Turnberry tales how the duels unfolded

Compiled by Philip Reid

1977

268 (12 under)

Tom Watson (US) 68 70 65 65

269 (11 under)

Jack Nicklaus (US) 68 70 65 66

279 (1 under)

Hubert Green (US) 72 66 74 67

280 (level par)

Lee Trevino (US) 68 70 72 70

THE foreboding that warned players of heavy, almost unplayable, rough proved off the mark. In the weeks running up to the first Open over the course, an Indian summer left the links bone hard with little rough with American John Schroeder opening up with a 66 to claim the first round lead. However, it was the efforts of Jack Nicklaus - who sank a 25-footer for birdie on the 18th - and Tom Watson, who both signed for 68s, and the 69 by defending champion Johnny Miller, which would grab most attention.

The scoring was even better on day two, with Mark Hayes producing a course record 63. Roger Maltbie added a 66 to his 71 to assume the midway lead on 137 . . . then, in the third round, Watson - the heir to the throne - and Nicklaus, the master, opened up a gap on the rest of the field.

Watson and Nicklaus each shot third rounds of 65, which allowed them to move three shots clear of Ben Crenshaw.

Although Nicklaus moved three shots ahead after just four holes, Watson had levelled matters by the eighth. But a bogey at the ninth followed by a long birdie putt by Nicklaus on the 12th left the Golden Bear two clear. Watson refused to lie down, though. And, when he holed a 60-foot putt from off the green on the 15th, he’d pulled level. When Watson birdied the 17th, he was ahead for the first time. Nicklaus was forced to use driver on the 18th and sliced his tee shot under a gorse bush only to play a miraculous recovery and hole a 40 footer for birdie. But Watson hit his approach to three feet and holed the birdie putt to claim the title by one from Nicklaus.

1986

280 (level par)

Greg Norman (Aus) 74 63 74 69

285 (5 over)

Gordon J Brand (Eng) 71 68 75 71

286 (6 over)

Bernhard Langer (Ger) 72 70 76 68

Ian Woosnam (Wal) 70 74 70 72

287 (7 over)

Nick Faldo (Eng) 71 70 76 70

IN contrast to conditions nine years previously, the second Open at Turnberry was played in wet and windy weather with only one player, Ian Woosnam, matching the par of 70 in the first round. Nick Faldo opened with a 71, while Greg Norman had a turbulent back nine and signed for a 74. However, with an improvement in conditions for the second round, some 15 players dipped below par and Norman’s record equalling 63 - an eagle, eight birdies, six pars and two bogeys including one at the 18th - saw the Great White Shark claim a two-stroke midway lead over Gordon J Brand.

In the third round, only one player, Ho Ming Chung of Taiwan, who was out early, beat par. Norman had a five-stroke lead at one stage of his third round but five bogeys on the back nine left him with a tenuous one-shot lead over Japan’s Tsuneyuki Nakajima with Brand three shots adrift.

The weather finally relented on the final day. The biggest surprise came from Seve Ballesteros who shot 64 to finish on 288. Nakajima started his final round with a double bogey at the first hole and rapidly fell out of contention. A final score of 77 gave him a total of 289 and a joint 7th finishing position. Brand’s round of 71 included an eagle at the 17th and he finished with 285. A surprise late challenge came from Bernhard Langer. He played an excellent second nine, with huge crowd support, to score 68 and finish with 286. This was good enough to tie for third with Woosnam, who scored 72. Norman, however, played a cool round of 69 to finish on a total of 280 and finished as champion, five strokes ahead of Brand.

1994

268 (12 under)

Nick Price (Zim) 69 66 67 66

269 (11 under)

Jesper Parnevik (Swe) 68 66 68 67

271 (9 under)

Fuzzy Zoeller (US) 71 66 64 70

273 (7 under)

David Feherty (N Ire) 68 69 66 70

Mark James (Eng) 72 67 66 68

Anders Forsbrand (Swe) 72 71 66 64

DESPITE poor weather conditions, the first round featured some exceptional low scoring. New Zealander Greg Turner grabbed the opening round lead with a 65, one ahead of England’s Jonathan Lomas with American Andrew Magee in third after a 67. Twelve players, including Tom Watson and Sweden’s Jesper Parnevik, were tied on 68. Nick Price was a further stroke behind.

Watson was inspired in the second round, shooting a 65 to claim the midway lead, one shot clear of Brad Faxon and Parnevik on 133 with Price a shot further behind.

Conditions were almost perfect for the third day of play, and low scores were again achieved. Norman initially looked threatening but a lost ball at the 16th dashed any hopes he had of defending his title. Zoeller, Faxon, Watson, Price and Parnevik battled it out and were joined by Ronan Rafferty, who shot a 65.

They took it in turns to lead throughout the day. In the end Zoeller shot 64 to climb from seventh and share the lead with Faxon, who had shot 67. Watson played defensive golf but his score of 69 dropped him to tie for third with three others - Rafferty, Price and Parnevik. Rafferty was to claim the lead, briefly, in the final round . . . but the quest for the title developed into a two-way battle between Price and Parnevik. When Parnevik holed a long putt on the 17th, he moved two shots clear.

However, Price, two groups behind, birdied the 16th and holed a 50-footer for eagle on the 17th . . . and when Parnevik finished his round with a bogey on the 18th to Price’s par – using an iron off the tee – he was able to claim the Claret Jug.