The sun beat down giving a rare reprieve from the rain and wind so typical of Turnberry as if it knew it had a part to play in the historic events about to unfold on the Ailsa course. The final day of the 1977 Open was to become known as The Duel in the Sun” as two of the game's supreme competitors locked horns in one of the most incredible encounters in major championship history. Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus had been engaged in a fierce battle sparring at the head of the leader board. After three rounds they shared the Open lead three strokes ahead of... Ben Crenshaw. Behind them Trevino Palmer and Ballesteros toiled. They were paired on the final day having matched scores (68 70 and 65) and talent for three days. After just four holes of the final round Nicklaus had a three shot lead but Watson pulled even by the eighth. At the ninth the crowd could contain their excitement no longer the ropes broke and the fans spilt on to the fairway. Jack Nicklaus again forged ahead taking a two-shot advantage by the 12th. Watson hit back by holing a 12 foot putt on the 13th and followed it with an unlikely and spectacular birdie from nearly 60 feet at the par three 15th. Nicklaus missed his putt for a matching birdie. Watson birdied the 17th and when Nicklaus missed his birdie putt led for the first time all day. Watson found the final fairway and then delivered an approach to within two feet of the pin at the last. It looked as if Nicklaus was beaten — his drive was inches from a bush and he had an impeded swing. But this was Jack golf's greatest and incredibly Nicklaus smashed a recovery shot on to the final green. Still he was 40 feet from the hole — a putt that broke in all manner of directions. Watson whispered to his caddie “Jack is going to make that putt — and of course he did. Watson now had his birdie putt for the famous Claret Jug. He could have wavered — but he did not. The Open winning putt went in centre cup. This updated edition features the Official Film of the legendary 1977 Open Championships at Turnberry and the original live coverage of holes 12 to 18 of the final day. [show more]
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The official film of the 1977 British Open golf championship plus the original TV coverage of the final six holes. Taking place for the first time at Turnberry, the tournament saw Jack Nicklaus take on Masters champion Tom Watson in a contest that went right down to the wire. Having tied scores on the first three days, the pair tee'd off for the final round knowing that the battle for the Claret Jug was likely to go all the way to the last hole.
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