The Old Course at
Royal Troon
A Pure and Historic Seaside Links
All Photographs Copyright Getty Images Unless Otherwise Stated
Introduction
The Open returns to the Old Course at Royal Troon for the ninth time in 2016. Like so many historic links, the course starts with the front nine running closest to the coast line. In fact no links starts closer with the 1st tee touching the very edge of the beach. The front nine also enjoys the most famous par 3 on The Open rota and also its shortest hole at just 123 yards. The wonderful Postage Stamp leaves even the highest calibre of golfer thinking of what tragedy might befall them if the short iron is even a hair off line.
However, it is the back nine which provides the most challenging of examinations which every Champion Golfer of the Year must pass to hold the Claret Jug aloft. In 2004, the 10th, 11th and 12th holes were ranked the third, first and second most difficult holes respectively. What a test that triumvirate of holes presents. The back nine continues with seriously strong par 4s at the 13th, 15th and 18th which were all ranked in the set of nine most difficult holes for the week.
One aspect which is worth drawing attention to at Royal Troon is that the review of the Old Course did not result in a major lengthening exercise being undertaken. The course length was 7,175 yards in 2004 and will play at 7,190 yards in 2016. It was only considered necessary to lengthen a few holes and by a minor amount. The review included conducting as much historical research into the evolution and development of the course as possible. Club archives were looked into, old newspaper cuttings assessed, past aerial and ground photography was sourced and analysed and a wonderful illustration of the layout for The Open in 1923 was unearthed. In addition, Club members with long memories and former members of the greenstaff were quizzed. That has helped to shape the proposals which were considered by the Club and The R&A and led to the implementation of certain adjustments which are described in this booklet.
While there have been some new developments for the course, a large majority of the adjustments could be described as restoration of old characteristics and features. After the Prestwick greenkeeper, Charlie Hunter, and Troon professionals George Strath and Willie Fernie carried out the early work in laying out and developing the course at Troon, James Braid was responsible for toughening the layout for its first Open in 1923. Troon’s Portland Course, originally laid out by Willie Fernie in 1895, was redesigned by Dr Alister MacKenzie in 1921 and was used for Following The Open in 2004, a review of the course was commissioned by The R&A, in line with qualifying in The Open in 1923. Whilst at Troon, the Club received advice from Dr. MacKenzie a study of all of The Open venues to assess how they might be improved to be most suitable for on remodelling the bunker at the 10th hole of the Old Course. This is the only clearly identifiable the modern day game. All of the great courses have evolved regularly over many years for a variety feature on an Open course upon which he provided input. of reasons so it is the right thing to conduct reviews intermittently as long as such studies are sympathetic to the heritage of a course and club. Any adjustments must also bear in mind the fact While minor adjustments have been made to every hole for The 145th Open in 2016, the major that courses which champions play over to claim their spoils have to be enjoyable places to play for changes to the course have focussed on the 9th, 10th and 15th holes, with those at the 10th and 15th involving the restoration of old features. the club members and visitors for more than 99% of the time. If there is any question mark which is occasionally raised about the course it is a concern that the first few holes are too easy but courses come in all shapes and sizes and every layout has its own rhythm. At Royal Troon, everyone knows that the scoring normally has to be made in the early part of the round. That brings its own pressure and potential for a loss of patience if the birdies do not fall.
Historical Research Conducting historical research into the evolution of a course of significant heritage should always form the start of any review exercise. It helps to provide an understanding of why a course has changed and often generates inspiration for adjustments which could be more accurately described as restorations. The Old Course at Royal Troon actually provides an excellent study of golf course architecture, particularly of architecture for championship golf. A study of the evolution of the course from its foundations, shows how championships, and especially The Open, have shaped its character.
The Early Years
The Club’s first Captain, James Dickie, was well acquainted with Troon’s natural seascapes of beaches and dunes. The links just to the south of the town presented exactly the right conditions to lay out a course. This task was carried out by Charlie Hunter, Keeper of the Green at Prestwick Golf Club, who had served his apprenticeship under the legendary Old Tom Morris. Six greens were laid down, some still in play today.
The Development of the Course & Arrival of The Open biggest single change was at the 5th, which changed from a In 1914, the course hosted qualifying for The Open at Prestwick and, once the trauma of WW1 was over, the course was ready to develop further when the chance came. The opportunity arose in 1921, when the proposed host course of The Open in 1923, Muirfield, withdrew due to planned major reconstruction. Troon member and 1914 Amateur champion, JLC Jenkins, was on The R&A Championship Committee and proposed his home course as a suitable alternative. In order to ensure the course was a fitting test for the premier championship in golf, James Braid was approached to cast his expert eye over the links. Braid, as well as being Champion Golfer of the Year five times, had developed into a noted course architect and he oversaw a number of major changes to the Old Course. Some alterations were predictable with a number of new back tees being constructed but others profoundly altered the course. The
short par 4 low in the dunes to a par 3, up high and overlooking the ocean. Another notable change was the addition of 67 new bunkers around the course, almost doubling the number. These included the bunkers to the left of the Postage Stamp, removing the option of running a shot off the mound, and leaving the hole essentially as it is today. He also surrounded the 18th green with 13 bunkers. If you look carefully today, many of the current swales give clues as to their locations. At the 10th hole a subtle change to the large bunker on the sand dune facing the tee was carried out. The large bunker, originally created in 1887/8 by either George Strath or Willie Fernie, had, by 1914, undergone several changes. In preparation for The Open in 1923, Dr Alister MacKenzie provided advice, accepted in January 1921, on remodelling the bunker. MacKenzie later depicted the bunker in his pamphlet 'Hints on Greenkeeping'.
George Strath was appointed the Club’s first Professional in 1882 and he extended the course to twelve and then eighteen holes with the full course opening in 1884 forming much of the layout played today. Willie Fernie, Champion Golfer of the Year in 1883, was appointed Professional at Troon Golf Club in 1888. During his 36 year tenure, he was responsible for many improvements to the Old Course including designing and laying out the Postage Stamp and Railway holes in 1909. In order to add the Postage Stamp to the layout, Fernie ran two holes together to form the current long 6th hole and, instead of playing to the 9th green from the tee of the Postage Stamp, added in the famous par 3 and lengthened the 9th on its current line. Similarly, following the creation of the new 'Railway' hole, the original 15th and 16th holes were merged to create the current par 5 16th. This added length and difficulty to the course but Fernie also managed adjustments such as moving the 18th green, which had previously had a semiblind approach, to its current iconic position in front of the clubhouse and enlarging the previously small 7th green. These changes ensured Troon was no longer a sporty holiday course but one ready to entertain championship play.
Aerial view from 1923 of the 18th green clearly shows the outline of the 13 bunkers that James Braid scattered around the green surface
Image Copyright NCAP / ncap.org.uk
British golfer Joyce Wethered plays to the 6th green during the Ladies Open Golf Championship in 1925
The 91st Open in 1962
While The Open in 1950 was deemed to be a success, scoring had been low and it was felt that the length at 6,500 yards, with some 8 par 4s shorter than 400 yards, meant a general toughening of the course was required for the sort of rigorous examination The Open should provide. As a result, new tees were added but the major changes were a new green at the 4th, adding 80 yards to the hole, and a complete remodelling of the 11th with a new green 170 yards further along the railway wall. This essentially created the renowned and feared hole that the current prospective champions now face.
equipment has forced many courses to seek hundreds of yards in extra length, Troon plays a mere 145 yards longer. However, every time The Open has come, the course has been tweaked in advance. There are far too many changes to list here but there are a few worthy of note. The most drastic was the moving of the 6th and 12th greens, which were deemed a bottleneck for spectator traffic in 1962. The old 6th green was in a fearsome location and the hole always rated a mention in older books and magazines when the topic of the best par 5 in the country was being discussed. Similarly, ask any older golfer who remembers the original 12th and they will bemoan the loss of a visually impressive approach shot through the dunes. This was believed to be the first time any course on The Open rota had been changed purely for spectator reasons.
The outcome was 18 holes that measured over 7,000 yards. In the end, Arnold Palmer won with a score three shots lower than Bobby Locke's total 12 years previously. However, he won by playing what he described as the best golf of his life and, at 12 under par, was 6 shots clear of Kel Nagle in second place, who was the only other player under par. The course, and certainly the new 11th, was now tough enough, while still rewarding of truly outstanding play. However, the real legacy of The Open in 1962 was its aftermath. After the event, the championship became known as the first Open of the modern era, as Palmer's play encouraged record crowds, frequently overwhelming the The dunes at the 10th had a gouge archaic facilities, and this would become a major factor in future bulldozed into them to provide a visual aid for driving but this changes to the course. fundamentally changed the fearsome Sandhills bunker. The The Modern Era Since 1962, The Open has returned regularly to Troon. On the sand removed was used to raise face of it not much has changed. In an era when modern the height of the 9th green, taking
away some of the blindness of that approach. The bunkering has been toughened up. While there were 79 in 1973, there will be 98 for The Open in 2016. 10 were added for 2004 in order to tighten certain landing areas and protect greens. Other changes included changing fairway sizes, repositioning tees, removing or adding bushes, reshaping of mounding, bunkers being made tougher and so on. Some changes related to member and guest play but the vast majority were driven by The Open. American golfer Glenna Collett-Vare plays Miss M. R. Cox on the 12th green during the Ladies Open Golf Championship in 1925
How the Historical Research has Informed the Adjustments Made for The 145th Open in 2016
Some areas were ripe for research - for example the suspicion, alluded to above, that greens had shrunk in size. This could be proved initially by the study of photographs. There are a number of pictures existing from The Open in 1923 of the Postage Stamp, which clearly showed the green extending right to the edge of the front bunker. Ever since WW2 however, the green did not start until at least 5 yards beyond this bunker. Why this had happened could be confirmed by the first hand experience of former head greenkeeper, Norman Fergusson. As a 16 year old at the end of the war, he was one of the three greenstaff members. He acknowledged that the paucity of resources meant greens weren't cut to full size and fairways were narrowed to the extent that one member of the time described them as "rifle ranges" that "only the near-scratch members would venture near". Although greens were mown out and partially restored following the war, the Postage Stamp pictures provided evidence that the restoration was not full. A green by green inspection was made as a result, leading to the mowing out of greens and, in some places, surrounds, to regain the former sizes and to provide more interesting and challenging flag positions.
The aerial photography also revealed a landscape which was much sandier in places in previous years. As with many links, gorse and even trees had gained a foothold across the course. From an ecological point of view it has been regarded as important to restore some of the dunes to bare sand as it provides a good habitat for plants, insects and reptiles but the retention of some gorse is beneficial to the bird life on the links.
been some new developments for the course, a large majority of the adjustments could be described as the restoration of old characteristics and features. All in all the historic review of the course has really helped to shape the proposals for the course to make it ready for The 145th Open in 2016.
Ultimately, all the source material and research has helped to shape the proposals which were considered by the Club and The The Royal Troon Historian, Douglas McCreath, and Mr Colin R&A and led to the implementation of certain adjustments which Cotter have kindly provided assistance throughout the project are described in this booklet. As a result, although there have with regards to historical research.
One of the real finds of the research was a wonderful illustration in the Illustrated London News of the layout for The Open in 1923, drawn by WB Robinson. Study on the ground provided evidence of the veracity of features illustrated in the drawing that nobody knew had existed. This illustration helped to shape the proposals which were considered by the Club and The R&A for the 15th hole. It revealed that the hole used to be played from tees to the left of the 14th green to a very wide fairway which extended well to the left of the fairway played in The Open in 2004. This revelation helped to persuade the Club that a return to these tee locations and moving the first part of the fairway well to the left would be in the best interests of The Open and also day to day play. Aerial photography also provided ample options for study, particularly a detailed aerial survey taken in 1947 by the RAF. This was an excellent point in the evolution of the course to make a study with it emerging from the ravages of the War. As well as showing old green locations, these photographs revealed old bunkers for certain holes. One such bunker was located to the right of the 7th fairway. In the old days, it might have caught a poorly hit second shot. A decision was taken to restore this bunker as, today, it will come into the thoughts of the players who attempt to drive the green in certain conditions.
Arthur Havers plays out of the front bunker on the Postage Stamp during The Open of 1923 - The photograph clearly shows how close the green surface was to the hazard
The 58th Open - 1923 It was left to a young English professional from Coombe Hill, Arthur Havers, to battle the might of the American contenders for the Claret Jug. The win of Havers at Troon in 1923 was the only home success between George Duncan winning at Deal in 1920 and Henry Cotton’s triumph at Sandwich in 1934. With a tall, slim build, Havers was not best equipped for the windy conditions of Troon’s first Open but he kept the ball in play with a powerful four knuckle left hand grip and opened with three rounds of 73. Lurking in fourth place, two strokes behind, was Walter Hagen, the defending Champion, who had rounds of 76, 71 and 74. Almost inevitably Hagen piled on the pressure in the final round and, when Havers bunkered his second shot to the 18th green, it looked as if the door was open. But Havers was made of sterner stuff and he holed out from the bunker for a 76 to set a target of 295. Moments later Hagen found the same bunker but could not match the brilliance of the recovery of Havers, although he came very close. Macdonald Smith was third and Australian Joe Kirkwood fourth. There was controversy before the start when it was found that the iron clubs of Gene Sarazen and other American players had holes punched deep into the faces, creating backspin and giving great control on the bone hard greens. The clubs were declared illegal and there was much late night work with files brought in from the Glasgow shipyards before the clubs once again conformed. Sarazen, the US Open and PGA Champion, then failed to qualify in gale force conditions, in which Aubrey Boomer had the unfortunate experience of blasting his ball from sand only to watch it curl back over his head in the wind and drop into his jacket pocket.
The Results Of The Open In 1923 Position
Name
R1
R2
R3
R4
Total
1
Havers, Arthur
73
73
73
76
295
2
Hagen, Walter
76
71
74
75
296
3
Smith, Macdonald
80
73
69
75
297
4
Kirkwood, Joe
72
79
69
78
298
5
Fernie, Tom
73
78
74
75
300
6
Whitcombe, Charles
70
76
74
82
302
6
Duncan, George
79
75
74
74
302
8
Mitchell, Abe
77
77
72
77
303
8
Jolly, Herbert
79
75
75
74
303
8
McKenzie, James
76
78
74
75
303
8
Watt, W.M.
76
77
72
78
303
Bobby Locke defends his title
The 79th Open - 1950 Bobby Locke was the first Champion Golfer of the Year to successfully defend his title since Walter Hagen in 1929. The South African had won regularly in his short spell in America but it was in The Open that he consistently proved his Major credentials. Rounds of 69, 72, 70 and 68 left him two ahead of Roberto de Vicenzo, with the 1947 Champion, Fred Daly, closing with a 66 to share third place with Dai Rees. Locke’s total of 279 was a new record for the Championship. Troon was hosting The Open for only the second time and there was hardly any wind during the three days. The fairways were baked but Locke missed only two over the four rounds. The greens, having been well watered during a hot spell of weather, were in perfect condition, which suited such an excellent putter as the South African. Every Christmas from that year onward he sent a card to the club which always bore the same message, “Best wishes for this year and the future. Still the best greens in the world.” His only difficult moment came at the short fifth on the second day, when he fluffed a chip into a bunker and took a 6. He responded by birdieing four of the next six holes. American Frank Stranahan set a new record score for an amateur in The Open with a 66 in the final round, a mark that stood until 2011. He finished ninth and was also a runner up twice, in 1947 and 1953. German Amateur Champion Herman Tissies had a less distinguished score at the 123 yard eighth hole, the Postage Stamp. He missed the tiny green in the left hand bunker and, going from one bunker to another, and back to the first one, he rattled up a 15, achieved with just a single putt.
The Results Of The Open In 1950 Position
Name
R1
R2
R3
R4
Total
1
Locke, Bobby
69
72
70
68
279
2
De Vicenzo, Roberto
72
71
68
70
281
3
Daly, Fred
75
72
69
66
282
3
Rees, Dai
71
68
72
71
282
5
Moore, Eric
74
68
73
68
283
5
Faulkner, Max
72
70
70
71
283
7
Lees, Arthur
68
76
68
72
284
7
Bullock, Fred
71
71
71
71
284
9
Stranahan, Frank
77
70
73
66
286
9
King, Sam
70
75
68
73
286
9
Van Dock, Flory
73
71
72
70
286
Palmer’s victory signals a new era
The 91st Open - 1962 Arnold Palmer had attracted large galleries when he played at St Andrews and Royal Birkdale but even bigger crowds swarmed over Troon as the wildly popular American defended his title in 1962. Palmer also encouraged some of his countrymen to make the trip over, including Gene Littler, Phil Rodgers and 22 year old US Open Champion Jack Nicklaus. On his debut, Nicklaus had a 10 at the 11th and rounds of 80 and 79 in finishing 34th but thereafter he would rarely be out of the top three for the next couple of decades. Troon’s fairways were sun-baked and running fast, much to Palmer’s liking. He did not hold back from his attacking style, not even at the dangerous par-5 11th, with the railway line close to the right side of the fairway. He made two birdies and an eagle in the second round when he hit a 1-iron off the tee and then a 2-iron to 14 feet. Rounds of 71 and 69 put Palmer two ahead of Kel Nagle, the 1960 Champion. A 67 in the third round moved Palmer five clear and he birdied the last for a closing 69 to win by six from the Australian. Rodgers and Brian Huggett shared third place a whopping 13 strokes behind the Champion Golfer of the Year. Palmer’s winning total of 276 beat the old record by two shots and would not be bettered until 1977. He became only the second player after Ben Hogan in 1953 to win the Masters and The Open in the same year. He did not win the Claret Jug again but had helped re-establish the game’s oldest Championship as also the most important.
The Results Of The Open In 1962 Position
Name
R1
R2
R3
R4
Total
1
Palmer, Arnold
71
69
67
69
276
2
Nagle, Kel
71
71
70
70
282
3
Rodgers, Phil
75
70
72
72
289
3
Huggett, Brian
75
71
74
69
289
5
Charles, Bob
75
70
70
75
290
6
Snead, Sam
76
73
72
71
292
6
Thomson, Peter
70
77
75
70
292
8
Alliss, Peter
77
69
74
73
293
8
Thomas, Dave
77
70
71
75
293
10
Scott, Syd
77
74
75
68
294
The 102nd Open - 1973 Somehow Tom Weiskopf, despite an elegant and powerful swing, won only one Major title and it came at Troon in 1973. Often displaying a fiery temper, he appeared more determined than previously following the death of his father three months earlier. He had arrived early and played eight practice rounds and they paid off. He led from the moment he posted an opening 68 in the worst weather of the day. He did not drop a shot in his 67 the next day, while a 71 kept him one ahead of US Open Champion Johnny Miller after three rounds. Three birdies in the first 11 holes paved the way for a closing 66 and a three stroke win over Miller and England’s Neil Coles, who closed with a 66, while Jack Nicklaus was fourth after a 65. Weiskopf was the fifth player to win wire to wire since the Championship was extended to 72 holes and his total of 276 matched Arnold Palmer’s record, also set at Troon. Gene Sarazen, the 1932 Champion, made a farewell appearance, 50 years after he first played at Troon in 1923, and the 71 year old made a hole in one with a 5 iron at the the eighth hole. “When the crowd roared and I realised the ball was in the hole, I felt there was no better way to close the books on my tournament play than to make a hole in one on the Postage Stamp and call it quits." He did just that the following day but not before he holed from a bunker for a two at the same hole.
The Results Of The Open In 1973 Position
Name
R1
R2
R3
R4
Total
1
Weiskopf, Tom
68
67
71
70
276
2
Coles, Neil
71
72
70
66
279
2
Miller, Johnny
70
68
69
72
279
4
Nicklaus, Jack
69
70
76
65
280
5
Yancey, Bert
69
69
73
70
281
6
Butler, Peter
71
72
74
69
286
7
O’Connor Sr, Christy
73
68
74
73
288
7
Charles, Bob
73
71
73
71
288
7
Wadkins, Lanny
71
73
70
74
288
10
Trevino, Lee
75
73
73
68
289
10
Brewer, Gay
76
71
72
70
289
10
Barnes, Brian
76
67
70
76
289
10
Henning, Harold
73
73
73
70
289
Workman like Watson claims his fourth title “I didn’t win this Championship, I had it handed to me.” Tom Watson 1975, 1977, 1980, 1982 & 1983 Champion Golfer of the Year
The 111th Open - 1982 Tom Watson won a fourth title at The Open on a fourth different Scottish links and, in the process, joined Bobby Jones (twice), Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan and Lee Trevino in winning both the US Open, where he beat Jack Nicklaus in another thrilling duel at Pebble Beach, and The Open in the same summer. Yet Watson only entered the story late on at Royal Troon, which had received its Royal Charter in its centenary year of 1978. Bobby Clampett, a 22 year old American playing in playing in The Open for the first time, had a 67 and then a 66 to lead Zimbabwe’s Nick Price by five strokes at the halfway stage. Two early birdies in the third round put Clampett seven clear of the field with 31 holes to play. Then, the fairy tale turned into a nightmare. At the par 5 sixth, the longest Championship hole in Britain at 577 yards, Clampett found three bunkers and took a triple bogey 8. A 78 still left him one ahead of Price but a 77 on the final day dropped Clampett into a tie for tenth. Watson had gone along steadily with rounds of 69, 71 and 74. He had been seven off the lead after 36 holes and three adrift with a round to play. Out in 35, he hit a 3 iron to three feet for an eagle at the 11th and in the deteriorating conditions dropped only one shot coming home for a 70 and four under par. With birdies at the 10th, 11th and 12th holes, Price led by three but he bogeyed the 13th, had a double bogey at the 15th after hitting his second shot into a bunker and dropped another shot at the par 3 17th. He shared second place with Peter Oosterhuis.
The Results Of The Open In 1982 Position
Name
R1
R2
R3
R4
Total
1
Watson, Tom
69
71
74
70
284
2
Oosterhuis, Peter
74
67
74
70
285
2
Price, Nick
69
69
74
73
285
4
Purtzer, Tom
76
66
75
69
286
4
Faldo, Nick
73
73
71
69
286
4
Smyth, Des
70
69
74
73
286
4
Kuramoto, Masahiro
71
73
71
71
286
8
Zoeller, Fuzzy
73
71
73
70
287
8
Lyle, Sandy
74
66
73
74
287
10
Clampett, Bobby
67
66
78
77
288
10
Nicklaus, Jack
77
70
72
69
288
Calcavecchia secures play-off victory
The 118th Open - 1989 Mark Calcavecchia became the first player since 1975 to win The Open in a play off which was notable on two counts. It was the first three way play off for the Championship – Australians Greg Norman and Wayne Grady were the runners up – and it was the first play-off to be contested over four holes instead of a full extra round. Twice on the same day Calcavecchia birdied the 18th hole to lift the Claret Jug. On a hot and sunny final day at Royal Troon, Calcavecchia started three strokes adrift of Grady, while Norman was seven behind. Six birdies in a row to begin his final round put The Shark in contention and he finished with a 64 to post the clubhouse target at thirteen under par. Calcavecchia was helped by holing a putt of 40 feet at the 11th and a pitch of 60 feet on the full at the 12th. An 8 iron to four feet at the last set up the birdie he needed to tie Norman and, with that, he posted three consecutive rounds of 68. Grady bogeyed the 17th to fall back to thirteen under and a par at the last gave him a 71 and a spot in the play-off, in which he would finish three behind the winner. Norman again started fast in extra time, birdieing the first two holes, but then over shot the 17th green and took a bogey to drop back into a tie with Calcavecchia. Norman’s great length was his undoing at the last. He drove into a bunker 310 yards away and could only advance his second shot into another bunker. Calcavecchia now clinched victory with a 5 iron approach to six feet. It was his finest hour, while Norman, going out of bounds over the green with this third, squandered his chance.
The Results Of The Open In 1989 Position
Name
R1
R2
R3
R4
Total
1
Calcavecchia, Mark
71
68
68
68
275
2
Grady, Wayne
68
67
69
71
275
2
Norman, Greg
69
70
72
64
275
4
Watson, Tom
69
68
68
72
277
5
Mudd, Jodie
73
67
68
70
278
6
Couples, Fred
68
71
68
72
279
6
Feherty, David
71
67
69
72
279
8
Azinger, Paul
68
73
67
72
280
8
Stewart, Payne
72
65
69
74
280
8
Romero, Eduardo
68
70
75
67
280
Leonard putts his way to the title
The 126th Open - 1997 Only two players previously had rallied from five strokes behind with a round to play to win The Open. Jim Barnes at Prestwick in 1925 and Tommy Armour at Carnoustie in 1931 managed the feat to win by a stroke. Justin Leonard also came back from a deficit of five at Royal Troon in 1997 but such was his devastating finish, and the quality of his putting, that the 25 year old from Dallas, playing in The Open for the fourth time, won by three strokes from Darren Clarke and Jesper Parnevik. Clarke went out of bounds onto the beach at the second hole and the double bogey put him out of contention. Parnevik led the way but came under increasing pressure from Leonard’s charge. There were six birdies and a bogey going out, another dropped shot at the 10th but he holed from ten feet for a par at the 11th and from 15 feet for another par at the 15th. The American again holed from 15 feet for a birdie at the 16th and then sank a 30 footer for a 2 at the 17th to get to 12 under par. His closing 65 was only one higher than Greg Norman’s record final round by a Champion in 1993. No one else on the leaderboard at the start of the day scored under 70. Parnevik, two ahead with seven to play, bogeyed the 13th, missed a short birdie putt at the 16th and then bogeyed the last two. This defeat, the Swede felt, hurt even more than the one to Nick Price down the Ayrshire coast at Turnberry three years earlier. Tiger Woods, the 21 year old Masters Champion in The Open for the first time as a professional, equalled the course record with a 64 in the third round but that was ten strokes better than his efforts the day before or after. The Results Of The Open In 1997 Position
Name
R1
R2
R3
R4
Total
1
Leonard, Justin
69
66
72
65
272
2
Clarke, Darren
67
66
71
71
275
2
Parnevik, Jesper
70
66
66
73
275
4
Furyk, Jim
67
72
70
70
279
5
Harrington, Padraig
75
69
69
67
280
5
Ames, Stephen
74
69
66
71
280
7
Romero, Eduardo
74
68
67
72
281
7
O’Malley, Peter
73
70
70
68
281
7
Couples, Fred
69
68
70
74
281
10
Calcavecchia, Mark
74
67
72
69
282
10
Els, Ernie
75
69
69
69
282
10
Allenby , Robert
76
68
66
72
282
10
Watson, Tom
71
70
70
71
282
10
Westwood, Lee
73
70
67
72
282
10
Nobilo, Frank
74
72
68
68
282
10
Goosen, Retief
75
69
70
68
282
10
Love III, Davis
70
71
74
67
282
10
Maruyama, Shigeki
74
69
70
69
282
10
Kite, Tom
72
67
74
69
282
The Open title won in a dramatic four hole play-off
The 133rd Open - 2004 For the second time in three years Ernie Els was in a play-off for The Open but this time lost out to Todd Hamilton. The 38 year old American was ranked 56th in the world after winning for the first time on the PGA Tour in March but had spent most of his career in Japan. Playing in The Open for the fourth time, he admitted enjoying playing “ugly golf” and his scrambling skills ultimately proved decisive. A second consecutive 67 put Hamilton one ahead of Els going into the final round, during which the lead fluctuated between not just that twosome but Thomas Levet and Phil Mickelson, with the left handed American claiming third place, his best finish in The Open at that stage of his career. Els, not helped by a double bogey at the 10th, was two behind with two to play but birdied the 17th and set up a birdie from ten feet at the last. For once Hamilton could not save par so Els had his putt for the victory. It missed only after breaking sharply left at the last minute. Both players parred the first two holes of the play-off but Els bogeyed the 17th before setting up another birdie chance at the last from 12 feet. Hamilton was 30 yards short of the green in two but played an exquisite chip and run with a hybrid club to two feet. Els missed again and Hamilton holed. Els became the first player to record four rounds under 70 and not to win on either occasion, 1993 at Sandwich being the other time. He had holed in one at the Postage Stamp, the eighth hole, in round one, the same day Gary Evans had an albatross at the fourth, holing a 5 iron from 227 yards. Hamilton was the sixth consecutive American winner at Royal Troon. “I knew I was a decent golfer,” he said.
The Results Of The Open In 2004 Position
Name
R1
R2
R3
R4
Total
1
Hamilton, Todd
71
67
67
69
274
2
Els, Ernie
69
69
68
68
274
3
Mickelson, Phil
73
66
68
68
275
4
Westwood, Lee
72
71
68
67
278
5
Levet, Thomas
66
70
71
72
279
5
Love III, Davis
72
69
71
67
279
7
Goosen, Retief
69
70
68
73
280
7
Verplank, Scott
69
70
70
71
280
9
Woods, Tiger
70
71
68
72
281
9
Weir, Mike
71
68
71
71
281
Mackenzie & Ebert Tom Mackenzie & Martin Ebert have been designing and redesigning golf courses since 1989, first with Donald Steel & Company and then, from 2005, as Mackenzie & Ebert Ltd. The company has provided golf course architectural advice to Royal Troon Golf Club on both the Old and Portland Courses since Mackenzie & Ebert was formed. For the Old Course, the changes made since since the last staging of The Open at Royal Troon in 2004 have been carried out in two phases. The first of these was carried out in 2010 and covered the dune construction at the 13th and 16th holes. The second phase of works covered the rest of the adjustments and was completed early in 2014. This included the major projects at the 9th, 10th and 15th holes.
Mackenzie & Ebert currently advise 7 of the 10 current Open Championship venues, along with the feted Royal Dornoch in Scotland, Royal Porthcawl in Wales, Royal County Down in Northern Ireland and Portmarnock in Ireland. All of these courses, including The Open Championship links of Turnberry, Royal St. George’s, Royal Lytham & St Annes, Royal Troon, Royal Portrush, Carnoustie and Royal Liverpool, have to present an enjoyable experience for members and visitors as well as the supreme test of the world’s best players. Striking the right balance is the key and that is where judgement is all important, as well as paying respect to and learning from the wonderful heritage of these courses.
Royal Portrush
Royal St. George’s
Photograph Courtesy of Royal St. George’s
Royal Troon
Photograph Courtesy of Kenneth Ferguson
Royal Lytham & St. Annes
Photograph Courtesy of Mark Alexander
Photograph Courtesy of Mark Alexander
Turnberry
Card Of The Course & Description Of Adjustments Hole No.
The Open 2016 Hole Lengths
Par
Comments
1
367
4
Championship tee made larger
2
390
4
Green extended at right rear
3
377
4
Green surrounds extended at rear
4
555
5
Fairway bunkers moved left - Approach bunker and dunes added left - Green extended left rear - Artificial mound reshaped at the rear of the green
5
209
3
Tees reconfigured - Bushes cleared to right of hole and area restored to bare sand
6
601
5
Tees enlarged - Green surrounds reshaped to right and rear
7
401
4
Fairway bunker restored to right of hole
8
123
3
Green extended at front - Green slope from Coffin bunker softened
9
422
4
Tee enlarged - Gorse cleared to left of carry and area restored to bare sand - Green surrounds reshaped - Trees behind green replaced with dunes
Out
3445
36
10
451
4
Back tee added - Wetland created in carry – Sandhills Bunker in carry restored
11
482
4
Tees enlarged - Gorse replaced with heather to the right of the fairway
12
430
4
Tees enlarged - Green surrounds mown tighter to the left
13
473
4
Tee enlarged - Gorse cleared to right of carry and area restored to bare sand - Area in rough to right reshaped - Green extended at left rear
14
178
3
Green extended at right rear
15
499
4
Tees moved to left side of 14th green - First part of fairway moved well left and 4 fairway bunkers added
16
554
5
Back tee added - Dunes added right of fairway on both sides of burn and beyond burn on left - Green extended rear left and right
17
220
3
Green extended at front
18
458
4
Greenside bunkers right made deeper
In
3745
35
Out
3445
36
Total
7190
71
Overall Course Length at The Open in 2004 was 7175 yards
Key Adjustments 4th Hole Green mown out at rear left
8th Hole Mound reshaped behind green
9th Hole
Green contour softened
Approach bunker and low dunes added on left
Fairway bunkers moved left
Trees removed behind green and replaced with dunes
Green extended at front
Gorse cleared and bare sand area restored
Tee enlarged
10th Hole
15th Hole
16th Hole Green extended rear left and right
Fairway bunkers added
Dunes added
Dunes added
Fairway bunkers added New part of fairway
Sandhills Bunker restored
Old fairway
Low dunes added Wetland created
Tees moved to left of 14th green Back tee added
Back tee added