Jordan Spieth in Rarefied Air Entering Open
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Website: centerfornewsanddesign.com THE CONTENDERS Event: 144th British Open Dates: July 16-19 FACTS & FIGURES Site: St. Andrews (Old Course) Length: 7,297 yards Par: 36-36_72 A capsule look at top Field: 156 (145 professionals, 9 amateurs) Prize money: $9.8 million Defending champion: contenders for the British Winner's share: $1.79 million GUIDES): 10.2031” Open, to be played July Rory McIlroy 16-19 on the Old Course at Last year: St. Andrews: McIlroy went wire-to-wire DUSTIN JOHNSON at Royal Liverpool, Age: 31 building a six-shot lead Country: going into the final round United and closing with a 71 for States a two-shot victory over Worldwide Rickie Fowler and Sergio wins: 9 Garcia. He joined Jack Majors: Nicklaus and Tiger Woods None as the only players with 2015 wins: Cadillac Cham- three majors at 25 or pionship younger. Last time at St. Andrews: 2015 majors: Masters-T6. Louis Oosthuizen of South U.S. Open-T2 Africa took advantage Open memory: Two shots of the good end of the behind on the par-5 14th draw and beat the wind at Royal St. George's in for a 67 in the second 2011, he tried to lay up round that gave him a with a 2-iron and hit it five-shot lead. He led out-of-bounds. He finished over the final 48 holes, three shots behind Darren made only two bogeys on Clarke. In his favor is his the weekend and closed great bunker player and with a seven-shot victory superb putting. Against over Lee Westwood. Rory him are the odds. No one McIlroy tied a major — not Palmer, Jack Nick- championship record with laus or Tiger Woods — has a 63 in the opening round. won the four professional In a gale the next day, he majors in one year. shot 80. Open champions at St. SERGIO GARCIA Andrews: Tom Kidd (1873), Age: 35 Bob Martin (1876, 1885), Country: Jamie Anderson (1879), Spain Robert Ferguson (1882), Worldwide Jack Burns (1888), Hugh wins: 22 Jordan Spieth in rarefied Kirkaldy (1891), J.H. Majors: Taylor (1895, 1900), James None air entering Open Braid (1905, 1910), Jock 2015 wins: Hutchison (1921), Bobby None Jordan Spieth was an 18-year-old freshman at Texas when he stopped by St. Jones (1927), Denny Shute 2015 majors: Masters-T17. (1933), Dick Burton (1939), U.S. Open-T18 Andrews with his U.S. team on his way to the Walker Cup. He played the Old Sam Snead (1946), Peter Open memory: Catching Course. He walked through the Royal & Ancient clubhouse and gazed at oil paintings Thomson (1955), Bobby the edge of the cup on a Locke (1957), Kel Nagle 10-foot par putt on the of golfers who were playing St. Andrews before America was even discovered. It was (1960), Tony Lema (1964), 18th hole that would living history. And four years later, Spieth has a chance to become part of it. The Jack Nicklaus (1970, have won the Open at 1978), Seve Ballesteros Carnoustie in 2007. He lost British Open is special any time it returns to the home of golf. On the hallowed (1984), Nick Faldo (1990), in a playoff. linksland formed centuries ago by nature between the Eden Estuary and St. John Daly (1995), Tiger Woods (2000, 2005), Louis RICKIE FOWLER Andrews Bay, leave it to a 21-year-old Texan to elevate this championship to rare Oosthuizen (2010). Age: 26. heights. Only three other players since 1960s have come to the British Open with a Grand Slam: Masters and Country: U.S. Open champion Jordan United shot at the Grand Slam — Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. Spieth is only the fourth States. player since 1960 to win Worldwide the first two majors of the Jordan Spieth is the fourth player since 1960 to go to the British Open having won the first two majors of the year. year. No one has ever won wins: 3 No one has won all four pro majors in the same year. Here is a capsule look at the three previous attempts: Majors: all four professional majors in the same year. None ARNOLD PALMER JACK NICKLAUS TIGER WOODS Farewell to Tom: Tom Watson 2015 wins: The Players is playing Championship. in his final 2015 majors: Masters-12. British Open. U.S. Open-Cut. He is the only Open memory: Opening player to win with a 79 at St. Andrews in the Open on his debut, following with five courses a 67 to make the cut and — but never at St. Andrews. closing with a 67 to tie for Noteworthy: Rory McIlroy 14th. YEAR: 1960 YEAR: 1972 YEAR: 2002 (26) and Jordan Spieth MASTERS: Palmer birdied the last MASTERS: Nicklaus opened with MASTERS: Tied with Retief Goosen (21) have split the last four PHIL MICKELSON two holes for a one-shot victory a 68 and led start-to-finish for going into the final round, majors. The last time two Age: 45 over Ken Venturi. his fourth green jacket, beating Woods closed with a 71 as all players in their 20s shared Country: U.S. OPEN: In a charge that made Bruce Crampton, Bobby Mitchell his challengers made mistakes four straight majors was United him famous, Palmer shot 65 and Tom Weiskopf by three shots. along the back nine, and he won Walter Hagen and Gene States at Cherry Hills to rally from a sev- U.S. OPEN: Nicklaus had at least by three shots over Goosen for his Sarazen in 1921-22. Worldwide en-shot deficit. In the end, he had a share of the lead each round, second straight Masters title. Quoteworthy: "Mostly St. wins: 45 to hold off 20-year-old amateur taking a one-shot lead going U.S. OPEN: Woods led wire-to-wire Andrews is a mental and Jack Nicklaus and Ben Hogan to into the final round. He locked at Bethpage Black, disposing of Majors: imagination test than any claim what would be his only U.S. up his third U.S. Open title with Sergio Garcia early and holding Masters other. The others are great Open title. a 1-iron that bounced off the pin off Phil Mickelson late for a (2004, 2006, 2010), British golf courses, but it's rela- BRITISH OPEN: Palmer fell seven on the 17th hole at Pebble Beach three-shot victory over Mickelson. Open (2013), PGA Champi- tively obvious how to play. shots behind Roberto de Vicenzo for a tap-in birdie, leading to It was the first time Woods won a onship (2005). At St. Andrews, some of going into the 36-hole final at a three-shot victory over Cramp- major with a final round over par. 2015 wins: None the places you aim the ball St. Andrews. He shot 70 and was ton. BRITISH OPEN: Woods was two 2015 majors: Masters-T2. four shot behind Kel Nagle. The BRITISH OPEN: Nicklaus was shots out of the lead going into off the tee is completely U.S. Open-T64. afternoon 18 holes on the final one shot behind Lee Trevino and the weekend at Muirfield when he bizarre." Open memory: Closing with day was pushed back to Saturday Tony Jacklin going into the third caught the brunt of a storm that - Geoff Ogilvy. a 66 at Muirfield in 2013 to because of rain. Palmer closed round, but he shot 71 in the third packed 40 mph wind, rain and Content by The Associated win the Open. with a 68 and finished one shot round and fell six shots behind cold temperatures in the third Press; page designed by behind Nagle. Trevino. round. GateHouse Media’s Center ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS for News & Design. .