© The R & A
The nail-biting firsts continued for Royal St George ’ s , as the club cemented its place as one of the leading courses in the world . In 1904 professional Jack White went from strength-to-strength in his bid for the title . In a record-setting performance , White continuously improved his score with each round , breaking 300 over 72 holes for the first time in The Open ’ s history . But with James Braid close behind in the final round , things could have been very different for White if it wasn ’ t for a few misinformed spectators . With a tie in sight , Braid was told he only needed a four to match White , but after carding a 71 , it turned out those well-meaning spectators were wrong – Braid had needed a three and ended just one shot short of White ’ s winning score !
1922 saw another close call as American , Walter Hagen , claimed the first of his four titles . In the third round Hagen took the lead with an impressive running total of 300 shots , so impressive in fact it was thought unbeatable , and several journalists notified the newspaper offices of Hagen ’ s impending win ! Nevertheless , in the fourth round George Duncan made a remarkable comeback , closing just one short of Hagen . With a four needed on the 18th , Duncan ’ s approach rolled into a dip to the left of the green , ultimately costing him a tie and leading to Hagen ’ s victory . Nevertheless , Duncan ’ s name would still go down in history - to this very day the spot where his ill-fated approach ended up is known as Duncan ’ s Hollow .
It ’ s a tale told many times since , but Darren Clarke ’ s rise to victory in 2011 is the ultimate proof that all good things come to those who wait . After 19 appearances , Clarke took on the wet weather of the coast to win by three strokes – much to the delight of the watching world who came together to celebrate Clarke ’ s emotional victory . With a winter spent playing at Portrush in often challenging weather , this Irishman was well prepped for the conditions that met the pros in Sandwich that summer . Cool and windy weather was no match for a man who had grown up playing links golf on the Irish coast , leading to Clarke becoming the oldest Champion Golfer since Roberto De Vincenzo in 1967 .
But Kent ’ s long-running Championship hosting history doesn ’ t end there ; in fact , the Kent coast is home to not one but three courses to have staged The Open . In 1909 , the eyes of the world turned to Royal Cinque Ports in Deal , just a few miles from Royal St George ’ s . After a fantastic first day , former winner JH Taylor endured a nervy second morning , culminating in a series of missed opportunities and a poor drive on the 16th hole . Despite this , Taylor managed to clinch the title , winning by six strokes and taking the title back nine years after his maiden success . The Open returned to Royal Cinque Ports again in 1920 , when Duncan clinched the title in a famous turn of events that saw him take the lead on the second day after purchasing a brand-new driver from the exhibition tent !
After hosting the Championship nine times up until 1938 , The Open didn ’ t return to Sandwich for an astonishing 31 years . In fact , so many years had passed since Royal St George ’ s last staging , that a completely new roster of pros had been established , with little familiarity with the course . After winning the World Match Play at Wentworth , Bill Rogers had been persuaded by his friend Ben Crenshaw to compete at Royal St George ’ s . Rogers ’ first day got off to a shaky start after misreading the starting list and nearly missing his tee time . In fact , if it hadn ’ t been for journalist John Whitbread raising the alarm to Rogers , the history books could have been very different ! Luckily , what followed was a remarkable competition , as Jack Nicklaus recorded the worst score of his career on day one and Rogers swept to the top of the leader board , ultimately winning by four strokes to lift the Claret Jug .
Another sensational course on the Kent coast , Prince ’ s hosted the Championship in 1932 . American , Gene Sarazen , was the ultimate victor , becoming only the third Champion Golfer to hold the lead after every round of the Championship . Interestingly , it was also at the 1932 Championship in Sandwich that the newly invented sand wedge was first used in competition , helping Sarazen to achieve a new scoring record of just 283 . That ’ s right , the sand wedge was first used in Sandwich !
So , there you have it , a ( very ) brief look at Kent ’ s astonishing Open Championship history . With three top quality links courses , record-breaking scores , and unexpected twists , it ’ s been a nailbiting 134 years … And who knows what excitement this year ’ s Championship is ready to deliver !
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