At Birkdale in ‘61, Arnie made golf world understand the importance of the Open Championship

Arnold Palmer left his mark on Royal Birkdale Golf Course and on the Open Championship. His shot out of the rough, improbable as it was, made him a winner, and it also made the Open a tournament that couldn’t be ignored. 

It was 1961, and to most of the pros on what eventually would become the PGA Tour, the Open Championship, as we now call it, was far away and underfunded.  

A year earlier, 1960, Arnie had won the Masters and, at Cherry Hills in Denver, the US Open.  Nobody used the term Grand Slam in those days, but Arnie, bold and optimistic, chose to cross the sea and enter the British Open. He didn’t win that time, he was second. But he was no less determined, and so he returned in ’61, followed by others who correctly believed that if Arnie was entered, they also should be.

That ’61 Open, he was battling for first when on the 15th hole (now the 16th) he drove deep into the thick rough near a blackberry bush. His caddy advised him to play safe and lay up, but Arnie never played safe. He pulled out a 6-iron and hit his ball through the bush to within twelve feet of the hole. He holed the putt and not only grabbed the tournament, but also the imagination of the fans in the United Kingdom and the US pros.  

The Open Championship suddenly became important.

It still is, of course, and when the 154th Open begins Thursday at Royal Birkdale Golf Club, the field will be packed with the usual suspects, each of whom understands the Open’s place in golf and in history. 

Birkdale is in Northwest England near the coastal town of Southport, which is a resort complex full of tourist activities. But the entrants at the Open will not be trying loop-the-loop or the ferris wheel.

They’ll be attempting to win the last major of the year, adding their names to the list of Royal Birkdale champions that includes not only Arnie but also Lee Trevino, San Francisco’s Johnny Miller, Mark O’Meara, Tom Watson and, in 2017, Jordan Spieth. Spieth pulled off a miracle shot of his own to get his victory. On the par-4 13th, Spieth hit a wild slice far off the fairway deep in the dunes.

Spieth and caddie Michael Greller spent 20 minutes searching for a spot to get relief, while playing partner, Matt Kuchar, then in the lead, grew angrier.

Spieth, having declared an unplayable lie, dropped a new ball on the driving range and ended up with a bogey. Then he roared back, nearly acing the 14th, eagling the par-5 15th, and making birdies on 16 and 17. 

It was a champion’s finish. 

Spieth lost his magic after that. He struggled to make cuts.

Oh yes, Jordan has something else in common with Arnie. Both lack a PGA Championship on their resume.