| 1979 |
| 1979 |
| Seve Ballesteros |
The Car Park Champion…
The 108th Open Championship was the last time the Championship final round would be held on a Saturday. It was however the beginning of Seve Ballesteros major haul and the first of three Open victories.
Former Champion Golfer Roberto de Vicenzo advised Ballesteros that the rough at Lytham was less thick the closer to the green you got. The Spaniard developed his game plan around this advice and, infamously, at the 16th hole in the final round launched a huge drive that found an overflow car park to the right of the fairway. Ballesteros got a free drop, pitched onto the green and holed a 20-foot putt for a birdie.
On his way to a second round 65, Seve’s finish on the feared finishing stretch on the second day was extraordinary with a sequence of four birdies in the last five holes. Overall, his unique strategy was successful – he won by three strokes from Jack Nicklaus and Ben Crenshaw, who had a double bogey at the 17th – yet the Spaniard was often referred to (much to his dislike) as the “car park” champion.
