Don January won a playoff on this date in 1967 to take the PGA Championship at Columbine Country Club in Columbine Valley, Colorado, a suburb south of Denver. January defeated Don Massengale in an 18-hole playoff, 69-71. Also, the ISPS Handa Senior Open Championship is being competed this weekend at Sunningdale’s Old Course. On this date in 2005, Tom Watson won his second of three Senior Open titles, at Royal Aberdeen, winning in a playoff with Des Smyth of Ireland. Arnold Palmer shot a one-over 73 in 1964 on this date at a Green Valley exhibition in Sioux City, Iowa. And in 1998, Palmer shot a second-round 76 to make the U.S. Senior Open cut for the final time (finished 51st).
On this date in 1995, John Daly won the Open Championship on the Old Course at St. Andrews, easily handling Italian Costantino Rocca by four shots in a four-hole playoff. Daly had 15 strokes on par-4 holes 1, 2, 17, 18 to Rocca’s 19. Two days earlier Arnold Palmer had made his final Open appearance. And this was the lone Open ever attended by website writer Cliff Schrock. Also, the Open Championship ended on this date in 1989 in the first four-hole aggregate playoff ever contested for golf’s oldest major, held for the 118th time, at Royal Troon in Scotland. Mark Calcavecchia won over Wayne Grady and Greg Norman.
On this date in 1984, the iconic moment in Seve Ballesteros’ career took place at the Open Championship at St. Andrews when he birdied the 18th hole and won the title by two shots over Tom Watson and Bernhard Langer. Watson was trying for a third straight victory but left it out on the greens with an off putting day, and a bogey on the Road Hole 17th after a good drive dashed his chances. It was a remarkable battle of titans, and some speculate the outcome contributed to Watson’s inability to win another major in his prime years. On another moment, on this date in 1971, Arnold Palmer opened with a 64 at the Westchester Cl., and would go on to win the $50,000 top prize.
On this date in 1995, Arnold Palmer played his final Open Ch., missing the 36-hole cut at The Old Course. In 1985, Sandy Lyle won the Open Championship at Royal St. George’s in Sandwich, England. He shot two over par overall and won by one shot over Payne Stewart, and three years later Lyle would win the Masters. This date in golf history also marks two key events in PGA Championship history. In 1957, Lionel Hebert defeated Dow Finsterwald, 2 and 1, in the final PGA played at match play, at Miami Valley Golf Club. In 1968, 48-year-old Julius Boros won at Pecan Valley, the oldest winner of a major until Phil Mickelson broke it in 2021. If Tom Watson had won the 2009 Open Championship, he would have smashed the age record at 59. And in 1970, 700 people, including Stan Musial, Joseph C. Dey, Dave Marr, Deacon Palmer, and Pa. Governor Raymond Shafer, attended a Pittsburgh dinner to honor Arnold Palmer as the AP Athlete of the Decade.
On this date in 1980, Tom Watson won his third Open Championship, a four-stroke victory over Lee Trevino at Muirfield Golf Club. Regarding a different major, on this date in 1958, history was made for the PGA Championship and Dow Finsterwald. It was the first year the PGA was competed at stroke play after previously played at match play. Finsterwald, a close friend of Arnold Palmer’s who was almost exactly the same age, won by two shots over Billy Casper at Llanerch C.C. in Havertown, Pennsylvania. It was also the first PGA Palmer played and he tied for 40th.
On this date in 1981, The 110th Open Championship was won by Bill Rogers at Royal St. George's Golf Club in Sandwich, England. Rogers’ only major championship was won by four strokes over runner-up Bernhard Langer. On this date in 1964, Bobby Nichols won the PGA Championship at Columbus Country Club, winning start to finish and foiling the efforts of Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, who finished second by three shots. Palmer had shot four rounds in the 60s, including a final-round 69, but it wasn’t good enough against Nichols. In a moment of Palmer personal resilience, on this date in 1997, Arnie shot his first under-par round since prostate-cancer surgery, a two-under 70 at the Burnet Sr. Cl.
Louis Oosthuizen got off to a slow start in the first round of the Open at Royal Portrush yesterday with a 77. On this date 15 years ago he won The Open at St. Andrews by seven shots. Also on this date in 1982, Tom Watson won his fourth Open Championship, by one shot over a faltering Nick Price and Peter Oosterhuis, at Royal Troon. On this date in 1988, Seve Ballesteros won his third Open Championship, edging Nick Price by two at Royal Lytham and St. Annes. Seve shot 65 to beat the 54-hole leader Price. The championship was forced to finish on a Monday for the first time ever due to heavy rain on Saturday.
On this date in 1983, Tom Watson repeated as Open Championship winner, winning by a shot at Royal Birkdale over Hale Irwin and Andy Bean. It was Watson’s fifth Open but his last, and eighth, major victory at the age of 33; he fell flat at the end the following year at St. Andrew but was edged out by Seve Ballesteros. And Watson couldn’t close the deal in several close finishes in majors afterward. On this date in 1954, Arnold Palmer won the Ohio Amateur, and in 1970, Arnie hosted “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson” with guests Spiro Agnew and Rod Laver.
It’s been 12 years already since Australian Adam Scott, he of the picture-perfect swing, won the Masters for his first major victory. He is running out of prime years to win more but nearly got the job done for major No. 2 at this year’s U.S. Open at Oakmont.. On this date he celebrates his 45th birthday. Flawless as a ball striker, Scott has been held back in his career with inconsistent putting. Perhaps the slower greens at the Open Championship this week at Royal Portrush will help him. One of the most astounding results in golf history occurred on this date in 1938 when diminutive 1934 winner Paul Runyan beat the mighty Sam Snead, 8 and 7, in the PGA Championship final at Shawnee Country Club.
Arnold Palmer won the first of his two straight Open Championships on this date in 1961 at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in England. Arnie had lost by a shot in 1960 at St. Andrews, but he was ahead by one this time, with Dai Rees in second. And at age 21, Bobby Jones won his first of four U.S. Opens on this date in 1923 when he beat Bobby Cruickshank in a playoff, 76-78, at Inwood C.C. in New York. And on July 15, 1948, Palmer played Round 1 of the Dapper Dan Club as an invitational, and would finish 72 holes. A
Tom Weiskopf, who valiantly tried to get an edge on fellow Ohioan Jack Nicklaus in his career, won his only major on this date in 1973 when he led from start to finish at the Open Championship played at Royal Troon in a 12-under-par performance, three ahead of Johnny Miller and four up on Jack.
On this date in 1962, Arnold Palmer won a second consecutive Open Championship, at Royal Troon, in dominating fashion in a six-shot victory over Australian Kel Nagle. On this date in 1937, Charles Coody was born in Stamford, Texas. The 6-foot-2 Texan won the 1971 Masters, winning while occasionally tugging on his socks, a nervous habit of his.
On this day in 1969, Tony Jacklin ended an 18-year drought by an English golfer when he won the Open Championship by two shots at Royal Lytham & St. Annes. Jacklin shot four under par to beat Bob Charles. of New Zealand. On this date in 1964, the greatest woman player of all time, Mickey Wright, won the U.S. Women's Open at San Diego C.C. for her fourth title, beating Ruth Jessen in a playoff.
On this date in 1976, JoAnne Carner won the U.S. Women’s Open at Rolling Green Golf Club in a playoff with Sandra Palmer. The 35th U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship began on this date in 1960 in Honolulu, Hawaii, on the Ala Wai Golf Course, making it the first USGA championship played outside the continental U.S.
One of the most lauded performances in Open Championship history concluded on this date in 1953 when Ben Hogan won at Carnoustie in the only Open he played. He won by four shots over four players, including future five-time winner Peter Thomson. Earlier in the year he had won the Masters and U.S. Open. On this day in 1971, Lee Trevino won an exciting Open Championship, shooting 278, one shot better than Taiwan’s Lu Liang-Huan and two better than English favorite Tony Jacklin. Mr. Lu was a unique crowd favorite who doffed his hat constantly in recognition of the applause he received for a spirited run at Royal Birkdale. The victory gave Trevino both the U.S. and Open titles in the summer of 1971, just the sixth person in golf history to win both in the same year.
On this date in 1960, Arnold Palmer, having come to St. Andrews after winning the Masters and U.S. Open earlier in the year, fell one shot short of first place when Kel Nagle of Australia won the Open Championship in the centenary playing of golf’s oldest major. Palmer was bidding to win the Grand Slam of the four majors in one season. On this date in 1965, Australian great Peter Thomson won his fifth Open Championship, winning at Birkdale with a score of 285, two ahead of Brian Huggett and Christy O’Connor, Sr.
On this date in 1933, Denny Shute won the Open Championship, at St. Andrews’ Old Course, winning a 36-hole playoff with fellow Yank Craig Wood by five shots. On this date in 1970, Arnold Palmer shot a first-round 68 at the 99th Open and would finish 12th.
On this date, English golf great Tony Jacklin turns 81, having been born in 1944. The World Golf Hall of Famer won two majors and was an influential figure in the Ryder Cup. Also, four-time Open champion Bobby Locke of South Africa, one of golf’s all-time greatest putters, won the 1950 Open on this date at Royal Troon. In second by two shots was Argentinian great Roberto De Vicenzo, who was the 1967 champion.
On this date in the 1931 U.S. Open, history was made when the longest playoff in championship history came to an end when Billy Burke won a playoff at Inverness. He and George Von Elm were tied after the then 36-hole playoff on July 5, and then played 36 more on this day. Burke barely won, 148-149. The 72 holes were the most playoff holes ever. Peter Thomson, one of four five-time winners of the Open Championship, won his third on this date in 1956 at Royal Liverpool. It was a three-shot victory over Belgian Flory Van Donck. And on this date in 1958, Arnold Palmer shot a third-straight 68 at Firestone in the Rubber City Open for a tie for 12th.
On this date in 1970, Donna Caponi won her second straight U.S. Women’s Open. Her 287 total of one-under-par overall was one better than two players at Muskogee C.C. in Oklahoma. On this date in 1958, Peter Thomson of Australia won his fourth Open Championship when he defeated Dave Thomas of Wales in a 36-hole playoff at Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club.