The British Open 1973
[Applause] The 1973 British Open Championship had controversy big names record prize money and nostalgia go right it wasn’t just Arnold Palmer graying fible striving to recapture the fine careless Rapture of his 1962 TR Victory there was someone else the great Jean Sison who played here in 1923 and
Now returned age 71 honored by the Roy and ancient and astonishingly still competing well I’m just delighted to come back here after 50 years I don’t re recognize many of my old colleagues they’re up there on the first te waiting for me Hagen Jones in armor they’re saying hurry up Saron
Hurry up but you got a long wait next day millions of TV viewers saw Saron incredibly prove his point at the short eighth and Jean Saron who failed to qualify here 50 years ago this week when he was US Open Champion he goes the postage stamp that’s
That and what do you think about that one years what does it matter that Jean was not destined to qualify for the last two rounds after all he never really expected to in the open Nostalgia is just the icing on the cake winning is what it’s really all about and that
Means you’re modern professional this is my farewell tournament and I’m seeing the greatest championship of the the 50 years that I’ve been playing I’ve never seen a stronger field in the British Open or any open than you have right here these boys that are here this year are all millionaires they’re not here
For the money they’re here for that title The Prestige of the open leared them all Johnny Miller aged 26 the United States open Champion Bruce krton from Australia top Money winner this year Tom weisskoff from the states World match play Champion gay Brewer former Master’s Champion Roberto dienzo from the Argentine winner in
1967 and Tommy Aaron the reigning Masters champion Lee travina the defending Champion was in a voluble threesome with Chichi Rodriguez on this first day when Sarah and H hold in won some of the great Champions almost played themselves out of the championship and one of them was Travino the trouble was the northwest Wind it buffeted into the players all through the Homewood nine trino usually a good wind player said he couldn’t risk hitting low because of the infamous humps and Hollows of the TR Fairway he shot 75 three over par but four strokes better than Doug Sanders and a lot
More Gary Player had his problems too Gary mixed brilliant shots with bad and finished with a 76 and what of Britain’s most celebrated players not a good day for them either Tony Jacqueline coming to the 18th Jacqueline pulls his second to the 18th just off the green leaving an awkward little
Chip is it too hard yes runs forth feet past this for a 74 well so near yet so far so that’s a 75 for Jacqueline even unhappier was Peter rooster house this is the eighth the postage stamp where Sarah and hold in one and that’s pulled around to the left and
It’s too far and that’s in a horrid place oh well there you saw he tried to just flick it out of that heavy grass and has only moved it sideways about a foot still an immense Problem Oster house took five and 80 for the round Nostalgia had a fair day Palmer at the 18th there’s Palmer trying to keep it low but he’s hooked it away to the left of the green and finds the heavy rough an awkward chip across that little
Valley this man’s a great chipper one of the best ever and that looks very good indeed fine shot some 4 and 1/2 ft from the hole they like it too this for a 72 oh oh and it’s in and that’s a good start for Palmer keeping him well in touch with the
Leaders the leaders well for nearly all day these two were butt yansy and Jack nichas playing their second shots here at the short 17th a safe path three for yansy and Jack in the bunker yansy and Nicholas had 69 three under par and waited for someone to do better someone did Tom weisskoff It’s the notorious postage stamp again Well that’s the first time Weiss scoff has been offline all day he’s missed the green and he’s left with an awkward chip to save his PA up the bank a tricky one for Tom can he do it played it well thrown up towards the flag and there’s a beautifully played
Pitch some 3 or 4T from the hole safely in and what a great par three wisoff reaches the turn in 33 against the power of 36 and even more remarkably reaches the 18th having picked up another stroke on par despite the very hard head wind Tom weof leads then at the end of
The first day with a brilliant 68 four under par and with Johnny Miller in fourth place the Americans hold all the leading places at the end of the first day the second day and only the Hardy venture out but today the wind blows right across the course and for the
Golfers I suppose it’s a little easier all the same there are plenty of victims Bruce krampton In Contention overnight suffers a rather High 76 and sadly Palmer for Arnold a round of 76 just like Bruce krton and that included a seven at the dreaded postage stamp but
Quite early in the day one young man Johnny Miller from the United States has made ominous progress he comes to the last hole needing this for an astonishing round of 67 come on come on so no 67 but a 68 is good enough to put Miller in the clubhouse with a two-
Round total of 138 and already people are wondering whether he can emulate the achievements of trino who won the American and British Open championships in the one [Applause] year wisoff the overnight leader plays From the Rough at the seventh two bird is in the first six holes and
Here he is with a Chance of another one yes a good three and it helps wisoff to reach the turn in 33 Strokes he gets another birdie at the 11th and comes to the 16th hole eight under par for the Championships the 16th a par five this for a four
So nine under par now and that’s still the position as he comes up the 18th great round of 67 for wisoff and a total of 135 nine under par for the first two rounds but out on the course a tremendous Challenge from these three Jack Nicholas Britain’s Brian Barnes who shot a disappointing 76 yesterday and Bert yansy it’s been a sensational start for Brian
Barnes how about that in fact he birdies the first three holes and now the rains begin rain which plays a major part in this year’s championship and there’s the rather sorry view of the spectators making their way over the course here at tro meanwhile back at the 126 yd postage stamp Jack
Nicholas standing at five under par there you saw the greens hold nicely will it do the same for yansy nice easy swing throwing the ball right at the flag oh it’s a beautiful shot from yansy two magnificent shots but Nicholas misses and makes his par three at jansy
Holes for a birdie they really are having a tremendous personal battle these two absolutely level but now it’s the 12th hole a par four yansy chipping from the edge of the green leaves a little short and yansi will have to hold this for his Par
Four so it’s a bogey five for yansy and people rather unfairly I think are already beginning to murmur that this man has still to prove himself to be mentally tough enough Under Pressure to win a major championship and those same people are noticing how well Nicholas is scrambling and getting his scores
Although his game isn’t quite at its best five under for Nicholas four under for yansy and Brian Barnes keeps staying with the pair of them the 15th now at this same 15th hole Nicholas puts for his Par Four ex the same thing each turn and Nicholas goes back to four
Under moreover yansy moves to five under at the next hole so now at the 17th a crucial 10-footer for a birdie so Nicholas and yansy all square again both five under four shots behind the leader weof as they approach the 36th hole it’s on the green but a long long way from the
Hole now can yansy get one inside him well he walks after it confident look on his face it sails onto the green and that’s a fine pitch shot from yansy and these three will have completed this round in the Collective 10 under [Applause] par Barnes round in 67 the same score as Tom
[Applause] Weiss now with this long putt Jack Nicholas now it fades away to the right leaving him a little of work to do still needs a three foot of his PA now yansy oh what a beauty round the edge but that’s a fine 69 for yansy who ties
Johnny Miller for second place on 138 and at least edges one stroke ahead of Nicholas at this stage so after 36 holes in a second round of 70 Jack Nicholas is on 139 and four shots behind the leader but even that margin won’t make Tom wisoff feel
Easy and Bert yansy on 138 only three Strokes behind so now it’s the halfway stage 69 players had failed to make the cut Tommy Aaron had come in needing we now realized to hold this chip to qualify yes by such things a fortunes engulf decided Tommy Aaron so recently on top
Of the world the Master’s Champion today failing to make the cut and the headlines all for his partner the dawning of the third day it’s destined to become the sort of day The Man in the times wrote on which whiskey must have been invented the rain like the karma wind
Conditions is to take a little of the venom out of the trun links but it brings its own difficulties One By One The Players perform in a deluge Bob Charles from New Zealand and bearing in mind that he isn’t really In Contention just look how many Spectators are
Here 177,000 people at trun on this rainy day Gary Player Brian Barnes and Lanny Watkins and Barnes equal seventh overnight still having his moments an eagle three he comes to the last hole four under par but his balls in a bunker by the green now can he get down in two for a
69 so he leaves himself quite a bit to do it must be about 10 ft no he can’t do it all the same it’s a 70 for Barns and that will almost certainly give him a higher placing after three rounds than the seventh place he held after the first
Two finishing immediately behind him Neil Kohl’s and Kohl’s has this also for a 70 yes oh a wonderful C and a total of 213 just the same as Brian Barnes and now coming along behind experience and youth Christy o Conor and Bernard Gallaher fifth and sixth overnight
Struggling a bit today but at times still playing some great golf galaher at the 12th that ball stopped absolutely dead in its tracks that’s the effect of the rain get in two absolutely superb Shots by [Applause] galaha meanwhile the overnight leader weisskoff with Johnny Miller who’s tying for second place they wait their
Turn in front of them yansy the other overnight second place and Nicholas who’s lying fourth yansy now to the second green he’s already dropped a shot at the first ah but that’s a fine [Applause] shot Nicholas now still five under par and what can you say about a shot like
That almost certainly a birdie but first it’s yansy yes it’s in and he gets back the shot he dropped at the previous hole Nicholas also for a birdie 3 oh just in and it’s a birdie for nichlas and that’s how they stand on the first T Johnny
Miller and now Tom weisskoff leader of this Championship but a few moments later in the rain wisoff finds himself in all sorts of trouble Miller’s already safely on the green and set up for a certain par for while wics over the Green in thick rough well trying to be too delicate and
That’s a shot certainly thrown away so that’s a five for wisoff and he drops a shot and the pair in front get a little encouragement yansy at the third Nicholas already close to the flag but not as close as that another beautiful [Applause] shot Jack rumored incidentally to be suffering from back
Trouble yansy so far today one bogy one Burley and the conditions terrible oh well that means a par four he might well have expected a birdie three Yan’s birdie almost a formality Nicholas sixs under but clearly disappointed coming down the same hole Johnny [Applause] Miller that puts quite a lot of pressure on
Weof he’s played two already and it’s still his play wisoff Beginning to Look rather anxious now and he really is looking vulnerable Two Shots lost in three holes Miller a bird3 and it just could be his day we shall see and so two shots change hands and suddenly wisoff and Miller are all
Square Nicholas now at the postage stamp the eighth still five under he seemed to hit a good one my word and he did yansy s under challenging for the Lead and getting inside [Applause] nichas and that’s how soaked these greens are Nicholas openly aware that his game at the moment is not at its best and I must say he seems to be struggling for everything he achieves putting here for a possible birdie about 11
Ft oh it’s a good one but no it won’t drop yansy clearly a chance here to pick up another stroke so now this man looks really dangerous and he gets yet another Bird the 11th Railway hole again for Nicholas and yansy the par five that proved so disastrous for Jack in 1962 here they are both playing three from just off the green yans nine under oh that’s well short stopped very quickly in fact yansy goes on to a par
Five so a chance here for nickas little chip if he can get it close enough for a birdie from just below the bank oh we tried to get it close and it didn’t go ooh and those teeth marks will bear testimony to his feelings for a few hours to come
Well pretty well faced with the same shot but just a different angle can he get his par five oh played it well if that had only been the first time [Applause] round Taps it in for his par [Applause] five incidentally chriso Conor’s on the 18th or I should say the 54th green
He finishes in 74 and a three round total of 215 behind him Nicholas and yansy have run into all sorts of trouble yansy seven under at the short 17th and his troubles continue Club held up in the grass didn’t quite make the green and here’s Nichol now only one
Under trying to squirt one up onto the putting service and my word he’s played a good one hits the edge of the hole what a wonderful shot yansy playing his third shot at this Par 3 17th and my word that’s not dead yet well that’s a brave putt but another stroke dropped to
Par well held for necklace but Deany drops to six under par immediately behind on the te Tom weisskoff 10 under par bunker but that’s in a bunker Johnny Miller also 10 underp power there could be a chance here and there is indeed because wise C
Ball is lying right up the face of the bunker he’s got a very difficult shot got to get the ball steeply in the air and carry it to the flag looks a good one under the circumstances my word it was to stop very quickly little unluckily backed away from the
Hole now Miller this for a birdie two at the 17th oh my word so near and yet so far but it’s a par three and the pressure very firmly on weis’s shoulder disturbed by the great iron bird gathers his concentration again oh well it just had the necessary
6 in drop a wonderful putt from weof and I doubt very much whether he would have hold that a year or two ago he’s matured so much this man over the last couple of years he really is now one of the world’s greats and they’re absolutely
Dead level as they go to the 54th hole where yansy just missed his putt for a par and Nicholas has this putt for his par and a rather sad round of 76 so a disastrous back nine for Nicholas home in 39 Strokes for a round
Of 76 and a total of 215 the same as Christy o [Applause] Conor for yansy a 73 and a three- round total of 211 five under par and on the leader board Tom weisskoff and Johnny Miller both 10 underpar and here they come down the 18th Fairway it’ll be Johnny Miller to play
First and the edge of the Fairway on the left well he doesn’t look very pleased with that pushed out short and right of the green now Tom wisoff and that’s a much better looking stroke running right into the heart of the green a good shot to finish
With and a good crowd to approximately 177,000 round this green despite the rather miserable weather Miller’s third pitches it well up and it’s not a bad one leaves him a part of about 6 ft now wisoff putting for a birdy three it’s a good one only just short and a safe PA four and now Johnny Miller with this crucial putt to stay level
With wisoff and a share of the lead and so Johnny Miller finishes rather sadly with a 69 for a total of 207 but if Miller does not win this Championship tomorrow that’s the one many people will will say lost him the title one round to go Barnes and Neil
Calls for Britain in fourth place but Tom Weiss scof the leader from Johnny Miller by a single stroke and many people are beginning to wonder whether Bert yansy or indeed anyone can stop tomorrow turning into a two horse race rather like one of those fascinating old twom men challenge
Matches and by the way what’s the weather going to do the contenders emerg from their hotel to find Bright Skies what a character not ready to make your great charge 62 good weather you could do it Johnny Miller Tom Weiss you doing this morning Jack Nicholas the men destined
To create the day’s dramas those three plus one Neil Kohl’s The Quiet Man of British Golf there’s a hint early in the day that British Golf May emerge with credit Peter Butler finishes with a fine 69 which gives him a total of 286 and the prospect of £2,000 worth of prize
Money people say the championship lies between two men but already out on the course others have different ideas years for one Jack Nicholas the first Power Four Hole Nicholas with a taste of yesterday’s failure still sour in his mouth now facing this pit shot of no more than 100
Yards or so up to this first green thrown right in the air but it doesn’t quite stop quickly enough that Nicholas has the look of a man bent on perfection his partner Christi O Connor now aged 48 years of age but determined to make one more bid for Glory this for a
Birdie and there it is now Nicholas also for a birdie [Applause] what a great start for Jack now two underpar going to the second hole a similar second shot to the one he’s just played at the first hole looks good my word it is good too
An absolute Beauty and I’m sure a lot of us are getting the feeling that we’re watching a very different Jack lias today than the one we saw struggling yesterday this for a birdie well that’s two holes played and two birdies scored and Away goes Jack beginning to play this really
Pulverizing game that we know he can do so well and as you see three under par but behind him Neil Cole and rather like Nicholas Hole by hole he begins to cut trun down to [Applause] normal altogether Co is destined to score five birdies in the first 12 holes that’s one of
Them meanwhile Nicholas goes on even more sensationally out in 32 then six under par for the round seven under for the tournament coming to the 13th now here he is playing his second shot from light Ruff watching it rather anxiously that’s the right edge of the graen got a collap
Sh it’s not on can’t possibly be on if it kicked it to the right so could this be the end of Jack’s Purple Patch this 13th hole is a power four and Nicholas is well off the Green in two drives along that’s where the ball pitch says faithful Jimmy Dickinson
Knocks the pitch mark down and you can see how the ball’s gone down the slope leaving a tricky little pitch up to the plateau green with the flag about 10 or 12 yards over the top looks good well my word what about that incredible Nicholas strikes again five holes to play eight under
Par and behind him Neil Kohl’s has quietly picked up yet another birdie but Nicholas comes down the 72nd hole the final hole and on the threshold of perhaps one of the greatest rounds of golf ever played in a British Open championship this putt for a 65 yes an astonishing 65 a total of
280 so Nicholas finishes in a blaze of glory and so does Neil koh’s coming quietly down the center of the Fairway into the great arena with this Pat for a 66 a superb round of 66 and a four round total of 279 for Neil [Applause] Kohl’s but now he can only wait because
That score must surely put him high in the money list but it all depends on what the others do coming up behind the anticipated Challenge from Brian Barnes and Bert yansy doesn’t quite come off Barnes ultimately shoots a 76 and yansy 70 yansy putting at the
13th when you hear the cheers behind you said yansy you know they’re for someone else they were the leaders have been waging their two-man War this the second hole and Tom wisoff putting for a par four yes just a little simple tapping so Miller has to hold his to stay only one shot
Behind well I’m sure he can hardly believe it seemed to catch right into the center of the hole but didn’t drop so after two holes wisoff moves Two Strokes ahead [Applause] and now the third hole and it’s becoming more and more a test of character as much as technique
Fought Ho by hole with scarcely a word between them that’s a good-looking swing from Weiss goof here at the third and a good result the mental pressure is now mounting on Miller as it has since that psychological Miss yesterday on the 54th green now Johnny Miller’s second shot to
The third can he match that one of Weiss’s barely hits it hard throws it right in the air peson stopped very quickly a good shot right over the top of the flag but it’s wisec off to putt first this for a birdie tricky one across the
Slope but it’s in oh what relief for the leader an 11 underpath now this has put the pressure right back on Johnny Miller already two strokes behind and knowing if he doesn’t hold this three oh again so near but it doesn’t drop so wisoff picks up yet another
Stroke after three holes in the final round and the weather which has tormented this Championship returns Miller has one psychological advantage he has won a major championship wisoff hasn’t but now this is the fourth hole a par five and wisoff short of the Green in two good looking pitch oh beautifully
Played beautifully played some 4 and 1/2 ft from the hole now from the side of the green Johnny Miller playing his third tricky shot oh but plays it well two very fine piit shots there from Miller and Weiss it’s just Miller to putt first yes and that’s his first birdie of the
Day and can wisoff follow him in no he can’t and that’s the first we’ve seen in Weiss cof’s armor today so just two shots in it now and that’s the way they remain as they come to the par five sixth hole it’s absolutely pouring down now but
Weiss Coff’s already on the Green in three Miller to play Pitch of some 110 120 yards and a good one much closer than Weiss’s study of concentration long part for a bu here at the sixth oh isn’t that an absolute killer blow follow that what terrible pressure now back on Miller
No it won’t go in so three shots behind again almost as soon as he’d got one back and still three in it at the power five 11th Weiss scoff to play good looking shot will it make the green bouncing forward and just gets on the front the very front of the
Green now Miller’s second shot at this very dangerous 11th hole railway lines skirting all down the right hand side and he must do something now for the holes are beginning to run out a fine shot onto the green but the net result is two birdies and no Strokes change
Hands and they remain as you see from the scoreboard Miller 10 under wisoff 13 under but suddenly there is a change at the 13th wisoff pushed his second shot wider the green and is in all sorts of trouble Miller nicely on the Green in two looks certain to get his power four
Now can weof play as good a shot as we saw Nicholas do from an easier position a few moments ago that perhaps would be asking too much but can he get down in two no he can’t and Miller closes the Gap and everyone waits to see if weisskoff will
Crack and there’s weis’s answer two superb iron shots at the next two holes this is the 15th Miller putting to keep the gap down to only two strokes and again it’s three strokes and suddenly it’s too late they come to the final 72nd hole and what a wonderful
Arena it is we indeed in British Golf are fortunate to have so many great finishing holes and trun is not the least of them Miller having pushed his second shot Into the greenside Bunker now weof with the championship in his grasp well it’s good enough you can just look at those crowds
Engulfing the screen and on the right for beautiful Mrs [Applause] weof from the bunker Johnny Miller a long bunker shot a difficult one oh beautifully played and a final reminder of the tremendous skill and potential of this young man John Miller now weot can he get down in two and a total of
276 the alltime record set by Arnold Palmer in 1962 a very good effort from such long range and so the answer will probably be yes now Johnny Miller putting for a round of 72 and a total of 279 Miller and Kohl’s tying them for second place on 279 now Weiss scoff with this part of about 30 in for the record and what a great grandstand finish to this championship for weof fine score fine [Applause] Man Tom wisoff he led in every round something no man has done since Henry Cotton the 102nd British Open Championship is all over bar the speeches and as usual the open has been a model of organization which has respected the world over for Charles Lorry on Weiss Coff’s left the last of his four historic opens as chairman of the RNA Championship committee for Bert
Yansy fifth place and another wait to see whether he can win a major title for Jack Nicholas fourth place and what might have been for Johnny Miller a tremendous future and a check for 3,625 for Neil Cole suddenly the Limelight coming from behind to tie for second
Place and the champion golfer for the year with a score of two 76 winner of the gold medal prize money of £5,500 Tom weof of the United [Applause] States wow congratulations Tom very thank you very much believe me uh to win my first major championship in the country where golf
Started is something that you can’t explain it’s so it’s the most inspirational place have ever played golf I’m very proud to be your champion thank you the 102nd British Open Championship is over it is the year of Tom Wisoff H
