Royal Lytham's Open Highlights
1926 - Jones' Master Stroke
Bobby Jones, whose only previous Open appearance saw him walking off the Old Course at St Andrews in disgust following an outward nine of 46 – which he would later call his "most inglorious failure in golf" – comes from behind to overhaul fellow American Al Waltrous thanks to a superb approach to the 17th green from a sandy lie to the left of the fairway. An amazed Waltrous three-putted the hole for bogey and then bogeyed the last to lose out to Jones by two shots. It was the first of Jones' three Open titles.
1952 - Locke Cuts it Fine
South African Bobby Locke eased to his third Open Championship victory at Lytham but only after a mad panic on the morning of the final 36 holes. After breakfasting at his Blackpool hotel, Locke realised that his golf clubs were stuck in the boot of his car which was locked inside a private garage – which he didn't have a key to. Luckily for Locke a friendly milkman knew the garage owner and scarpered off to find him. After retrieving his clubs Locke made a dash for the course, changed his shoes in the car, and made it to the 1st tee with only moments to spare.
1958 - Thomson Makes it Four
The fourth of Peter Thomson's five Open titles came after a 36-hole play-off with a powerful 23-year-old Welshman, Dave Thomas. After the pair recorded record 72-hole total of 278, Thomson went out and shot a fine 68 to Thomas' 69 in the morning round before prevailing in the afternoon. The win gave Thomson his fourth Open in just five years; he would add his fifth in 1965.
1963- Lefty Putts to Victory
New Zealand's Bob Charles became the first left-hander to win a major championship after a sensational putting display in his 36-hole play-off with Phil Rodgers of the USA. Charles took just 26 putts in the morning 18 holes and scrambled superbly, wearing out Rodgers, who had fired a fine 69 in the final round of regulation. Charles ended up winning by eight.
1969- Jacklin Gives Brits a Boost
There hadn't been a British champion of the Open since Max Faulkner in 1951 but Tony Jacklin changed all that with an accomplished display over the Lytham links. Taking the lead in the third round, Jacklin withstood the challenge of 1963 winner Bob Charles well and arrived on the 18th tee with a two-shot lead. After Charles missed the fairway to the right, Jacklin hit a bullet of a drive down the middle of the fairway to become the first British winner in 18 years. It would take another 16 years more the next British winner – Sandy Lyle at Royal St George's in 1985.
