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The 149th Open Royal St Georges

The 149th Open 2021 / Royal St George's

Collin Morikawa made history with a stunning debut victory at Royal St George’s as The 149th Open took place a year later than originally scheduled.

The COVID-19 pandemic had forced the cancellation of the Championship in 2020, but crowds of up to 32,000 per day were able to descend upon Sandwich as Shane Lowry belatedly defended the Claret Jug he had claimed in such memorable fashion at Royal Portrush two years earlier.

Those in attendance were treated to glorious weather for all four days of the Championship and a truly dazzling performance from Morikawa, who became the first man to win on his first appearance at two different majors having previously triumphed at the 2020 PGA Championship.

A nerveless, bogey-free 66 on the final day ensured Morikawa, whose iron play was typically brilliant throughout the week, prevailed with a 15-under aggregate of 265 – a record at Royal St George’s.

Jordan Spieth, the Champion Golfer of 2017, applied the most significant pressure on a gripping final day and finished two strokes behind after matching Morikawa’s closing 66, while Louis Oosthuizen (71) and Jon Rahm (66) shared third on 11 under.

Oosthuizen led after each of the first three rounds and was one clear of Morikawa heading into the last 18, but the South African – second in each of the previous two majors in 2021 - was unable to secure another Claret Jug 11 years on from his runaway triumph at St Andrews.

A combination of calm conditions and a relatively lush, green links ensured there were plenty of birdie opportunities from the outset as Oosthuizen began his week with a six-under 64 in round one to lead Spieth and Brian Harman by a shot.

The Champion of 2010 then doubled his advantage on Friday with a 65 – setting a new record aggregate of 129 for the first 36 holes of an Open – but the star of the second day was Morikawa, whose sublime 64 lifted him into second place, one ahead of Spieth.

Day two also produced the undoubted shot of the Championship as Jonathan ‘Jigger’ Thomson – a survivor of leukaemia and the tallest player in European Tour history – brought the house down at the par-3 16th with a hole-in-one.

Oosthuizen, Morikawa and Spieth were all tied at the top of the leaderboard as round three moved towards a conclusion, but it was the former who once again ended the day in front at 12 under, with Morikawa one back and Spieth three adrift after a costly bogey-bogey finish.

After two more bogeys early in his final round however, Spieth threatened to pull off a sensational comeback as he picked up six shots in eight holes to charge firmly back into contention as Oosthuizen’s challenge faded.

Yet Morikawa, who had three birdies of his own at the seventh, eighth and ninth, remained rock-solid and a crucial gain on the 14th gave the 23-year-old a two-shot cushion that he would not relinquish.

Lowry put up an admirable defence of his crown as he tied for 12th, while the Silver Medal went to Matthias Schmid, who turned professional the next day after finishing four clear of Yuxin Lin, the only other amateur to make the cut.

related

Name
Finish
R1
R2
R3
R4
Total
Par
Collin MORIKAWA
Champion Golfer
1
67
64
68
66
265
-15
Jordan SPIETH
2
65
67
69
66
267
-13
Jon RAHM
T3
71
64
68
66
269
-11
Louis OOSTHUIZEN
T3
64
65
69
71
269
-11
Dylan FRITTELLI
5
66
67
70
68
271
-9
Brooks KOEPKA
T6
69
66
72
65
272
-8
Mackenzie HUGHES
T6
66
69
68
69
272
-8
Dustin JOHNSON
T8
68
65
73
67
273
-7
Robert MACINTYRE
T8
72
69
65
67
273
-7
Daniel BERGER
T8
70
67
68
68
273
-7
Scottie SCHEFFLER
T8
67
66
69
71
273
-7
Viktor HOVLAND
T12
68
71
69
66
274
-6
Emiliano GRILLO
T12
70
64
72
68
274
-6
Shane LOWRY
T12
71
65
69
69
274
-6
Tony FINAU
T15
70
66
72
67
275
-5
Paul CASEY
T15
68
67
70
70
275
-5
Marcel SIEM
T15
67
67
70
71
275
-5
Corey CONNERS
T15
68
68
66
73
275
-5
Sergio GARCIA
T19
68
69
73
66
276
-4
Brandt SNEDEKER
T19
68
68
72
68
276
-4
Brian HARMAN
T19
65
71
71
69
276
-4
Aaron RAI
T19
70
69
68
69
276
-4
Webb SIMPSON
T19
66
72
67
71
276
-4
Kevin STREELMAN
T19
70
69
66
71
276
-4
Justin HARDING
T19
67
67
70
72
276
-4
Xander SCHAUFFELE
T26
69
71
72
65
277
-3
Byeong Hun AN
T26
67
70
73
67
277
-3
Ian POULTER
T26
72
66
71
68
277
-3
Matt FITZPATRICK
T26
71
69
67
70
277
-3
Cameron TRINGALE
T26
69
66
71
71
277
-3
Jason KOKRAK
T26
70
70
66
71
277
-3
Andy SULLIVAN
T26
67
67
71
72
277
-3
Bryson DECHAMBEAU
T33
71
70
72
65
278
-2
Benjamin HEBERT
T33
66
74
71
67
278
-2
Tommy FLEETWOOD
T33
67
71
70
70
278
-2
Talor GOOCH
T33
69
72
67
70
278
-2
Lanto GRIFFIN
T33
69
70
68
71
278
-2
Danny WILLETT
T33
67
69
70
72
278
-2
Cameron SMITH
T33
69
67
68
74
278
-2
JC RITCHIE
T40
71
70
72
66
279
-1
Justin THOMAS
T40
72
67
71
69
279
-1
Max HOMA
T40
70
69
71
69
279
-1
Daniel VAN TONDER
T40
68
66
74
71
279
-1
Dean BURMESTER
T40
70
67
71
71
279
-1
Matt WALLACE
T40
70
68
69
72
279
-1
Jazz JANEWATTANANOND
T46
70
69
74
67
280
E
Adam SCOTT
T46
73
66
73
68
280
E
Harris ENGLISH
T46
75
65
72
68
280
E
Johannes VEERMAN
T46
70
68
72
70
280
E
Rory MCILROY
T46
70
70
69
71
280
E
Justin ROSE
T46
67
70
70
73
280
E
Joel DAHMEN
T46
69
68
69
74
280
E
Rickie FOWLER
T53
69
72
75
65
281
1
Chan KIM
T53
70
69
74
68
281
1
Billy HORSCHEL
T53
70
69
73
69
281
1
Jonathan THOMSON
T53
71
67
73
70
281
1
Marcus ARMITAGE
T53
69
72
70
70
281
1
Christiaan BEZUIDENHOUT
T53
68
72
70
71
281
1
Ryosuke KINOSHITA
T59
72
69
72
69
282
2
Chez REAVIE
T59
72
66
74
70
282
2
Joaquin NIEMANN
T59
69
70
73
70
282
2
Abraham ANCER
T59
69
71
71
71
282
2
Bernd WIESBERGER
T59
71
70
70
71
282
2
Lee WESTWOOD
T59
71
67
72
72
282
2
Matti SCHMID
T59
74
65
71
72
282
2
Antoine ROZNER
T59
70
71
67
74
282
2
Brendan STEELE
T67
73
68
74
68
283
3
Richard BLAND
T67
70
70
73
70
283
3
Jack SENIOR
T67
67
71
72
73
283
3
Sam HORSFIELD
T67
70
70
69
74
283
3
Ryan FOX
T67
68
68
71
76
283
3
Padraig HARRINGTON
72
72
68
73
71
284
4
Kevin KISNER
73
70
69
78
68
285
5
Richard MANSELL
T74
72
69
76
69
286
6
Yuxin LIN
T74
69
72
74
71
286
6
Poom SAKSANSIN
T76
73
68
76
71
288
8
Sam BURNS
T76
71
69
76
72
288
8
Harold VARNER III
M/C
70
72
-
-
-
M/C
Francesco MOLINARI
M/C
68
74
-
-
-
M/C
Marc LEISHMAN
M/C
75
67
-
-
-
M/C
Sebastian MUNOZ
M/C
73
69
-
-
-
M/C
Keegan BRADLEY
M/C
71
71
-
-
-
M/C
Russell HENLEY
M/C
70
72
-
-
-
M/C
Tyrrell HATTON
M/C
72
70
-
-
-
M/C
Henrik STENSON
M/C
71
71
-
-
-
M/C
Kurt KITAYAMA
M/C
71
71
-
-
-
M/C
Jimmy WALKER
M/C
70
72
-
-
-
M/C
Rikard KARLBERG
M/C
72
70
-
-
-
M/C
Ryutaro NAGANO
M/C
70
72
-
-
-
M/C
Ryan PALMER
M/C
72
70
-
-
-
M/C
Chris KIRK
M/C
68
74
-
-
-
M/C
Marcus KINHULT
M/C
69
73
-
-
-
M/C
Jorge CAMPILLO
M/C
72
70
-
-
-
M/C
Victor PEREZ
M/C
70
72
-
-
-
M/C
Guido MIGLIOZZI
M/C
69
73
-
-
-
M/C
Martin KAYMER
M/C
74
68
-
-
-
M/C
Takumi KANAYA
M/C
70
72
-
-
-
M/C
Troy MERRITT
M/C
73
70
-
-
-
M/C
Patrick CANTLAY
M/C
74
69
-
-
-
M/C
Charley HOFFMAN
M/C
72
71
-
-
-
M/C
Rafa CABRERA BELLO
M/C
70
73
-
-
-
M/C
Brendon TODD
M/C
72
71
-
-
-
M/C
Matthias SCHWAB
M/C
71
72
-
-
-
M/C
Shaun NORRIS
M/C
72
71
-
-
-
M/C
Matt JONES
M/C
72
71
-
-
-
M/C
Daniel HILLIER
M/C
72
71
-
-
-
M/C
Patrick REED
M/C
72
71
-
-
-
M/C
Laird SHEPHERD
M/C
74
69
-
-
-
M/C
Min Woo LEE
M/C
74
69
-
-
-
M/C
Gary WOODLAND
M/C
73
70
-
-
-
M/C
Lucas HERBERT
M/C
70
73
-
-
-
M/C
Branden GRACE
M/C
72
71
-
-
-
M/C
Stewart CINK
M/C
66
77
-
-
-
M/C
Erik VAN ROOYEN
M/C
69
74
-
-
-
M/C
John CATLIN
M/C
75
69
-
-
-
M/C
Adam HADWIN
M/C
75
69
-
-
-
M/C
Jason SCRIVENER
M/C
73
71
-
-
-
M/C
Keith MITCHELL
M/C
68
76
-
-
-
M/C
Richard T LEE
M/C
75
69
-
-
-
M/C
Ricardo CELIA
M/C
72
72
-
-
-
M/C
Haotong LI
M/C
75
69
-
-
-
M/C
Mike LORENZO-VERA
M/C
75
69
-
-
-
M/C
Gonzalo FERNANDEZ-CASTANO
M/C
71
73
-
-
-
M/C
Ernie ELS
M/C
72
72
-
-
-
M/C
Jason DAY
M/C
75
70
-
-
-
M/C
Brad KENNEDY
M/C
71
74
-
-
-
M/C
Carlos ORTIZ
M/C
75
70
-
-
-
M/C
Alex NOREN
M/C
74
71
-
-
-
M/C
Lucas GLOVER
M/C
75
70
-
-
-
M/C
Matt KUCHAR
M/C
74
72
-
-
-
M/C
Thomas DETRY
M/C
72
74
-
-
-
M/C
Darren CLARKE
M/C
71
75
-
-
-
M/C
Joe LONG
M/C
73
73
-
-
-
M/C
Cole HAMMER
M/C
75
71
-
-
-
M/C
Rikuya HOSHINO
M/C
74
72
-
-
-
M/C
Christoffer BRING
M/C
72
75
-
-
-
M/C
Jaco AHLERS
M/C
68
79
-
-
-
M/C
Joost LUITEN
M/C
76
71
-
-
-
M/C
Romain LANGASQUE
M/C
74
73
-
-
-
M/C
Sam BAIRSTOW
M/C
75
72
-
-
-
M/C
CT PAN
M/C
71
76
-
-
-
M/C
Paul WARING
M/C
72
76
-
-
-
M/C
Nicholas POPPLETON
M/C
75
73
-
-
-
M/C
Garrick HIGGO
M/C
73
75
-
-
-
M/C
Adam LONG
M/C
72
77
-
-
-
M/C
Aaron PIKE
M/C
74
75
-
-
-
M/C
Ben HUTCHINSON
M/C
77
72
-
-
-
M/C
Abel GALLEGOS
M/C
73
76
-
-
-
M/C
Marcel SCHNEIDER
M/C
73
76
-
-
-
M/C
Sam FORGAN
M/C
73
77
-
-
-
M/C
Connor WORSDALL
M/C
77
73
-
-
-
M/C
Phil MICKELSON
M/C
80
72
-
-
-
M/C
Daniel CROFT
M/C
76
78
-
-
-
M/C
Yuki INAMORI
M/C
75
81
-
-
-
M/C
Deyen LAWSON
M/C
80
77
-
-
-
M/C
Will ZALATORIS
M/C
69
-
-
-
-
-1