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Bob Charles Claret Jug 1963

Sir Bob Charles

Sir Bob Charles was a supreme putter and showed just why he was rated as one of the best of his generation in winning The Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes in 1963.
  • He worked in banking for six years before turning professional

    Did you know?

  • 76

    Professional wins

  • Charles was the first left-handed golfer to win a major championship

    Fun fact

Sir Bob Charles was a supreme putter and showed just why he was rated as one of the best of his generation in winning The Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes in 1963.

Tall, thin and resolutely undemonstrative, he held his nerve to hole out to tie the stocky and more volatile American Phil Rodgers. He won the 36-hole play-off by eight strokes.

In the morning round of the play-off he had 11 singles putts and got up and down from rough or bunkers seven times. He kept his wrists out of his putting stroke by hinging from the shoulders and hardly ever missed from five feet.

He remains the only New Zealander to win The Open and he was the only left-hander to win a major until Mike Weir won the 2003 Masters. It took Phil Mickelson another ten years at Muirfield to become the second left-handed Open Champion.

Charles

Charles is right-handed otherwise but his parents played golf left-handed and he started playing by picking up their spare clubs. He has enjoyed a remarkably long career. He first won the New Zealand Open as an 18-year-old amateur who worked as a bank clerk.

He won all round the world, including the 1969 World Match Play, the year he was runner-up to Tony Jacklin at Lytham in The Open. It was the second year in a row he was second in The Open and he also had top-three finishes in the US Open and the PGA Championship.

He continued winning after the age of 50, twice claiming the Senior Open Championship, including at Lytham again in 1993. In 2007, aged 71, he made the cut in the New Zealand Open and twice beating his age in the four rounds. He was awarded a knighthood in 1999.

Venue
Finish
R1
R2
R3
R4
Total
Par
Royal Lytham & St Annes 2001
M/C
75
74
-
-
-
M/C
St Andrews 2000
M/C
72
75
-
-
-
M/C
Carnoustie 1999
M/C
83
81
-
-
-
M/C
Royal Lytham & St Annes 1996
71
71
72
71
77
291
-
St Andrews 1995
M/C
73
76
-
-
-
M/C
Turnberry 1994
M/C
74
79
-
-
-
M/C
St Andrews 1990
M/C
76
75
-
-
-
M/C
Royal Lytham & St Annes 1988
20
71
74
69
73
287
-
Turnberry 1986
19
76
72
73
72
293
-
Royal St George's 1985
Wd
70
76
69
-
-
-
St Andrews 1984
47
75
73
70
73
291
-
Royal Troon 1982
M/C
79
74
-
-
-
M/C
Royal St George's 1981
35
77
71
71
73
292
-
Muirfield 1980
60
75
71
73
76
295
-
Royal Lytham & St Annes 1979
10
78
72
70
72
292
-
St Andrews 1978
48
73
70
79
73
295
-
Turnberry 1977
43
73
72
70
78
293
-
Royal Birkdale 1976
WD
72
76
81
-
-
-
Carnoustie 1975
12
74
73
70
69
286
-
Royal Lytham & St Annes 1974
M/C
78
79
-
-
-
M/C
Royal Troon 1973
7
73
71
73
71
288
-
Muirfield 1972
15
75
70
74
70
289
-
Royal Birkdale 1971
18
77
71
71
70
289
-
St Andrews 1970
13
72
73
73
74
292
-
Royal Lytham & St Annes 1969
2
66
69
75
72
282
-
Carnoustie 1968
2
72
72
71
76
291
-
Royal Liverpool 1967
M/C
75
76
-
-
-
M/C
Muirfield 1966
37
74
74
77
75
300
-
Royal Birkdale 1965
M/C
78
73
-
-
-
M/C
St Andrews 1964
17
79
71
69
78
297
-
Royal Lytham & St Annes 1963
1
68
72
66
71
277
-
Royal Troon 1962
5
75
70
70
75
290
-
Royal Birkdale 1961
M/C
72
84
-
-
-
M/C
Royal Lytham & St Annes 1958
M/C
71
79
-
-
-
M/C

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