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At 3.35pm Australian Eastern time, the oldest winner of the Open in the modern era will send his three wood down the 448 yard, dogleg, par 4 first hole at Royal Birkdale and so begin the 146th playing of the Open Championship.
In the positively balmy Lancashire summer temperature of 12 degrees Celsius, the 1998 Masters and Open Champion will no doubt briefly reminisce on that magical period of his career, which he openly admits, was caressed by the magic dust emanating from a of young protégé named Edlrick Tont Woods.
2017 will be Mark O’Meara’s 31st Open Championship. His first was Royal St. Georges in 1981, since then he has only missed six Opens in 36 years.
O’Meara was 41 in 1998 when he compiled the beautifully symmetrical four rounds of 72-68-72-68 at Royal Birkdale to force a playoff with fellow American, Brian Watts.
O’Meara won the four-hole playoff by two, raised the claret jug and at some point, thought, “What a year”.
Yet, when the 60-year-old O’Meara cracks that first shot at Royal Birkdale, the 11 Australians professionals competing here will know this is a place is a little bit special for the boys from down under. They’ve done particularly well here.
After some alterations, Royal Birkdale staged her first Open Championship in 1954. The victor was a bright eyed, 24-year-old professional from Brunswick, Victoria playing in his fourth Open. Peter Thomson collated a wonderful 72-hole total of -9, 283, to win his first of five Open Championships. In fact, this was only the second major won by an Australian, anywhere.
Manly’s Jim Ferrier won the 1947 PGA Championship, just after the Second World War. Thomson, of course, went on to win the Open Championships at St Andrews in ’55, Liverpool in ’56, St Lytham and St Annes in ’58 and again at Royal Birkdale in 1965 at a seasoned 31 years. Thommo bookended his Opens at Birkdale.
The Americans have had their fair share of success at Birkdale also, with Palmer winning in ‘61, Trevino (technically a Mexican) in ‘71, Johnny Miller in ‘76 and Tom Watson in ‘83.
But in 1991 along came the sweet swing, balata caressing, Queenslander who possessed a putting stroke so rhythmic and in the present, it would make the Dalai Lama jealous. Ian Baker-Finch was his name and tempo was his game.
On his eighth outing at The Open, the former Beerwah club champion posted two unremarkable 1-over 71’s on Thursday and Friday, but the on the weekend the magic arrived.
IBF purred his ball around the Lancashire layout in a 6 under 64 on the Saturday and a 4 under 66 on the Sunday for an all-time 72-hole low score at Royal Birkdale of 272, which still stands to this day.
So, when you turn on the telly and watch the 125th Champion golfer of the year begin the 146th Open Championship, rest assured, in the nine Opens here at Royal Birkdale, Aussies have won three of them.
And with 11 Aussies competing this year, you wouldn’t bet against one the boys from down under kissing the claret jug come Sunday night.
Australian Tee Times
8:47pm Adam Bland
9:09pm Matt Griffin
9:21pm Cameron Smith
9:53pm Aaron Baddeley
10:04pm Jason Day
10:26pm Adam Scott
00:10am Marc Leishman
00:21am Scott Hend
00:43am Andrew Dodt
01:05am Ashley Hall
01:16am Ryan McCarthy