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The Open For The Ages: Nicklaus holds off Woods for glory at St Andrews

Jack Nicklaus finished just ahead of Tiger Woods to be crowned The Open For The Ages champion in a dramatic finish at St Andrews.

By Rob Lancaster
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St. Andrews, July 19: Jack Nicklaus finished just ahead of Tiger Woods to be crowned The Open For The Ages champion in a dramatic conclusion at St Andrews.

With the coronavirus outbreak having led to the cancellation of this year's Open, organisers created a celebratory edition involving some of the sport's greatest names, with archive footage used to recreate the action.

The winner was worked out through the combination of a fan vote and a data model that utilised career statistics and historical Open data.

Legendary duo Nicklaus and Woods were tied at the summit of the leaderboard on 12 under heading into the last day – and the pair did not disappoint in a thrilling final round.

After top spot had changed hands across an entertaining day, the crucial moment came on the penultimate hole when Woods – who has claimed two of his three Open victories at the St Andrews course – bogeyed.

Nicklaus, an 18-time major winner, had seen a birdie putt at the 17th drift narrowly wide but a par at the last was enough, the American completing a blemish-free 68 to win by a solitary shot from his compatriot.

Seve Ballesteros finished up in third on 15 under par, two clear of Tom Watson and Nick Faldo.

The 149th edition of the Championship had been scheduled to take place this week, but Royal St George's must wait another year due to the ongoing impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

St Andrews will next host the tournament in July 2022, as it celebrates its 150th edition.

Story first published: Sunday, July 19, 2020, 20:37 [IST]
Other articles published on Jul 19, 2020