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In the 100-year history of the British Open, only 21 tournaments have been decided in a playoff. While the winner was decided over 36 holes at the beginning, the organizers shortened the playoff to 18 holes in 1970. The last rule change was in 1989, and since then a playoff has been played over four holes.

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Decisions in playoffs – the 2000s

The last playoff took place in 2015, when Zach Johnson defeated his two competitors, South African Louis Oosthuizen and Australian Marc Leishman. Indeed, while Johnson needed a total of 15 strokes (3-3-5-4), Oosthuizen needed 16 (3-4-5-4) and Leishman 18 (5-4-5-4). The deciding factor was Johnson’s birdie on the second extra hole, while Leishman put himself out of the game on the first hole.

Before that, Stewart Cink beat Tom Watson in 2009 by 14 strokes (4-3-4-3), while Watson needed a total of 20 strokes (5-3-7-5) for the four extra holes. In the process, Watson, who was competing in the Open for the first time in 34 years, nearly won the tournament. With a victory, he would have become the oldest winner at the British Open at the age of 59. But his nerves must have let him down. He played a bogey on the 72nd hole, which earned him a playoff against Cink.

Two years earlier, in 2007, Padraig Harrington won with some luck against Sergio Garcia. Harrington had been trailing Garcia by six strokes at the start of the final round. He then took the lead, but played a double bogey on the last hole. Garcia, however, also muffed his putt for the win. In the playoff, Harrington narrowly edged Garcia (16 — 5-3-4-4) by 15 strokes (3-3-4-5).

In 2004, Ernie Els (16 — 4-4-4-4-) lost to Todd Hamilton (15 — 4-4-3-4) in a playoff. Both had previously missed their winning putt on the last hole.

Already two years before, in 2002, Ernie Els had gone into the playoff. Here, however, he prevailed against three other competitors. With 16 strokes (4-3-5-4), he was initially tied with Thomas Levet (4-3-5-4). While Stuart Appleby and Steve Elkington lost out, the two played another extra hole in sudden-death mode. Els edged Levet by four strokes.

The nineties

In 1999, three players went into a playoff for the title. Jean van de Velde actually held a comfortable lead of three strokes at the last hole. But a triple bogey forced him into a playoff against Paul Lawrie and Justin Leonard. After three extra holes Lawrie led by one stroke, another bogey on the fourth hole then made his victory perfect (5-4-3-3). It was the biggest comeback in PGA Tour history. At the start of the final day, Lawrie was still ten shots off the lead.

Marc O’Meara clearly beat Brian Watts (5-4-5-5) by two strokes the year before (4-4-5-4).

Costantino Rocca forced a play-off against John Daly with a spectacular putt in 1995. After he missed a chip on the last hole, he putted through the “Valley of Sin” on the Old Course. The ball rolled over the undulating green, conquered the slope up to the hole and actually fell into the hole. However, Rocca then played a seven (5-4-7-3) on the third playoff hole. This cleared the way for John Daly to win his second major (3-4-4-4).

The Eighties

In 1989, for the first time, only four holes were played in a playoff. Greg Norman erased his seven-stroke deficit with a 64 in the final round. Then he had to wait to see if anyone caught up with him. Mark Calcavecchia and Wayne Grady managed to do so. It was off to the playoff. Greg Norman missed the win on the last extra hole. He played his drive into a bunker, from there into another bunker. After putting his third shot out of bounds behind the green, he picked up the ball (3-3-4-x). Calcavecchia then eventually edged Grady (4-4-4-4 — 16) by three strokes (4-3-3 — 13).

The sixties and seventies

In the final 18-hole playoff, Tom Watson won over Jack Newton in 1975. Watson earned his first of five British Open victories with a 71.

In 1970, Doug Sanders was supposed to win the tournament. But on the last hole, his calf-biting putt missed the target. Jack Nicklaus led by one stroke on the last extra hole and claimed victory.

In 1963, the first left-hander won the British Open. Bob Charles won the final playoff, which was played over 36 holes (69/71) against Phil Rodgers (72/76).

The fifties and forties

Peter Thomson won the British Open for the fourth time in 1958. With a round of 68 and a 71, he edged out Dave Thomas (69/74). It was the fourth of his five British Open successes.

Bobby Locke won the play-off for himself with an emphatic victory in 1949 (67/68). Harry Bradshaw played a 74 and 73.

The thirties, twenties and tens

In 1933, Craig Wood (78/76) lost the first of four playoffs at his majors. Denny Shute defeated him with 75 and 74.

The amateur Roger Wethered didn’t really feel like playing the playoff in 1921. Actually, he was supposed to play in one of his team’s cricket matches. He was persuaded to play, but lost to Jock Hutchison (74/76). Wethered got a penalty, among other things, for stepping on his ball (77/82).

In 1911, the playoff ended after just 34 holes. Arnaud Massy gave up and so Harry Vardon could also break the playoff and won.

The 19th century

Harry Vardon prevented the third consecutive victory of J.H. Taylor (161) with his first win in 1896. He shot 157 to win the first of his six British Open titles.

In 1889, the tournament was held on the nine-hole Musselburgh Links. The play-off therefore went over 36 holes. Willie Park Jr. won by 158 strokes over Andrew Kirkaldy (163).

Bob Ferguson lost his fourth Open title to Willie Fernie in 1883 with a bogey on the par-3 hole.

The first playoff at the British Open took place in 1876. Although it could hardly be called a playoff. David Strath refused to play the playoff. Therefore, Bob Martin only had to walk once from the first hole to the last to be declared the winner.

David Strath refused to play because he disagreed with a decision made by the R&A on the 17th hole in the final round. In fact, the decided to postpone the final decision until after the playoff. If a decision was made against Strath, he would have had to be disqualified. Strath found that nonsensical and simply did not compete.

1860 — Prestwick

Twelve holes are played to determine Allan Robertson’s successor as Scotland’s best golfer. Willie Park wins the championship belt, local hero and course architect Old Tom Morris comes a mere second. The Open Championship is born.

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1870 — Prestwick

Young Tom Morris wins for the third time in a row and gets to keep the belt. On his fourth success in 1872, he goes home without a trophy because the Claret Jug is not yet ready. The year before, the Open was even cancelled altogether for lack of a trophy.

1873 — St. Andrews

Tom Kidd wins the first Open at St. Andrews, held for the first time on an 18-hole course. The Scot is the first to hold the new trophy, but the first name on the base of the Claret Jug is that of the 1872 winner Tom Morris Jr.

1892 — Muirfield

The Open is played over 72 holes (four rounds) for the first time.

1902 — Royal Liverpool

Sandy Herd has the new Haskell ball wrapped around a core sent from the U.S. and beats the established “gutty” guard.

1904 — Royal St. Georges

The Open is held over three days for the next 62 years, with a 36-hole final at the end. J. H. Taylor plays the first round of 68 in golf history on 18 holes.

1909 — Royal Cinque Ports

Business arrives in the form of an exhibition area, with manufacturers and dealers advertising their golf products in tents.

1914 — Prestwick

The great Harry Vardon wins the Open for the sixth time at age 44, making him a record winner.

1922 — Royal St. Georges

Reporters race to nearby Sandwich to radio a sensation to the U.S.: at last, Walter Hagen, the first native-born American, has triumphed.

1924 — Royal Liverpool

Said Hagen, always up for a show, notices a public address by the Lord Mayor as he leaves his hotel in Liverpool. Uninvited, he climbs to the dignitary’s podium to wave to the crowd and be celebrated.

1926 — Royal Lytham & St Annes

For the first time, spectators must pay admission. Ticket-holders watch Bobby Jones’ success, which he sets up with a sensational mashie niblick (8-9 iron) from the fairway bunker over 155 yards of gorse and rough to the green in the final round at 17.

1927 — St. Andrews

Because there was money left over from the previous year, admission is free! Bobby Jones is carried on shoulders from the 18th green by the enthusiastic crowd after his second of three Open triumphs (1930, Grand Slam).

1935 — Muirfield

Coincidences abound: While tennis ace Fred Perry wins Wimbledon, Alf Perry (no relation, nor in-law) wins his only major golf tournament against Hagen and Co.

1950 — Royal Troon

The first German makes a name for himself: Hermann Tissies needs 15 strokes at the 115-yard famous “Postage Stamp” eight. In 1973, 71-year-old Gene Sarazen plays an ace on the par-3, and the next day the inventor of the sand wedge holes out of the bunker for birdie.

1951 — Royal Portrush

The only Open outside England and Scotland is broadcast by the BBC on the radio. Winner Max Faulkner with his penchant for colorful clothing may be considered a predecessor of Fowler, Daly and Co.

1953 — Carnoustie

America’s “Ice Man” Ben Hogan travels across the pond for his only Open Championship and promptly wins the third major title of the season in Carnoustie, thus achieving the “Triple Crown of Golf,” which is still unrivaled today. Only Tiger Woods has ever won three majors in a row, when he won the US Open, the British Open and the PGA Championship in 2000.

1955 — St. Andrews

In the second of his five victories, Australian Peter Thomson is shown live on television.

1966 — Muirfield

The Open is now held Wednesday through Saturday. Jack Nicklaus makes it a career Grand Slam with his first victory, something only Gene Sarazen (1935), Ben Hogan (1953), Gary Player (1965) and Tiger Woods (2000) have achieved besides him.

1969 — Royal Lytham & St Annes

After 17 victories by overseas golfers, Englishman Tony Jacklin restores British Open honors as “Champion Golfer of the Year.”
restores British Open honor.

1975 — Carnoustie

Tom Watson wins the first of his five British Opens in a playoff. In 1977, he engages in the legendary “Duel in the Sun” with Nicklaus at Turnberry. Watson plays the weekend in 65-65, Nicklaus in 65-66.

1978 — St. Andrews

Jack Nicklaus wins his third Open Championship and at the same time completes the career Grand Slam, winning all four majors, for the third time.

1980 — Muirfield

The British Open will now be held from Thursday through Sunday. Seven years after that, at the same location, Nick Faldo is immortalized for 18 pars in the final round on the Claret Jug. Sir Nick also keeps the engraver busy in 1990 and ’92.

1995 — St. Andrews

While John Daly drives the ball onto the green with a terrific shot from the Road Hole bunker on the final round, laying the foundation for his victory, the dreaded sand pit on the 17th green finally brings playoff defeat to his opponent in the playoff, Costantino Rocca. The Italian needs three strokes to break free, but has already written golf history with his 18-meter putt on the 18th green and the subsequent “jubilant ecstasy”.

1999 — Carnoustie

Jean van de Velde makes THE black-out in Open history: Around the Barry Burn on the 18th hole, the Frenchman “gambles away” a three-stroke lead and loses in a play-off against Paul Lawrie. The R&A engraver had already stamped Van de Velde’s name on the Claret Jug.

2000 — St. Andrews

With consistent iron play and without once lying in one of the 112 bunkers, Tiger Woods sets a new scoring record at the Millennium Open (-19) and at the same time makes his career Grand Slam perfect.

2009 — Turnberry

At the scene of the “Duel in the Sun” of 1977, 59-year-old Tom Watson could once again equal Harry Vardon and loses the sixth Open only in a play-off against Stewart Cink.

2010 — St. Andrews

At the 150th anniversary of the Open Championship, the winner is Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa). Rory McIlroy shoots an opening 63 in ideal conditions, prompting the R&A grandees to frantically consider structural changes to make the Old Course more difficult for 2015.

The trophy that rewards the winner of the British Open Championship is officially known as the “Championship Trophy”, but it is commonly referred to as the “Claret Jug”; it is a Bordeaux decanter. “Claret” is the English name for a dry red wine produced in the famous French wine-growing region of Bordeaux. The British Open trophy is modeled after a silver wine jug in which claret was served in the 19th century.

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Before the Claret Jug there was the Championship belt

But the winner of the British Open did not get the Claret Jug from time immemorial. The first winners were awarded with a championship belt. The first British Open was held in 1860 at Prestwick Golf Club. The first belt was also awarded in that year.

The belt was made of wide, red morocco leather and was trimmed with silver buckles and decorations. This trophy would possibly still be today’s British Open award had it not been for the special achievement of Young Tom Morris: Prestwick Golf Club hosted the first eleven British Opens. Each year the championship belt changed hands as a challenge cup. But Prestwick’s rules stated that the belt would become the property of the golfer who won the British Open three times in a row. Young Tom Morris achieved this feat in 1872, winning in 1868, 1869 and 1870. So he could take home the Championship belt after his third win in 1870.

The British Open briefly had no victory award

Suddenly the British Open had no trophy and Prestwick did not have the funds to commission its own. So club members came up with the idea of sharing a trophy with the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews and the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers. Prestwick suggested that the three clubs could take turns hosting the British Open and all contribute something to the new trophy.

While the clubs deliberated, no British Open was held in 1871. Eventually they pooled money for a new trophy.

Tom Kidd 1873 first winner of the Claret Jug

When Young Tom Morris won the British Open again, the trophy had not yet been completed. So in 1873, Tom Kidd was the first British Open winner to win the Claret Jug.

This original trophy has been on display in the clubhouse of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews since 1927, along with the Championship belt (donated by the Morris family in 1908). The trophy currently in circulation is a copy of the original and was first presented to the 1928 winner, Walter Hagen. Each winner is allowed to keep this trophy for one year after his victory, must return it to the next British Open and then receives a replica of the traveling trophy for his own use.

The British Open cut rule is not difficult to understand: The top 70 finishers after 36 holes make the cut. Everyone else doesn’t make the weekend. This cut rule was first used at the 1898 British Open.

British Open: briefly with two cuts

But there wasn’t always this one-cut system. In 1968, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A) installed two cuts: one cut after 36 holes, another cut after 54 holes. This cut rule lasted until 1985, during which time the top 80 players advanced after the first cut and the top 60 players advanced after the second.

In 1986, the cut rule at the British Open was changed back to the best 70 after 36 holes. It is still in place today.

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