Our site uses cookies to help you enjoy the best possible experience. By carrying on browsing this site, you give consent for cookies to be used. For more details about them, including how you can amend your preferences, please read our Cookie Policy.

Close
The 147

The 147th Open Carnoustie  15th - 22nd July 2018

Carnoustie 14° C

Newsletter sign up
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • Home
  • Tickets & Hospitality
    • 2018 Tickets

      Purchase Tickets and Premium Tickets for The 147th Open at Carnoustie

    • 2018 Hospitality

      Purchase Hospitality Experiences for The 147th Open at Carnoustie

    • The One Club

      Join The One Club today to guarantee access to presale tickets for The Open

    • 2019 Hospitality

      Register your interest in Hospitality Experiences for The 148th Open at Royal Portrush in 2019

    • Official Patrons
    • HSBC
    • MasterCard
  • Spectators
    • Getting There

      Getting to The 147th Open at Carnoustie

    • Planning your day

      Make the most of your day at The Open 

    • Accommodation

      Find a place to stay with the Official Open Accommodation Bureau

    • Camping

      Free camping for Under 25's. Book your place at The Open Camping Village

    • Official Patron
    • Mercedes
  • Players
    • Players

      Meet the players of The 147th Open at Carnoustie

    • Exemptions

      Learn about exemption categories and players that have earned exemptions

    • Entry Form

      Complete the Online Entry Form for The 147th Open at Carnoustie in 2018

  • Qualification
    • Open Qualifying Series

      The road to Carnoustie begins with The Open Qualifying Series

    • Qualifiers

      The players who have qualified from The Open Qualifying Series

  • News & Video
    • News

      Stay up to date with all the latest news from The Open

    • Video & Audio

      Watch and listen to all the action from The Open

    • Official Patrons
    • Doosan
    • Rolex
  • Heritage
    • The Open

      Played since 1860, this is the one where it all began

    • Open Champions

      The players that have become Champion Golfer of the Year

    • Claret Jug

      Explore the history of the Golf Champion Trophy, better known as the Claret Jug

    • Open Venues

      Explore the venues that have hosted golf's oldest championship

    • Previous Opens

      Discover the history of golf’s one true test 

    • Official Patron
    • HSBC
  • Shop
    • Host Venues

      Commemorative ranges now available for The 146th, 147th and 148th Open Championships.

    • Mens

      Shop our mens collection of polo's, outerwear and knitwear to look the part for The Open.

    • WOMENS

      Shop our womens collection of polo's, outerwear and knitwear to look the part at The Open.

    • Kids

      Treat the family to the latest from The Open collection.

    • Gifts & Accessories

      Check out the latest gifts and accessories from The Open.

    • Yellow

      Purchase accessories from the popular Yellow Label range

    • Official Patron
    • MasterCard
  • My Account
  • The 147th Open Carnoustie 15-22 July 2018

Happy Birthday Jack!

Back to News & Video

Jack Nicklaus celebrated his 78th birthday on Sunday 21st January. The great man may have long since exited the major stage but it’s only fitting that we look back at some of his greatest moments from The Open.

Nicklaus won 18 major championships, a tally that puts him four ahead of Tiger Woods as the most successful male golfer of all-time, and just for good measure he also holds the record for most runner-up finishes in majors too.

When it comes to The Open, Nicklaus was crowned Champion Golfer on three occasions including twice at the Old Course at St Andrews.

The 95th Open – Muirfield (1966)

It was a case of fifth time lucky for Nicklaus at The 95th Open as he won his sixth career major championship in dramatic circumstances at Muirfield to join Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan and Gary Player as the only players to have won all four majors.

Nicklaus achieved this at the age of 26, the youngest person to have accomplished the feat, and he did so in the first Open played over four days rather than three. With a second and a third-place finish already under his belt in his first four attempts, there would be no denying Nicklaus this time around.

He started strongly, ending the first two days with a one-shot lead from England’s Peter Butler. While his 75 in round three allowed the field back into it, and notably compatriot Phil Rodgers to head into the final day one stroke clear, Nicklaus stormed back on the final round. Out in 33, he put the pressure back on his challengers, with Rodgers slipping from contention, and Arnold Palmer likewise. Three bogeys in four holes around the turn put the destination of the Claret Jug back in doubt, but just as it seemed the title of Champion Golfer might escape his grasp, Nicklaus finished birdie, par to win his first Claret Jug.

The 99th Open – St Andrews (1970)

Of the 18 major victories Nicklaus won, none were more unlikely than in 1970 at St Andrews when Doug Sanders missed a three-foot putt on the last green which would have won him the Claret Jug. It is one of the most famous missed putts the game has ever seen. Sanders was distracted by something when initially addressing the ball and bent down to pick up a blade of grass before pushing his effort to the right of the cup.

The miss meant Sanders would face Nicklaus in an 18-hole play-off, the first in Open history, and for the second time Sanders finished a runner-up to the great man. The play-off was dramatic, with Nicklaus dominating early to take a four-shot lead after 13 holes.

Sanders fought back, and trailed by just one playing the last when Nicklaus smashed his drive to the back of the green. Sanders managed a three, leaving Nicklaus with two shots to win. He did just that, putting from eight feet to become Champion Golfer of the Year for a second time, and his first at the Home of Golf.

“I had never shown emotion like that before, it was totally out of character,” he said after the win. “But then I had never won the oldest golf Championship in the world at the cradle and home of the game.”

The 107th Open – St Andrews (1978)

In 1978 Nicklaus became the first man in the modern era to win The Open twice at St Andrews and he did so with another brilliant final round. Tied second after three rounds, Nicklaus produced a bogey-free final round 69 as he overhauled the leading duo of Peter Oosterhuis and Tom Watson, while holding off the challenge of New Zealander Simon Owen. He managed three birdies in that round, enough to win the title by two strokes – the largest of his three victories at The Open.

Nicklaus at Carnoustie

While Nicklaus never won at Carnoustie, where this year’s Open will be held, his record there still ranks right up with the best. In 1968, two years removed from his first Open win, Nicklaus finished tied for second as Gary Player took his second Claret Jug, thanks to a magical eagle on the 14th.

When The Open returned to Carnoustie in 1975, it was Nicklaus’ long-time rival Tom Watson who became Champion Golfer of Year. While their rivalry will be remembered mostly for the Duel in the Sun two years later at Turnberry, on this occasion Watson also got the better of Nicklaus, eventually taking the title with a play-off success over Jack Newton. Nicklaus finished tied for third, just one stroke back of the leading pair.

Jack’s Open legacy

In addition to his three Open wins, he finished runner-up on seven occasions and third three times. Over a 17-year period from 1963 to 1980, only once did he fail to finish in the top six – an unrivalled period of consistency from the greatest the game has ever seen.

It would be no disservice to Ben Curtis to say he is the second-greatest Champion Golfer born in Columbus, Ohio. After all, when you share a hometown with The Golden Bear, Curtis – like almost everyone down the years – is simply vying for second place.

Sunday 21 Jan 2018. 08:00 AM GMT

Get even closer to The Open.

TOC-WebsiteImages-ART-v2

Join The One Club


Most Popular

Rory-Round-4-grass

Sunday's notable notes: Rory's rally comes up short

Sunday 23 Jul 2017. 08:24 PM GMT

kuchar-miss-sunday

Kuchar (69) comes up short in back-nine duel

Sunday 23 Jul 2017. 07:52 PM GMT

Kuchar-final-conference

Best quotes from Sunday at the 146th Open

Sunday 23 Jul 2017. 07:28 PM GMT


Related Media

See All News & Video
SunningdaleGV

Tuesday 14 Mar 2017. 04:28 PM GMT

Lyle and Lawrie take on historic foursomes

The two former Champion Golfers of the Year are set to play in the prestigious Sunningdale Foursomes this week.

Read more
DarrenClarkeClaretJugWEB

Monday 20 Feb 2017. 02:45 PM GMT

Royal St George's Golf Club to host The 149th Open in 2020

One of the world’s great sporting events will return to the south east of England in 2020 when The 149th Open is played at Royal St George's

Read more
GettyImages-576771130

Friday 27 Jan 2017. 09:04 AM GMT

Economic benefit of The Open

£110 million benefit to Scotland from last year’s event at Royal Troon.

Read more
HenrikRacetoDubai3

Tuesday 22 Nov 2016. 09:34 AM GMT

Can Henrik make it a double at The 146th Open?

Henrik Stenson couldn’t hide his delight after picking up his second Race to Dubai trophy at the season finale championship on Sunday.

Read more
ArnoldPalmerRoyalBirkdale19614

Friday 23 Sep 2016. 01:41 PM GMT

Arnold Palmer conquers the links to win first Claret Jug at Royal Birkdale

Royal Birkdale may have been plagued with bad weather for The 90th Open Championship in 1961 – but that was not going to stop the crowds turning out to see one of the world’s most exciting golfers of the early sixties - the charismatic Arnold Palmer.

Read more
SpectatorHero2

Wednesday 21 Sep 2016. 01:14 PM GMT

Golf's oldest Championship even more open for next generation of fans

Tickets for The 146th Open at Royal Birkdale are now on sale with a variety of different ticketing options and early season prices available.

Read more
RBSpecialVenueHero

Thursday 1 Sep 2016. 07:00 AM GMT

A special venue for The 146th Open

The Open is returning to Royal Birkdale, one of the world’s most renowned links courses, for the tenth time in its history.

Read more

The Open

For over 150 years, the world’s best players have faced the unrelenting challenge of links golf at The Open, golf’s oldest championship.

Find out more

Hospitality

15-22 July 2018
Packages from:

£210

Book Hospitality

Share:

Official Patrons
Sitemap
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Youtube

  • Tickets & Hospitality
    • 2018 Tickets
    • 2018 Hospitality
    • The One Club
    • 2019 Hospitality
  • Spectators
    • Getting There
    • Planning your day
    • Accommodation
  • Players
    • Players
    • Exemptions
  • Qualification
    • Open Qualifying Series
    • Qualifiers
  • News & Video
    • News
    • Video & Audio
  • Heritage
    • The Open
    • Open Champions
    • Claret Jug
    • Open Venues
    • Previous Opens
  • Shop
  • My Account

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
DiscoverNI-white-logo
Legals
  • Contact Us
  • Website Ts&Cs
  • Cookie Info
  • Privacy Policy
  • R&A Trademarks
  • Credits
  • Tickets T&C
  • Media
  • Employment
  • Patrons

© R&A Championships Limited, Company No. SC247047, R&A Rules Limited, Company No. SC247046 R&A Group Services Limited, Company No. SC247048, Beach House, Golf Place, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9JA

DiscoverNI-white-logo

Newsletter Sign Up

Receive all the latest news and ticket information from The Open.