1977 British Open: Watson Bests Nicklaus in 'The Duel in the Sun'

The 1977 British Open - the first played at Turnberry - is one of the most famous in Open Championship history, so famous that books have been written about it. For example, Mike Corcoran's Duel in the Sun.

Why is the 1977 British Open considered so special? Well, consider the leaderboard: Eight of the top nine players eventually became members of the World Golf Hall of Fame. Names like Watson, Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Ben Crenshaw, Hubert Green, Raymond Floyd, Johnny Miller - even Arnold Palmer showed up on the leaderboard, very late in his career. All those great names were in the Top 9.

This tourney features links to the past, too. Seventy-year-old Sir Henry Cotton, a 3-time champ, played, as did 4-time winner Bobby Locke. Locke withdrew after a poor first round; Cotton finished last among those who completed two rounds; but 5-time champ Peter Thomson finished 13th.

And there were looks ahead to the future. Greg Norman, Nick Faldo and Seve Ballesteros were just getting started in their pro careers; Norman missed the cut, Faldo finished tied for last among those making the cut, and Seve finished 15th.

But the 1977 British Open was really all about Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus, who finished 10 strokes ahead of everyone else. Their final two rounds, paired together, are what "Duel in the Sun" refers to - the epic battle between two giants the took place over the final two rounds at Turnberry.

How epic? Nicklaus played the third and fourth rounds in 65-66. But Watson played them in 65-65 to beat Jack by a stroke. The two matched each other stroke for stroke until the very last hole of the tournament. Nicklaus was ahead by two after the 12th hole, but Watson reeled him in with the help of a 60-foot birdie putt from off the green on the 15th hole. Watson took a one-stroke lead with a birdie to Nicklaus' par on the 17th.

On the final hole, Nicklaus sprayed his drive to the left, where it came to rest under the gorse. Watson played an iron off the tee right down the middle, then played a short iron to three feet from the cup.

From the gorse, Nicklaus pulled off a miraculous approach, reaching the edge of the green but 40 feet away. "I think we've got him now," Watson's caddie said to Watson. "No, I have a feeling he's going to make this," Watson replied. And Nicklaus' snaking, undulating 40-footer for birdie dropped into the cup.

In his later years on the PGA Tour, Watson was plagued constantly by the yips. But in 1977, he was a fearless putter, and there was no doubt the 3-footer he had left was going to be made. Make it he did. The "Duel in the Sun" was over, and Tom Watson was the 1977 British Open winner.

1977 British Open Scores

Results from the 1977 British Open played on the Ailsa Course at Turnberry in South Ayrshire, Scotland (a-amateur):

Return to British Open Winners index for more tournament recaps