The Old Course at St Andrews will play host to a major sporting milestone when it serves as the venue for The 150th Open in July 2022.
A return to the Home of Golf provides the world’s best with an opportunity to join an elite band of players who have lifted the Claret Jug at St Andrews.
Since World War II, a dozen men – including many of the greatest players in history – have won The Open at its most iconic venue.
We take a look at those 12 players, who boast an incredible 67 major titles and 27 Open victories between them.
Major wins: 7Open wins: 1Champion Golfer at St Andrews in 1946
A prolific collector of trophies, Sam Snead enjoyed 82 PGA Tour successes – a record he shares with Tiger Woods – across an extraordinary 29-year span.
Slammin’ Sam was 34 when he claimed his sole Claret Jug in 1946, as the Old Course played host to the first post-war Open.
On a windy final afternoon in Fife, Snead closed the Championship with a 75 but still triumphed by four as his nearest rivals heading into the fourth round recorded scores of 79 and 80, illustrating just how challenging the conditions were.
Snead would only play in three further Opens – in 1962, 1965 and 1976. Although he was 64 by the time of his final appearance, he had tied for third place in the PGA Championship just two years earlier.
To read about the other 11 men who have won The Open at St Andrews since 1946, visit https://www.theopen.com/latest/st-andrews-champions.
The R&A