The cancellation of this year’s 149th Open Championship does not mean a lack of golf on the BBC this week.
The Open was scheduled to be held at Royal St George’s in Kent from 16-19 July but was called off because of the global coronavirus pandemic.
Instead, we have three programmes lined up, looking back at some memorable moments from recent Championships.
Thursday’s opener features highlights from all 11 Opens won collectively by Americans Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson.
Friday’s programme focuses on England’s three-time winner Sir Nick Faldo and Northern Ireland’s most recent champions Darren Clarke and Rory McIlroy.
Both programmes will be repeated on Saturday – with a look back at last year’s Open Championship, won by the Republic of Ireland’s Shane Lowry at Royal Portrush, being broadcast at 18:15 BST on BBC2.
Chronicles of a Champion Golfer
Thursday, 16 July (13:00, BBC2 – repeated 18 July 10:00 BBC2)
Watson won a staggering five Open Championships between 1975 and 1983, Woods has lifted the Claret Jug three times to date, while Nicklaus triumphed on three occasions between 1966 and 1978.
They are the Open Championship’s three most successful post-war American players, but what fuelled their success?
This episode takes a look at the origins of their stories, with rarely shown footage from their childhoods, personal insights from all three players and highlights of all 11 Open Championships that the trio have won between them.
Chronicles of a Champion Golfer
Friday, 17 July (13:45, BBC2 – repeated 18 July 11:00 BBC2)
This episode takes a look at some of the recent British successes at the Open Championship and relives the stories behind each triumph.
Faldo is arguably Britain’s greatest modern-day golfer and lifted the Claret Jug three times between 1987 and 1992. The Englishman won twice at Muirfield and once at St Andrews in what was a dominant period of his career.
Few will forget Clarke’s triumph at Royal St George’s in 2011 as the Northern Irishman conquered the elements and his nerves to win his first major championship at the age of 42.
Fellow Northern Irishman and current world number one McIlroy won the Claret Jug for the first time at Royal Liverpool in 2014, becoming only the sixth golfer to win the Open after leading all four rounds.
The Open 2019: How Shane Won The Claret Jug
Saturday, 18 July (18:15 BBC2)
The Open made a dramatic return to Northern Ireland in 2019 after a 68-year absence, and Royal Portrush served up a treat with Irishman Shane Lowry emerging as the winner.
Lowry could not have chosen a better venue to claim his first major title, and he soared to the top of the leaderboard after shooting a magnificent 63 in the third round, setting a new course record in one of the greatest rounds in Open history. He held firm on the final day as his rivals faltered to claim the Claret Jug by six shots.
Patriotic fans, some appalling weather and a home golfer trying to contain his emotions all combined to make the 148th Open Championship one of the best.
Article courtesy of BBC Sport
Source link
