All of the game’s greats have walked the fairways at The Open, but a select group of individuals have had the pleasure of featuring in golf’s original championship more than anyone else.
We take a look at the seven players who have made the most appearances at The Open, a list topped by a man whose name is synonymous with golfing longevity.
Sayers holds a place in the record books as the man to have played in the most Opens without lifting the Claret Jug.
The Scot certainly contended for glory on a number of occasions, recording 12 top-10 finishes between 1883 and 1904.
His closest call came at St Andrews in 1888 when he looked set to feature in a three-way play-off for the Claret Jug, only to be denied that opportunity in bizarre circumstances.
Sayers, Davie Anderson and Jack Burns all recorded the same aggregate total of 172 for two rounds, but scrutiny of the scorecards revealed the latter had actually shot 171.
Given Burns had signed for the correct score on each hole – and it was only the addition at fault – the player’s score was amended and he was declared the Champion.
Sayers was third the following year at Musselburgh, but he would never quite do enough to triumph. Nevertheless, his legacy as a player, teacher, course designer and manufacturer is a proud one.
Faldo’s birthday typically falls on the week of The Open and the Englishman has had plenty to celebrate in his home major.
A three-time Champion Golfer of the Year, he made his Open debut as a teenager in 1976 and was tied-seventh just two years later at St Andrews.
To find out the top five players who have made the most appearances at The Open, continue reading this article at https://www.theopen.com/latest/record-appearance-makers.
The R&A