British Open: Ranking the 25 most dominant performances of all time
By Bill Felber
18. Gary Player, 1974, -2.889
Player’s reign at or near the top of the golfing world was one of the lengthiest and most consistent in history. He captured his first major championship, the British Open, in 1959, and for the ensuing two decades never went through a title drought of more than three years.
His eventual total of nine majors included three Masters, one U.S. Open, three British Opens and two PGAs.
Among those, Player was at his most dominant during the 1974 British Open played at Royal Lytham and St. Annes. His Thursday and Friday rounds of 69-68 opened a five-stroke lead on Bobby Cole and Peter Oosterhuis, providing a cushion he needed against what turned out to be a Saturday 75. Despite that stumble, Player still led Oosterhuis by three strokes entering the final round.
The champion-to-be left little doubt during Sunday’s final round. On the first seven holes he recorded an eagle and three birdies. Oostehruis’ brief back nine run got him within two strokes, but Player blunted the charge by chipping in for a birdie at 13 and the tournament was functionally over.
He bogeyed three of the final four holes yet still won by four strokes. A previous champion in 1959 and 1968, he became only the second player – after Harry Vardon – to win in three decades.
He also because the fourth player, after Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, to win the Masters and The British Open in the same year.