St Andrews notched
up a quarter century of British Opens when it last played host
in 1995 and whoever lifts the trophy next Sunday will join an
illustrious roll of honour.
John Daly was the suprise victor five years ago following
Nick Faldo (1990), Seve Ballesteros (1984) and Jack Nicklaus
(1970 and 78) - players who lifted the Auld Silver Claret Jug
when they were the dominant force in the game.
Not that earlier Opens at the home of golf on the east coast
of Scotland produced unworthy champions, with the likes of Bobby
Jones, Sam Snead, Peter Thomson and Bobby Locke all having their
names inscribed on the trophy.
Here is a look at the past 25 British Open championships at
St Andrews.
The first seven between 1873 and 1891 were played over 36
holes and five of the winners were locals.
After 1891, the Open was made a 72-hole event and in 1895
John 'Josh' Taylor of England won it for the second successive
year and triumphed again in 1900.
Englishman James Braid won in 1905 and 1910, while in 1921
American Jock Hutchison beat amateur Roger Wethered by nine
shots in a 36 hole play-off.
Legendary American amateur Bobby Jones won the second of his
three titles in five years in 1927. He described St Andrews as
"one of the most horrible of golfing atrocities in the world".
In later years he softened his views, saying: "The more I study
it the more I love it".
American Densmore Shute and England's Dick Burton won in
1933 and 1939, while in 1946 Sam Snead took the honours. Snead
will be back this week playing in a four-hole Champions
Challenge at the age of 88.
Australian Peter Thomson won the second of his five titles
in 1955, beating South African Bobby Locke in the process.
But Locke prevented Thomson from taking a fourth successive
Open two years later when the event was switched to St Andrews
from Muirfield because of petrol rationing.
There was talk then of making St Andrews the Open's
permanent home, but that did not materialise and the course had
to wait three years to stage it again in 1960.
American Arnold Palmer, who graced the Open for the last
time at St Andrews in 1995, played for the first time that year
after winning the U.S. Masters and Open titles, bringing the
British event back to the forefront of the game.
But Australian Kel Nagle ended his attempt at the Grand Slam
as Palmer came second, though he won in the next two years.
In 1964, American Tony Lema, who later died in a plane
crash, arrived at the last minute and without a practice round
beat Jack Nicklaus into second place by five strokes.
But Nicklaus prevailed in 1970, the year compatriot Doug
Sanders missed a three-foot par putt for victory on the final
hole to fall back into a tie.
In the next day's 18-hole play-off, Sanders birdied the last
hole, but so did Nicklaus to win by a stroke.
New Zealand's Simon Owen was the surprise challenger in
1978, standing level with Nicklaus with four holes remaining.
But Nicklaus took the title and a last hole reception he
describes as one of his most cherished memories.
The Golden Bear will play the Old Course this week in what
will probably be his last Open.
In 1984, Seve Ballesteros and five-times champion Tom Watson
were level with two to play when the Spaniard somehow scrambled
his first par of the week on the 17th with an impossible
six-iron from deep rough.
Watson could only manage bogey and Ballesteros's birdie at
the last sealed the second of his three Open triumphs.
In 1990 Nick Faldo produced almost metronomic golf and his
record-low aggregate of 270, without a single three-putt, gave
him a crushing five-shot victory.
Like 1970, the 1995 event is remembered for the man who
didn't win it - this time Constantino Rocca.
The Italian looked to have blown his chances when he fluffed
a chip on the 18th only to sink a 60ft birdie putt through the
Valley of Sin with his next shot to go into a play-off with John
Daly.
Rocca sunk to the floor, pounding the turf with tears
flooding from his eyes and was a spent emotional force by the
play-off which big-hitting Daly, an 80-1 shot, won at a canter.
Five years on Rocca is hoping to earn an Open place through
qualifying, while a repeat for Daly, forever struggling to
overcome injury and alcoholism, would be an even bigger shock
than last time.
