The Open Championship is arguably the most coveted prize in golf, with the likes of Nicklaus, Player, Palmer, Ballesteros, Watson, Norman, Faldo, Woods, Mickelson, McIlroy and Spieth some of the biggest names to have lifted the Claret Jug.
As we gear up for the 152nd edition of The Open Championship, at Royal Troon, we thought we would have a look back at five of the ‘underdogs’ who have been crowned ‘Champion Golfer of the Year’.
IAN BAKER-FINCH – 1991 ROYAL BIRKDALE
Champion in 1991, Baker-Finch joined the European Tour in 1985, winning the 1985 Scandinavian Enterprise Open and finishing top 20 on the order of merit in both 1985 & 1986.
He was invited to play on the PGA Tour in 1985 as an invitee and began to do so regularly in 1989 having qualified for tour membership by finishing third in the 1988 World Series of Golf.
Despite his steady career, with wins in four continents, Baker-Finch was not considered as a member of the ‘elite group’ of international golfers. He arrived at Royal Birkdale with a real outside chance of winning, however with two final rounds of 64&66 he took the title from Mike Harwood, beating him by 2 strokes – for what would be his one and only Major title.
BEN CURTIS – 2003 ROYAL ST.GEORGE’S
The 2003 Champion Ben Curtis arrived at Royal St.Georges bidding to become the first debutant since Tom Watson in 1975 to win the Claret Jug at the first attempt – and with odds of 500/1 that’s exactly what he did.
Curtis had been relatively steady on tour, however in 2003 had not finished inside the top 25 of any event, until a tie for 13th at the Western Open sealed his qualification for The Open, which would take place two weeks later.
He opened with consecutive +1 rounds of 72, which was good enough for a 7-way tie of 4th under challenging conditions. A third round of 70 gave him a 5-way tie for 3rd before the final days play.
Thomas Bjorn’s infamous meltdown at the 16th, gave Curtis a two stroke win (with a final round of 69) over Bjorn and Vijay Singh, in a win that shocked the golfing world.
TODD HAMILTON – 2004 ROYAL TROON
Twelve months on from Curtis’s win, nobody expected back-to-back ‘unknowns’ to lift the Claret Jug, but that’s exactly what happened.
With similar 500/1 odds before the Championship got underway, American Todd Hamilton would beat Ernie Els in a play-off to lift his only Major, with a winning score of -10.
Hamilton had been relatively successful on the Japan Tour and had earned his PGA Tour card at the age of 38. In early 2004 he lifted the Honda Classic, but had arrived at Troon with no real form against his name.
Todd Hamilton plays the 17th hole at the 2024 Open Championship | Image Shot Scope
Opening rounds of 71 and 67 moved Hamilton to -4 in a tie for 5th place after 36 holes. He shot 67 on day 3 to storm into a 1 shot lead over Els ahead of the final round.
He stood on the 18th, and 72nd hole still holding on to that 1 shot lead, however a bogey would leave Els with a 12ft birdie putt for the Championship – which he missed. The 4-hole aggregate playoff resulted in 4 pars’ for Todd, against 3 pars and bogey for Els to give the man from Illinois his greatest moment in the game.
Read more about Hamilton’s Royal Troon victory here, along with a look back at the 2016 Open in Ayrshire.
STEWART CINK – 2009 TURNBERRY
Cink’s win was all the more remarkable due to the story that was taking place around the Ailsa Course at Turnberry.
5-time winner Tom Watson, who had won around the famous links 32 years previous, shot -5 on day 1 to sit in a tie for second, behind outright leader Miguel Angel Jimenez.
At the age of 59, Watson was bidding to become the oldest Major winner in history – surely that wouldn’t happen?
Well it almost did, Watson battled the conditions, using every ounce of experience, and whilst others faltered such as Tiger Woods, who missed the cut, Cink made steady progress through the leaderboard.
He would start Sunday 3 shots behind Watson, however a sensational 15ft foot putt at the 18th, gave Cink the clubhouse lead at -2. Watson birdied 17, meaning he needed par or better at the 18th to lift his 6th Claret Jug – an agonizing approach went long and two short putts gave Watson 5 at the last to drop to -2 and force a play-off.
It’s fair to say that Watson simply ran out of steam, a bogey to Cink’s birdie on the first play-off hole left him behind, while his double bogey to Cink’s birdie on the 3rd play-off hole settled the contest.
The 18th and final play-off hole was not the dramatic finish many had hoped for, but you’d be hard pushed to find an atmosphere that matched Watson & Cink’s walk down the final fairway, it was spine-tingling and there’s nobody that didn’t want Watson to win that Open.
Cink was a worthy Champion and although he has never lifted another Major, continues to have a solid career with 17 tour wins to his name.
With 2 previous PGA Tour wins, in 2014 & 2017 at the John Deere Classic & Wells Fargo, there was no form to suggest that Harman would lift the Claret Jug.
Earlier in April Jon Rahm had won the Masters, Brooks Koepka and Wyndham Clark had won the US PGA and US Open respectively and Scottie Schefller was World Number #1 looking for his maiden win in the UK.
Many had backed Rory McIlroy at Royal Liverpool, given his previous win in 2014 around the same course, and the week prior had lifted the Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club, North Berwick.
Local hero Tommy Fleetwood led after day one, with Harman, Clark and Homa a shot back.
Day two saw Harman shoot 65 to Fleetwood’s par to give him a five shot lead at the start of the weekend.
The weather turned and on Saturday, the conditions could not have been worse. Harman delivered a solid -2 round of 69 to further extend his lead. Saturday however belonged to Jon Rahm, the ‘Spanish Bull’ was in him, as he ripped the course apart to score one of the best 63’s you will ever see, it was simply outstanding.
Did you know our very own Gavin Dear is undefeated against Brian Harman? Check out Gavin’s fascinating insight of the 2009 Walker Cup he played in.
However, Sunday belonged to Harman who held his nerve with a sublime -1 round of 70, with Rahm, McIlroy, Fleetwood, Homa, Day and the chasing pack just too far back to mount a serious challenge on Championship Sunday in similarly poor conditions.
Harman will look to defend his title at Royal Troon, which gets underway on Thursday 18th July.
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