Carrying on with the Open Championship content, I thought it would be fun to chart some of the recent surprise winners of this esteemed event. Links golf is about has far removed from your regular PGA Tour event as you can imagine.
The exposed links cathedrals of Open Championship golf have a level of mystery to them that can open the tournament up to some offbeat winners. Here are my five picks for most surprising champs of the 21st century.
5. Louis Oosthuizen- 2010 (St Andrews)
Sure, Louis Oosthuzien would go on to become one of the chief protagonists in major championship golf for the better part of a decade. But nobody gave the South African much of a sniff when he rocked up at the Old Course in 2010. In fact, he had only made one cut in eight previous major appearances leading into the 2010 Open. Moreover, he had never won on the European Tour until five months before this event. But he was imperious from day one at the home of golf, carding a opening-round 65 before taking advantage of generous morning conditions to shoot 67 on Friday. He just built on that lead on the weekend, ultimately prevailing by a gargantuan seven strokes. South African golfing enthusiasts would be in for a lot of pain in the upcoming years, with King Louis finishing runner-up in all four of the majors after this. Still, he will always have St Andrews 2010 to lean on.
4. Brian Harman- 2023 (Royal Liverpool)
I’m going to give myself a little room for self-congratulation here (the leader of the ‘free world’ does it every five seconds). I backed Brian Harman as one of my picks for the 2023 Open Championship. The consistent ball striker had picked up three successive top-12 finishes leading into the Open. With news of awful weather approaching Royal Liverpool, I knew that his accuracy and ability to control his trajectory could give him an edge over the ego-driven bombers in the field. And it played out perfectly, as the diminutive American decimated a star-studded field by six strokes.
3. Darren Clarke- 2011 (Royal St George’s)
Darren Clarke’s epic 2011 victory at Royal St George’s was almost certainly the most emotional Open victory that I can remember. A former top-ten player, Clarke went into the 2011 Open Championship with virtually no form to speak of, having not picked up a top-ten finish at a major since 2001. The death of his first wife in 2006 also had a profound impact on the trajectory of his career. But Clarke had some productive conversations with sports psychologist Dr. Bob Rotella and looked reinvigorated on the blustery links. His unerring ability to control the trajectory of his ball flight served him well in the challenging conditions. The 42-year-old tamed the conditions to win his lone major title, ensuring there wasn’t a dry eye in the house by dedicating the victory to his late wife.
2. Todd Hamilton- 2004 (Royal Troon)
This is the type of Cinderella story that we don’t see too much in the cut and thrust world of contemporary golf. A textbook journeyman pro, Todd Hamilton didn’t secure his PGA Tour card until the age of 38, having largely plied his trade on the Japan Tour. Hamilton went into the 2004 Open with a precise gameplan, eschewing traditional chipping in favour of a bump-and-run approach around the green (he used a rescue hybrid club). He took some of the mystery out of those tight little lies and just hung in there against the more experienced pros. His approach ultimately paid off in spades, as he outlasted South African links virtuoso Ernie Els in a four-hole playoff.
1. Ben Curtis- 2003 (Royal St George’s)
Forget about the Open, Ben Curtis’ 2003 victory at Royal St George’s remains the biggest shock win in major championship golf. The American was ranked 396th going into Open Championship week, making him far and away the lowest-ranked player to win a major. The PGA Tour rookie went into the final round at Royal St George’s two strokes off the lead but surged into the lead with patient play, moving to 5-under-par after 11 holes. He stuttered home with four bogeys in the last seven holes, setting the clubhouse lead at 1-under-par. Thomas Bjorn endured a mythic meltdown on the home stretch, needing three attempts to escape a fearsome greenside bunker on the 16th. Vijay Singh couldn’t take advantage of his opportunities, leaving the unassuming Curtis to take the most unprecedented of victories.
