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2012 / Royal Lytham & St Annes
Ernie Els never led The 141st Open until the moment he won it. At a course where the South African felt he had let victories slip away in both 1996 and 2001, he closed superbly with a 68 that included an inward half of only 32 strokes.
At the 18th he received a grand ovation as was fitting a former Champion and then an even bigger one when he rolled in a 15-footer for his fourth birdie since the turn.
He had not won a tournament for almost two years and in April had failed to qualify for the Masters but, with the help of an eye specialist, his game, and especially his putting, was coming around.
It was a magnificent putt that deserved to win an Open but not quite yet. Adam Scott had led after equalling the course record with a 64 on day one.
Brandt Snedeker’s own 64 on Friday matched Nick Faldo’s record of 130 strokes for 36 holes but Scott retook the lead with a third-round 68. The Australian with the broom-handled putter started nervily on Sunday, the first day of any notable breeze, but with a birdie at the 14th he was four ahead with four to play. Miserably, he contrived to bogey each of the last four holes.
At the last, now level with Els, Scott drove into a bunker and ended up missing from eight feet for a par and a play-off. Only Henry Cotton had taken longer to regain the Claret Jug than the ten years it took Els.
“Amazing, I’m still numb,” he said. “It’s just crazy. I really feel for my good buddy, Scottie.”
“Ernie is a worthy Champion,” Scott said. “He said he felt for me and not to beat myself up, that I’m a great player and can go on to win majors.”
Brandt Snedeker’s own 64 on Friday matched Nick Faldo’s record of 130 strokes for 36 holes but Scott retook the lead with a third-round 68. The Australian with the broom-handled putter started nervily on Sunday, the first day of any notable breeze, but with a birdie at the 14th he was four ahead with four to play. Miserably, he contrived to bogey each of the last four holes.
At the last, now level with Els, Scott drove into a bunker and ended up missing from eight feet for a par and a play-off. Only Henry Cotton had taken longer to regain the Claret Jug than the ten years it took Els.
“Amazing, I’m still numb,” he said. “It’s just crazy. I really feel for my good buddy, Scottie.”
“Ernie is a worthy Champion,” Scott said. “He said he felt for me and not to beat myself up, that I’m a great player and can go on to win majors.”
Name
Finish
R1
R2
R3
R4
Total
Par
Luke DONALD
T5
70
68
71
69
278
-2
Nicolas COLSAERTS
T7
65
77
72
65
279
-1
Thomas AIKEN
T7
68
68
71
72
279
-1
Geoff OGILVY
T9
72
68
73
67
280
-
Hunter MAHAN
T19
70
71
70
70
281
1
Steven ALKER
T19
69
69
72
71
281
1
Bill HAAS
T19
71
68
68
74
281
1
Carl PETTERSSON
T23
71
68
73
70
282
2
Simon DYSON
T23
72
67
73
70
282
2
Steve STRICKER
T23
67
71
73
71
282
2
Peter HANSON
T23
67
72
72
71
282
2
Matthew BALDWIN
T23
69
73
69
71
282
2
James MORRISON
T23
68
70
72
72
282
2
Nick WATNEY
T23
71
70
69
72
282
2
Anirban LAHIRI
T31
68
72
70
73
283
3
Jason DUFNER
T31
70
66
73
74
283
3
John SENDEN
T34
70
71
75
68
284
4
Richard STERNE
T39
69
73
73
70
285
5
KJ CHOI
T39
70
73
71
71
285
5
Troy MATTESON
T39
70
72
71
72
285
5
Kyle STANLEY
T39
70
69
70
76
285
5
Ross FISHER
T45
72
71
74
69
286
6
Bob ESTES
T45
69
72
74
71
286
6
Rafa ECHENIQUE
T45
73
69
71
73
286
6
Justin HICKS
T45
68
74
69
75
286
6
Greg CHALMERS
T45
71
68
71
76
286
6
Simon KHAN
T45
70
69
71
76
286
6
Freddie JACOBSON
T54
69
73
73
72
287
7
Yoshinori FUJIMOTO
T54
71
70
73
73
287
7
Gonzalo FERNANDEZ-CASTANO
T54
71
71
72
73
287
7
Greg OWEN
T54
71
71
71
74
287
7
Ted POTTER JR
T60
69
71
74
74
288
8
Dale WHITNELL
T60
71
69
72
76
288
8
Charles HOWELL III
T64
72
71
74
72
289
9
Lee SLATTERY
T64
69
72
75
73
289
9
Retief GOOSEN
T64
70
70
75
74
289
9
SM BAE
T64
72
71
71
75
289
9
Garth MULROY
T64
71
69
72
77
289
9
Jeev Milkha SINGH
T69
70
71
76
73
290
10
Aaron BADDELEY
T69
71
71
74
74
290
10
Adilson DA SILVA
T69
69
74
71
76
290
10
Martin LAIRD
T72
70
69
82
70
291
11
Chad CAMPBELL
T72
73
70
74
74
291
11
Juvic PAGUNSAN
T72
71
72
73
75
291
11
Brendan JONES
T72
69
74
72
76
291
11
Toshinori MUTO
T72
67
72
74
78
291
11
Warren BENNETT
T77
71
70
75
76
292
12
Thongchai JAIDEE
T77
69
71
74
78
292
12
Andres ROMERO
83
70
69
77
82
298
18
Nick CULLEN
M/C
73
71
-
-
-
M/C
George COETZEE
M/C
74
70
-
-
-
M/C
Marcus FRASER
M/C
71
73
-
-
-
M/C
Mark WILSON
M/C
72
72
-
-
-
M/C
Anders HANSEN
M/C
68
76
-
-
-
M/C
Koumei ODA
M/C
72
72
-
-
-
M/C
Jbe KRUGER
M/C
68
76
-
-
-
M/C
Raphael JACQUELIN
M/C
72
72
-
-
-
M/C
YE YANG
M/C
74
70
-
-
-
M/C
Steven TILEY
M/C
72
72
-
-
-
M/C
Aaron TOWNSEND
M/C
70
74
-
-
-
M/C
Scott PINCKNEY
M/C
68
77
-
-
-
M/C
Gregory HAVRET
M/C
73
72
-
-
-
M/C
KT KIM
M/C
75
70
-
-
-
M/C
Bo VAN PELT
M/C
71
74
-
-
-
M/C
Morten Orum MADSEN
M/C
74
71
-
-
-
M/C
Steven O'HARA
M/C
74
72
-
-
-
M/C
Jonathan BYRD
M/C
74
72
-
-
-
M/C
Ashley HALL
M/C
71
75
-
-
-
M/C
Barry LANE
M/C
73
73
-
-
-
M/C
Alan DUNBAR
M/C
75
71
-
-
-
M/C
Ryo ISHIKAWA
M/C
74
72
-
-
-
M/C
Sam WALKER
M/C
76
70
-
-
-
M/C
Michael THOMPSON
M/C
74
73
-
-
-
M/C
Toru TANIGUCHI
M/C
72
75
-
-
-
M/C
Robert ALLENBY
M/C
75
72
-
-
-
M/C
Stephen AMES
M/C
74
73
-
-
-
M/C
Daniel CHOPRA
M/C
73
74
-
-
-
M/C
Lucas GLOVER
M/C
72
76
-
-
-
M/C
Andrew GEORGIOU
M/C
74
74
-
-
-
M/C
Troy KELLY
M/C
72
76
-
-
-
M/C
Tadahiro TAKAYAMA
M/C
77
71
-
-
-
M/C
John HUH
M/C
75
73
-
-
-
M/C
Hiroyuki FUJITA
M/C
76
72
-
-
-
M/C
Chez REAVIE
M/C
74
75
-
-
-
M/C
Trevor IMMELMAN
M/C
74
75
-
-
-
M/C
Alvaro QUIROS
M/C
74
75
-
-
-
M/C
Robert ROCK
M/C
78
71
-
-
-
M/C
Johnson WAGNER
M/C
73
76
-
-
-
M/C
Prayad MARKSAENG
M/C
75
75
-
-
-
M/C
Kodai ICHIHARA
M/C
77
73
-
-
-
M/C
Davis LOVE III
M/C
71
79
-
-
-
M/C
Tim Clark
M/C
76
74
-
-
-
M/C
Elliot SALTMAN
M/C
76
75
-
-
-
M/C
Angel CABRERA
M/C
71
81
-
-
-
M/C
James DRISCOLL
M/C
76
76
-
-
-
M/C
Paul BROADHURST
M/C
75
78
-
-
-
M/C
Richard FINCH
M/C
74
79
-
-
-
M/C
Michael HOEY
M/C
79
75
-
-
-
M/C
Grant VEENSTRA
M/C
77
79
-
-
-
M/C
Manuel TRAPPEL
M/C
74
83
-
-
-
M/C
Ian KEENAN
M/C
76
83
-
-
-
M/C
Russ COCHRAN
WD
-
-
-
-
-
M/C
Mardan MAMAT
DQ
77
-
-
-
-
M/C