closing 66 to beat Ballesteros and Jack Nicklaus by six strokes.
As much as the showing of the 19-year-old Ballesteros electrified the crowd, Miller’s victory could hardly have been a surprise. He had finished second to Tom Weiskopf in 1973 and third to Tom Watson in 1975.
Until Sunday, Ballesteros had been the talk of the event, leading or co-leading each of the first three rounds.
Ballesteros birdied the first hole of the final round to build his lead to three, then Miller birdied the second while Ballesteros bogeyed to climb within one. Ballesteros double bogeyed the sixth and triple bogeyed the 11th.
When Miller birdied the 12th, and eagled the 13th, the championship story was written.