The Greatest Final Rounds in British Open History

The British Open happens to be golf’s premier event. Even though plenty of American golf fans argue that the U.S. Open and the Masters are much more special events, undoubtedly, no championship can compare to the history of the British Open. Many of the greatest players in history have managed to win the British Open.

Here’s a look at 5 of the greatest and the most memorable final rounds in the British Open.

In 1984, Seve Ballesteros won his 2^nd of three British Open titles at St. Andrews. Seve was at the top of his game, and he had to be since he was trying to defend his lead against Bernhard Langer and Tom Watson. On the 17^th hole, Ballesteros managed to make a 15-foot birdie that saw him shoot a 69 and go-ahead to finish 12 under par. His triumph elevated his status as one of the legends of the game.

The British Open of 1999 remains one of the most memorable golf tournaments in recent history. The tournament is remembered primarily for the breakdown of French golfer Jean van de Velde at Carnoustie. There’s no denying the fact that van de Velde blew away the title. He was five strokes ahead while leading into the final round. Better yet, he also led by three strokes while heading to the final hole.

Unable to handle his lead, Paul Lawrie fired a remarkable 67 in the final round. It allowed him to tie for first place and triumph over van de Velde and Justin Leonard in the British Open title.

Ben Hogan was one of the most successful players in the history of golf. Ben was still recovering from a near-fatal automobile accident when he arrived at Carnoustie back in 1952. Surprisingly, Hogan performed exceptionally well throughout the tournament, improving with each round and finishing with a 68. Hogan managed to win by 4 shots over other golfers despite being in pain the entire time.

Woods was at the top of his career in 2000, the same year when he managed to roll a 15-shot victory in the U.S. Open. Shortly after that, Woods arrived at the Old Course with the hope of winning his 1^st British Open title. Woods was excellent throughout his initial 4 rounds and didn’t find a single bunker in the entire championship.

In his final round, Woods shot a 69, something that gave him a 19-under par up to 269. Tiger Woods managed to win by 8 strokes over Thomas Bjorn and Ernie Els.

The 1977 British Open remains one of the all-time great major championships in the history of the British Open. The duel mostly centred on two great players at the time, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson. Three rounds into the game, both players had managed to shoot 68-70-65. The battle continued on the final day of the match, with both players still being even through 16 holes.

Tom, however, birdied the 17^th hole, managing to take a one-stroke lead. Nicklaus managed to bring the game to a tie on the 18th hole with a long birdie putt. But again, Watson concluded with a 65 and one of the most spectacular victories in British Open history with his own birdie putt.