| 1969 |
| 1969 |
| Tony Jacklin |
What a corker…
The 98th Open Championship, although described as a momentous turning point for British and European golf was led after 2 rounds by familiar face Bob Charles, the last winner of an Open staged at Royal Lytham.
Trailing by three strokes, Jacklin’s third round 70 was enough to give him a two-stroke lead going into the final round. By his own admission, Jacklin’s third round score included some poor shots in the latter part of his round. His score was indebted to a superb short game display, which included just 29 putts. Indeed, Jacklin’s putting all week was a key factor in his victory with a total of 25 single-putts during his four rounds and only one three putt (which came at the 71st hole).
As the golfing world tuned in on coloured TV for the first time who could forget the famous words Henry Longhurst used to describe Jacklin’s drive down the 18th hole; ‘Oh what a corker! My goodness that was a fine drive. It’s gone for miles!’
