THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
Open Championship 2005, 14-17 July 2005

The Open 2005: Round One

Tiger Woods leads the Open after round one following a six under par 66.

‘I am very pleased with the way I played all day,’ said Woods after coming off the Old Course, ‘I still feel very comfortable out there.’

Woods carried on where he left off in 2000, when he achieved a record low score of 19 under par. The Millennium Open champion opened this year’s event with eight birdies and two bogies, these last coming at the 13 th and 16 th after visits to the Coffins and to Wig bunkers. Woods famously avoided sand in his last triumph at the Home of Golf but not this time: he also found Shell Bunker at the 7 th.

Reflecting on his round, Woods commented: ‘You have to be very careful of what shot you are going to hit, what kind of spin you’re going to put on the golf ball and what shape. You have to really think your way around the golf course.’

Mark Hensby of Australia lies second after a 67, the highlight of his day being an eagle at the 9 th. Top five finishes in this season’s Masters and US Open show he can perform well at this level.

A large group of players lie at 4 under par, including Fred Couples and Retief Goosen, who was one of a number of players to drive the 18 th green today. Scottish amateur Eric Ramsey is another to have returned a 68, his experiences in the annual St Andrews Links Trophy clearly having helped him.

Vijay Singh lies poised on 3 under along with US Open champion Michael Campbell. Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson both had a disappointing day, returning two over par 74s.

Jack Nicklaus, in his farewell Open appearance, came home in 75.

The Open 2005: Round Two

Jack Nicklaus completed his personal odyssey to the pinnacle of the game today when he completed his final competitive round on the Old Course with a birdie at the last hole.

Nicklaus, winner of 18 professional major titles, is the greatest player in the history of golf and it was fitting that his swan song should be on the Old Course, where he was twice a winner and whose reputation he has extolled and enhanced during his long career.

Given a standing ovation by the crowds gathered at every hole, Nicklaus was feted at the Home of Golf as no man has been before.

Commenting on his three at the last hole, named Tom Morris in honour of the great pioneer of championship golf, Nicklaus said he set the ball off on a six-inch break but thought he’d missed it: ‘the hole must have moved!’ he said.

Meanwhile, Tiger Woods extended his lead to four strokes after a second round 67. Woods scored five birdies with no dropped shots. He has birdied ten different holes already this week and today missed a short putt to add the Road Hole to his tally. Woods is not likely to imagine that regaining the most coveted title in golf will be a stroll by the seaside: ‘All I know is that I have business to do tomorrow,’ he said. ‘I have to shoot another quality round out there.’

Woods will be joined in the final two-ball by Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie, who shot a 66 to go to 7 under par. Montgomerie has shot 62 on the Old Course during the Dunhill Links Championship and another round of that type will be needed to mount a challenge to the world number one.

Further back, on 6 under, are seven players including Vijay Singh who returned a second successive 69.

The cut mark was one over par, a shot higher than in 2000. The mark was set after Euan Walters of Australia bogeyed the 18 th when a birdie would have brought the cut to even par.

South Africa ’s David Frost shot the championship’s best score so far of 65. Frost went around the Old Course in 64 back in the 1991 Dunhill, but with the course having been lengthened for this year’s Open he is now the course record holder.

St Andrews Links Trophy stalwarts Eric Ramsay, Lloyd Saltman, Matthew Richardson and Edoardo Molinari have all qualified for the weekend.

The Open 2005: Round Three

Tiger Woods leads The Open after Round Three but the gap has been halved to only two strokes.

Woods came home in 71 as he struggled to come to terms with the Old Course playing in its truest links style, defended today by a stiff westerly cross-wind and fast-running fairways. Tiger was twice in the whin bushes, on the 6 th and the 9 th, and he often faced difficult chips from around greens he had run through. It took an extraordinary 50 yard putt at the last, lagged to within two inches, to give Woods his two shot cushion going into the final round. ‘I could actually feel the shaft flex in my putter,' said an amazed Woods afterwards.

His playing partner will once again be José Maria Olazábal, who was in the same group as Tiger in the first two rounds, and who returned a 68 to go to 10 under par. ‘I’ve had three great days on the golf course and I’m really enjoying myself this week,’ said the Spaniard who got into the tournament as first reserve following the withdrawal of Seve Ballesteros. ‘Obviously it’s a bonus to be here, just being at St Andrews. I do have a lot of respect for the golf course, for the tradition, for what it means, and just being able to be part of it this year is wonderful.’

Colin Montgomerie and Retief Goosen are both on 9 under. Goosen scored an excellent 66, only dropping a shot at the Road Hole. ‘I love St Andrews… I’ve played here since 1985,’ said the South African. ‘I played my first amateur tournament here. So I’ve played a few rounds and know it pretty well.’ Montgomerie’s 70 in round three beat playing partner Woods by a stroke.

Brad Faxon, playing in his 63 rd major, and Sergio Garcia are on 8 under par, while a shot further back are Michael Campbell and Vijay Singh. Campbell is seeking to become only the seventh player to win The Open after the US Open. The last player to do so was Tiger Woods.

This is the tenth time Woods has gone into a final round of a major with at least a share of the lead and his record gives little encouragement to his pursuers in Round Four: he has gone on to win all nine previous tournaments.

The Open 2005: Round Four

Tiger Woods left St Andrews today as the new Open champion. A final round 70 brought him to 14 under par.

The 29-year-old world number one has won twice on the Old Course and his name is now inextricably linked to the Home of Golf.

‘This is as good as it gets,’ said Woods after his five stroke victory. ‘Everyone dreams of winning the Open championship and they always dream about doing it here at St Andrews.’

Woods has now won ten majors and has collected two career grand slams, both of them completed on the Old Course.

Colin Montgomerie finished in second place, five shots back, after returning a par 72. Three under at the turn, he had closed to within one of the leader but bogies at 11 and 13 saw his challenge falter. Cheered on the whole way round by a flag-waving gallery, the Scot achieved his best Open finish. ‘There's no disgrace in finishing second to the best player in the world,' said Montgomerie, before adding: ‘I beat everyone else.’

Fred Couples and José Maria Olazábal both came home in 280 to claim a share of third place on an unusually strong leader board.

There was delight for 19-year-old St Andrews Links Trophy winner, Lloyd Saltman, who won the Silver Medal for best amateur. Lloyd birdied 18 to finish on 5 under par, pipping fellow-Scot, Eric Ramsay, by a shot.

St Andrews continues to produce great champions and exciting competition. This Open will live long in the memory.

The 2005 Open attracted a total attendance of 223,000, with 50,000 having passed through the gates to see Jack Nicklaus’ final round on Friday.