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Mark Calcavecchia

1989 / Royal Troon

Mark Calcavecchia became the first player since 1975 to win The Open in a play-off, which was notable on two counts.

It was the first three-way play-off – Australians Greg Norman and Wayne Grady were the runners-up – and it was the first play-off to be contested over four holes instead of a full extra round.

Calcavecchia, who grew up playing golf in Florida, birdied the 18th hole twice on the same day to win the Claret Jug – playing in only his third Open.

On a hot and sunny final day at Royal Troon, Calcavecchia started three strokes adrift of Grady, while Norman was seven behind.

Six birdies in a row to begin his final round put the Shark in contention and he finished with a 64 to post the clubhouse target at nine under par.

Calcavecchia was helped by holing a putt of 40 feet at the 11th and a pitch of 60 feet on the full at the 12th. An 8-iron to four feet at the last set up the birdie he needed to tie Norman having posted his three consecutive rounds of 68.

Grady bogeyed the 17th to ball back to nine under and a par at the last gave him a 71 and a spot in the play-off, in which he would finish three behind the winner.

Norman again started fast in extra time, birdieing the first two holes, but then over-shot the 17th green and took a bogey to drop back into a tie with Calcavecchia.

The Great White Shark’s great length was his undoing at the last. He drove into a bunker 310 yards away and could only advance his second shot into another bunker.

Calcavecchia now clinched victory with a 5-iron approach to six feet. It was his finest hour, while Norman, going out of bounds over the green with his third, squandered his chance.

The Champion admitted thinking: “Man, I can three-putt from six feet and win the British Open. Just make sure you don’t double hit it.”

Name
Finish
R1
R2
R3
R4
Total
Par
Mark CALCAVECCHIA
Champion Golfer
1
71
68
68
68
275
-
Wayne GRADY
2
68
67
69
71
275
-
Greg NORMAN
2
69
70
72
64
275
-
Tom WATSON
4
69
68
68
72
277
-
Jodie MUDD
5
73
67
68
70
278
-
Fred COUPLES
6
68
71
68
72
279
-
David FEHERTY
6
71
67
69
72
279
-
Eduardo ROMERO
8
68
70
75
67
280
-
Payne STEWART
8
72
65
69
74
280
-
Paul AZINGER
8
68
73
67
72
280
-
Sir Nick FALDO
11
71
71
70
69
281
-
Mark MCNULTY
11
75
70
70
66
281
-
Steve PATE
13
69
70
70
73
282
-
Roger CHAPMAN
13
76
68
67
71
282
-
Philip WALTON
13
69
74
69
70
282
-
Craig STADLER
13
73
69
69
71
282
-
Howard CLARK
13
72
68
72
70
282
-
Mark JAMES
13
69
70
71
72
282
-
Tom KITE
19
70
74
67
72
283
-
Derrick COOPER
19
69
70
76
68
283
-
Don POOLEY
19
73
70
69
71
283
-
Larry MIZE
19
71
74
66
72
283
-
Davis LOVE III
23
72
70
73
69
284
-
Jose Maria OLAZABAL
23
68
72
69
75
284
-
Vijay SINGH
23
71
73
69
71
284
-
Scott SIMPSON
26
73
66
72
74
285
-
Lanny WADKINS
26
72
70
69
74
285
-
Chip BECK
26
75
69
68
73
285
-
Stephen BENNETT
26
75
69
68
73
285
-
Ian BAKER-FINCH
30
72
69
70
75
286
-
Miguel MARTIN
30
68
73
73
72
286
-
Peter JACOBSEN
30
71
74
71
70
286
-
Mark DAVIS
30
77
68
67
74
286
-
Jack NICKLAUS
30
74
71
71
70
286
-
Brian MARCHBANK
30
69
74
73
70
286
-
Jeff HAWKES
30
75
67
69
75
286
-
Gary KOCH
30
72
71
74
69
286
-
Masashi OZAKI
30
71
73
70
72
286
-
Jeff WOODLAND
39
74
67
75
71
287
-
Tommy ARMOUR III
39
70
71
72
74
287
-
Mike HARWOOD
39
71
72
72
72
287
-
Ray FLOYD
42
73
68
73
74
288
-
Mark O'MEARA
42
72
74
69
73
288
-
Jose RIVERO
42
71
75
72
70
288
-
Lee TREVINO
42
68
73
73
74
288
-
Naomichi OZAKI
46
71
71
69
78
289
-
Mark MCCUMBER
46
71
68
70
80
289
-
Sandy LYLE
46
73
73
71
72
289
-
Ian WOOSNAM
49
74
72
73
71
290
-
Johnny MILLER
49
72
69
76
73
290
-
Christy O'CONNOR JR
49
71
73
72
74
290
-
Ben CRENSHAW
52
73
73
74
71
291
-
Tateo OZAKI
52
75
71
73
72
291
-
Gene SAUERS
52
70
73
72
76
291
-
Mark ROE
52
74
71
73
73
291
-
Brett OGLE
52
74
70
76
71
291
-
Tony JOHNSTONE
52
71
71
74
75
291
-
Emmanuel DUSSART
52
76
68
73
74
291
-
Michael ALLEN
52
74
67
76
74
291
-
Richard BOXALL
52
74
68
73
76
291
-
Curtis STRANGE
61
70
74
74
74
292
-
Ken GREEN
61
75
71
68
78
292
-
Mike REID
61
74
72
73
73
292
-
Bob TWAY
61
76
70
71
75
292
-
Paul HOAD
61
72
71
77
72
292
-
Wayne STEPHENS
61
66
72
76
78
292
-
Ronan RAFFERTY
61
70
72
74
76
292
-
David GRAHAM
61
74
72
69
77
292
-
Sandy STEPHEN
69
71
74
71
77
293
-
Russell CLAYDON
69
70
74
74
75
293
-
Luis CARBONETTI
69
71
72
74
76
293
-
Colin GILLIES
72
72
74
74
74
294
-
Brad FAXON
73
72
72
75
76
295
-
Peter TERAVAINEN
73
72
73
72
78
295
-
Emlyn AUBREY
75
72
73
73
78
296
-
Martin SLUDDS
76
72
74
73
78
297
-
Seve BALLESTEROS
77
72
73
76
78
299
-
Robert KARLSSON
77
75
70
76
78
299
-
Gavin LEVENSON
79
69
76
77
79
301
-
Bernhard LANGER
80
71
73
83
82
309
-
Barry LANE
M/C
74
73
-
-
-
M/C
Neil HANSEN
M/C
73
74
-
-
-
M/C
Paul AFFLECK
M/C
72
75
-
-
-
M/C
Neal BRIGGS
M/C
77
70
-
-
-
M/C
Stephen HAMILL
M/C
74
73
-
-
-
M/C
Stephen FIELD
M/C
76
71
-
-
-
M/C
Nick PRICE
M/C
74
73
-
-
-
M/C
Bob SMITH
M/C
70
77
-
-
-
M/C
Michael SMITH
M/C
76
71
-
-
-
M/C
David RAY
M/C
73
74
-
-
-
M/C
Peter SENIOR
M/C
74
73
-
-
-
M/C
Martin POXON
M/C
71
76
-
-
-
M/C
John BLAND
M/C
72
75
-
-
-
M/C
Des SMYTH
M/C
78
69
-
-
-
M/C
Larry NELSON
M/C
73
74
-
-
-
M/C
Sam TORRANCE
M/C
70
77
-
-
-
M/C
Tom WEISKOPF
M/C
74
73
-
-
-
M/C
Brian BARNES
M/C
73
75
-
-
-
M/C
Andy BEAN
M/C
73
75
-
-
-
M/C
Fuzzy ZOELLER
M/C
73
75
-
-
-
M/C
Ernie ELS
M/C
72
76
-
-
-
M/C
Gordon BRAND JR
M/C
76
72
-
-
-
M/C
Paul MAYO
M/C
75
73
-
-
-
M/C
Michael CLAYTON
M/C
74
74
-
-
-
M/C
Denis DURNIAN
M/C
75
74
-
-
-
M/C
Charlie BOLLING
M/C
73
76
-
-
-
M/C
Peter BAKER
M/C
74
75
-
-
-
M/C
Gary EVANS
M/C
73
76
-
-
-
M/C
Wayne HENRY
M/C
76
73
-
-
-
M/C
Gary EMERSON
M/C
75
75
-
-
-
M/C
Ross MCFARLANE
M/C
73
77
-
-
-
M/C
Steve JONES
M/C
73
77
-
-
-
M/C
Larry RINKER
M/C
75
75
-
-
-
M/C
Paul CARRIGILL
M/C
78
72
-
-
-
M/C
Peter MITCHELL
M/C
75
75
-
-
-
M/C
Anders SORENSEN
M/C
74
76
-
-
-
M/C
Andrew STUBBS
M/C
72
78
-
-
-
M/C
Steen TINNING
M/C
78
72
-
-
-
M/C
Jonathan SEWELL
M/C
78
72
-
-
-
M/C
Keith WATERS
M/C
74
76
-
-
-
M/C
Philip PARKIN
M/C
73
77
-
-
-
M/C
David LLEWELLYN
M/C
78
72
-
-
-
M/C
Vicente FERNANDEZ
M/C
75
76
-
-
-
M/C
Jeff SLUMAN
M/C
78
73
-
-
-
M/C
Gordon J. BRAND
M/C
78
73
-
-
-
M/C
Paul CARMAN
M/C
76
75
-
-
-
M/C
David WILLIAMS
M/C
77
75
-
-
-
M/C
Babe HISKEY
M/C
75
77
-
-
-
M/C
Mark MOULAND
M/C
77
75
-
-
-
M/C
Gary PLAYER
M/C
79
73
-
-
-
M/C
Eamonn DARCY
M/C
75
77
-
-
-
M/C
Ken BROWN
M/C
74
78
-
-
-
M/C
Daniel LOZANO
M/C
79
74
-
-
-
M/C
John PRICE
M/C
80
73
-
-
-
M/C
Paul EALES
M/C
74
79
-
-
-
M/C
Wayne RILEY
M/C
76
77
-
-
-
M/C
Stephen DODD
M/C
79
75
-
-
-
M/C
Gary MILNE
M/C
79
75
-
-
-
M/C
Chris MOODY
M/C
81
73
-
-
-
M/C
David FROST
M/C
75
79
-
-
-
M/C
Andrew HARE
M/C
73
82
-
-
-
M/C
Jerome O'SHEA
M/C
80
75
-
-
-
M/C
Peter COWEN
M/C
81
74
-
-
-
M/C
Philip HARRISON
M/C
79
76
-
-
-
M/C
Gordon TOWNHILL
M/C
79
77
-
-
-
M/C
Nobuo SERIZAWA
M/C
79
78
-
-
-
M/C
Rodger DAVIS
M/C
78
79
-
-
-
M/C
Paul KENT
M/C
78
79
-
-
-
M/C
Paul BROADHURST
M/C
73
84
-
-
-
M/C
Tony JACKLIN
M/C
80
77
-
-
-
M/C
James NOON
M/C
81
77
-
-
-
M/C
David J RUSSELL
M/C
80
78
-
-
-
M/C
Johan RYSTROM
M/C
79
79
-
-
-
M/C
John GARNER
M/C
78
81
-
-
-
M/C
Eric MEEKS
M/C
81
80
-
-
-
M/C
Arnold PALMER
M/C
82
82
-
-
-
M/C

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