ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) — A look at some of the anniversaries this year at the British Open:
150 years ago (1872)
Young Tom Morris won his fourth straight, and final, British Open when he rallied from five shots behind in the final round at 12-hole Prestwick to beat Davie Strath by three shots. But there was so much more. Morris won his first claret jug. The trophy previously was a championship belt. This also was the first Open after Prestwick invited the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews and the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers at Musselburgh to take turns hosting. Discussions went so long there was no Open in 1871. Young Tom won all four of his Opens at Prestwick over 36 holes.
125 years ago (1897)
Harold Hilton became the first amateur to win multiple times at the British Open, closing with a 75 in the first Open held at Royal Liverpool. James Braid had the lead through three rounds, and he still had a chance to win with three holes to play. But he went over the par-5 16th and failed to get up-and-down. Needing a 3 on the 18th, his approach came within a foot of the hole, rolling 20 feet by. He missed the putt to shoot 79 and finish one shot behind.
100 years ago (1922)
Walter Hagen became the first American-born player to win the British Open at Royal St. George’s. The victory made him the first man to win all three professional majors, having won the PGA Championship the previous year and the U.S. Open in 1914 and 1919. Hagen shot 79 in the third round and fell two shots behind Jock Hutchison. But he closed with a 72 and held off two-time PGA champion Jim Barnes and George Duncan with a score of 300 to win by one shot.
75 years ago (1947)
Fred Daly became the first player from Northern Ireland to capture the British Open. He was in a four-way tie for the lead going into the final round at Royal Liverpool and struggled to a 38 on the outward nine. But he rallied with a 34 on the back nine for a 72, making birdie on the final hole to post at 293. Reg Horne played well in increasing wind until bogeys on the 16th and 17th, and his birdie try on the 18th lipped out. Frank Stranahan, the American amateur, needed to hole his shot from the 18th fairway to force a playoff, and the approach finished a foot from the hole.
50 years ago (1972)
Jack Nicklaus won the Masters and U.S. Open, and returned to Muirfield with hopes of a Grand Slam. He fell six shots behind Lee Trevino after three rounds, and it appeared to be a two-man race between Trevino and Tony Jacklin. Nicklaus put on a great charge Sunday and at one point was tied for the lead until he couldn’t sustain it and closed with a 66. Trevino and Jacklin were tied with two holes to play, with the advantage to Jacklin. He had 20 feet for birdie, while Trevino was over the green on the par-5 17th in four shots. Trevino chipped in for par, Jacklin three-putted for bogey, and Trevino won his second straight Open. Jacklin bogeyed the last to finish third. Nicklaus was runner-up.
25 years ago (1997)
In a year in which 21-year-old Tiger Woods won the Masters and 27-year-old Ernie Els won the U.S. Open, Justin Leonard added to the youth movement when the 25-year-old Texan won at Royal Troon. The final round shaped up as a duel between Jesper Parnevik and Darren Clarke. Five shots behind to start the final round, Leonard was phenomenal with the putter and closed with a 65 for a two-shot victory. Clarke hit his tee shot on the beach at No. 2 for double bogey. Parnevik was still in control until he started dropping shots. Leonard surged ahead with a spectacular par save on the 15th and birdies on the next two. His 35-foot birdie on the 17th clinched the claret jug, the fifth straight time an American won the Open at Troon.
20 years ago (2002)
Just like Jack Nicklaus 30 years earlier, Tiger Woods arrived at Muirfield going for the third leg of the calendar Grand Slam. He was done in by the weather, a cold gale and sideways rain for two hours in the third round that sent Woods to an 81. Ernie Els steadied himself with a 72 to take the 54-hole lead. The Big Easy was sailing right along until he took double bogey on the 16th and had to finish birdie-par to join a record four-man playoff with Thomas Levet, Stuart Appleby and Steve Elkington. The Aussies were eliminated after the four-hole aggregate. That led to the first Open decided by sudden death. Els saved par from a greenside bunker on the 18th hole to beat Levet and win his first claret jug.
10 years ago (2012)
Ernie Els won his second claret jug in a British Open at Royal Lytham & St. Annes that was known equally for the shocking collapse of an Aussie. No, not Greg Norman. Adam Scott was four shots ahead with four holes to play when he bogeyed them to finish one shot behind Els. The South African began the final round six shots behind Scott and closed with a 68. There were other blunders. Tiger Woods took a triple bogey from a pot bunker and Brandt Snedeker had a lost ball. They tied for third. Scott was devastated and gracious in defeat. Two majors later, he became the first Australian to win the Masters.
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