Preview
2021 The Open Championship
The Open Championship tees off on Thursday July 15 after being cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19. The 149th edition of golf’s oldest major, which was established in 1860, will be staged at Royal St George’s Golf Club.
The superb links layout situated on the coast of Sandwich Bay in the county of Kent and a two hours’ drive southeast of London, last hosted the prestigious title in 2011 when Darren Clarke outlasted Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson by three shots.
Royal St George’s is entwined with the history of The Open Championship. In 1894, the storied course became the first club outside of Scotland to host the championship. This year, Royal St George’s will host the coveted event for the 15th time. Only three clubs have hosted more Open Championships—St Andrews (29), Prestwick (24) and Muirfield (16).
The 156-man field includes golfers from 27 countries who will compete at the 7,189-yard layout that was originally designed by surgeon Dr Laidlaw Purves in 1887.
The star-studded line-up includes world No. 1 Dustin Johnson who is searching for the third leg of the career Grand Slam after collecting the US Open in 2016 and The Masters in 2020. The 37-year-old American has enjoyed five top 15s at The Open Championship including a share of second place in 2011 at this venue behind Darren Clarke.
Speaking of this venue in 2011, Phil Mickelson was the other player to finish joint second three shots off the lead. The recent PGA Champion tasted Open success in 2013 at Muirfield. Lefty was runner-up in 2016 to Henrik Stenson at Royal Troon.
Spain’s Jon Rahm is hoping to become just the seventh golfer in history to win the US Open and The Open Championship in the same year. The 26-year-old competed at the Scottish Open last week where he finished two shots behind Min Woo Lee and in seventh place.
Shane Lowry will be looking to make it back-to-back Open Championships titles after scoring his maiden major success in 2019 at Royal Portrush. If the Irishman wins at Royal St George’s, he will become the first player to defend his title since his countryman Padraig Harrington won in 2008.
Other more recent past champions include Francesco Molinari (2018), Jordan Spieth (2017), Rory McIlroy (2016) and Louis Oosthuizen (2010). Oosthuizen, aged 38, enters the event with runner-up performances at the previous two majors played this year—US Open and PGA Championship.
Xander Schauffele is the highest ranked golfer in the world without a major title to his name. The world No. 5 has featured in the mix on a number of occasions since making his debut at a major in 2017 when he finished T5 at the US Open. The impressive 27-year-old, who owns four PGA Tour titles, has amassed nine top 10s from just 17 starts at majors. The Californian’s best result at The Open was in 2018 when he ran T2 at Carnoustie behind Molinari.
Masters champions Hideki Matsuyama and Bubba Watson have pulled out of the event due to COVID-19 protocols. Matsuyama, who became the first golfer from Japan to win The Masters, tested positive for the virus on July 02. Watson, a two-time major champion, withdrew due to having direct exposure to someone who has tested positive for Covid-19.
Aussies In The Field (11)
Jason Day, Lucas Herbert, Matt Jones, Brad Kennedy, Deyen Lawson, Min Woo Lee, Marc Leishman, Aaron Pike, Adam Scott, Jason Scrivener and Cameron Smith.
It’s been 28 years since an Australian hoisted the Claret Jug when Greg Norman won The Open Championship at Royal St George’s in 1993. Eleven Aussies are hoping to emulate Norman’s feat—it’s the strongest contingent of golfers from ‘Down Under’ vying for The Open since 2017.
Lucas Herbert shapes up as the most likely starter to become Australia’s fifth male to boast Champion Golfer of the Year. The in-form 25-year-old from Bendigo, Victoria, won the Irish Open two weeks ago and comes off a tie for fourth at last week’s abrdn Scottish Open. Herbert has enjoyed one start at The Open Championship when he finished T51 at Carnoustie in 2018.
Min Woo Lee is another Aussie who will tee off at Royal St George’s with recent winning form. The 22-year-old from Western Australia earned his spot in The Open field after collecting the abrdn Scottish Open on Sunday. Lee is one of four Australians who will make their debut at The Open—Jason Scrivener, Deyen Lawson and Aaron Pike.
Masters champion Adam Scott and PGA champion Jason Day are searching for their second major title. Both have been close at this event before. Scott finished runner-up in 2012 to Ernie Els at Royal Lytham and St Anne’s. Day’s best finish at The Open came in 2015 when he was tied fourth at St Andrews behind Zach Johnson. The same year, Marc Leishman contested the three-man playoff—Johnson, Leishman and Oosthuizen. The 37-year-old Victorian features three top six results at The Open in his resume.
Leishman is one of three Australian in the field who has won on the PGA Tour this season. In April this year, he shared victory at the Zurich Classic with Cameron Smith. Matt Jones won the Honda Classic in March. Smith’s best return from his three Open starts is T20 at Royal Portrush in 2019. Jones has competed at four Open Championships. His best finish came in 2015 at St Andrews.
Veteran Brad Kennedy is the other Aussie to start at Royal St George’s. The 47-year-old qualified by winning the 2020/2021 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit. Kennedy will return to Royal St George’s after missing the cut in 2011. The three-time Japan Tour winner also missed the cut at The Open in 2012.
The field is playing for a total prize purse of US$11.5 million. The winner will collect a handsome US$2.07 million.
Defending Champion
Shane Lowry broke through for his maiden major success at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland. It was just the second time the impressive links layout hosted The Open. Playing in front of adoring fans on his home island, the then 32-year-old scored an emphatic six-shot win over England’s Tommy Fleetwood. Lowry set up his claim on the Claret Jug with a sensational course record 63 on Saturday. The likeable Irishman took a handy four-shot lead into the final day and was never really challenged.
Major Story Line—Royal St George’s is a Genuine ‘Open’ Layout
History indicates that an Open Championship at Royal St George’s produces a truly open contest! Winners from the 14 Open Championships staged at the English seaside venue have ranged from the world’s best to longshots. Harry Vardon, Walter Hagen, Bobby Locke and Greg Norman are some of the champions who were at the top of the game when they won at St George’s.
In 1993, Norman proved that a great ball-striker could conquer the somewhat quirky links track with its fairways covered in numerous humps and bumps. The ‘Shark’ tore the course apart and navigated his way to a stunning final round 6-under 64 to top the star-studded leaderboard, which included the likes of Nick Faldo and Corey Pavin, Berhard Langer and Ernie Els. At that time, Norman’s Sunday 64 earned him the record for the lowest final round to win The Open. And, his 267 was the lowest winning total in Open history. He was the first Open champion with four rounds in the 60s.
At the other end of the spectrum, the last two Opens staged at St George’s produced unlikely winners. In 2003, American Ben Curtis pulled off a surprise victory over the likes of Tiger Woods, Vijah Singh and Nick Faldo. The then 26-year-old, who was embarking on his PGA Tour rookie season without much fanfare until The Open in July, had finished inside the top 25 just once. Curtis entered the 2003 Open Championship at Royal St George's as a 300–1 outsider. The young American defied the odds to win the tournament. As world No. 396 at the time he hoisted the Claret Jug, he was the lowest-ranked player to win a major since official world rankings were first calculated. And, he became the first golfer since Francis Ouimet at the 1913 US Open to win his major championship debut.
Darren Clarke won the last contest played at Royal St George’s in 2011. Aged 42, the burly Ulsterman appeared to be passed his peak. However, at his 20th attempt to win The Open title and ranked 200-1, Clarke celebrated victory after he outlasted Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson.
Stats & Facts
The Open is golf’s original major championship. Here’s a look at some of the key numbers associated with this coveted title.
1860
The inaugural Open was held at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. Eight golfers contested the event, with Willie Park Senior winning the championship by two shots from Tom Morris Senior.
30
The first non-Scottish winner came at the 30th Open. Staged at Prestwick, John Ball became the first Englishman and the first amateur to win the Open.
1867
In 1867, Old Tom Morris became the The Open’s oldest winner. He was aged 46 years and 102 days.
6
Harry Vardon boasts the most Open victories (6). He won in 1896, 1898, 1899, 1903, 1911 and 1914.
1
When Bob Charles won the 1963 Open, he became the first New Zealander and the first left-handed player to win one of golf’s professional majors.
7
Jack Nicklaus owns the record of the most runner-up finishes with seven (1964, 1967, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1977 and 1979).
62
Branden Grace posted the lowest round in the history of The Open in 2017. At the 146th Open, Royal Birkdale, the South African returned just 62 shots in the third round.
396
American Ben Curtis was a PGA Tour Rookie ranked No. 396 in the world when he won The Open at St George’s in 2003.
3
Gary Player lifted the Claret Jug in 1959, 1968 and 1974, making him the only player in the 20th century to win the Open in three different decades. Player also holds the record for most Open appearances with 46.
1873
The Golf Champion Trophy, more commonly known as the Claret Jug, was first awarded in 1873.
4
Four Australians have claimed The Open title. Peter Thomson scored five victories (1954, 1955, 1956, 1958 and 1965). Kel Nagle overcame Arnold Palmer in 1960. Greg Norman gained his only two majors in 1986 and 1993. And, Ian Baker-Finch was victorious at Royal Birkdale in 1991.
EVENT RECORDS
72-HOLE RECORD:
Aggregate:
264, Henrik Stenson (2016 at Royal Troon).
To Par:
20-under, Henrik Stenson (2016 at Royal Troon).
18-HOLE RECORD:
62, Brandon Grace (3rd round, 2017 at Royal Birkdale).
MOST WINS (6):
Harry Vardon
AUSSIE VICTORIES:
Peter Thomson 1954, 55, 56, 58 & 65
Kel Nagle 1960
Greg Norman 1986 & 93
Ian Baker-Finch 1991
Image Credit: David Cannon/R&A/R&A via Getty Images
