Two putts to win the first Open. He needed one.
At Prestwick in 1860, Willie Park Senior holed a thirty-foot putt to become the first Open champion. His prize was a red leather belt. There wasn’t a Claret Jug in sight.
Historical photograph — Wikimedia Commons (public domain)
Inside golf’s first Open
Eight professionals assembled on 17 October to answer a question left by the death of Allan Robertson, the outstanding golfer of his day: who was now the best? There was no prize money. The Challenge Belt, decorated with silver golfing scenes, gave them something rather more tangible than a title to take home.
Prestwick had twelve holes, so the competitors went round three times. Local greenkeeper Tom Morris was the favourite, but Park established a three-stroke lead in the first circuit. After matching second rounds, Morris finished on 176.
Park’s last putt ran across a distinctly imperfect nineteenth-century green. Three putts would have produced a tie; two would have secured the championship. Holing it gave him 174 and a two-stroke victory. The familiar drama of a final green was already there, even while almost everything surrounding it was new.