Mark O'Meara

Mark O’Meara, who has announced his retirement from professional golf after an illustrious 44-year career, showed his class in more ways than one as he triumphed in The 127th Open at Royal Birkdale in 1998.

Two young stars with a combined age of 39 commanded much of the attention in Southport 26 years ago, as a charging Tiger Woods threatened to claim his maiden Open title and teenage amateur Justin Rose sensationally finished fourth after holing a pitch on the 72nd hole.

Yet history would ultimately be made by the vastly experienced O’Meara, who had received a green jacket from his friend Woods upon winning the Masters three months earlier.

At the age of 41, O’Meara finished one shot ahead of Woods before beating Brian Watts in a play-off to become the oldest man to win two majors in the same year.

What is more, the Champion Golfer of 1998 won plenty of admiration for the way he responded to being taken to extra holes in the first place.

O’Meara had already posted a level-par aggregate of 280, one better than Woods, to claim the clubhouse lead with one group left on the course.

When Watts, who was also level-par, found the most awkward of positions at the back of a greenside bunker on the 18th, the odds of a play-off looked to have receded significantly.

Yet he then produced a truly magical shot from the sand. Standing with his right foot outside of the bunker and his left barely inside it, Watts somehow pitched out to within two feet, ensuring a closing par was a formality.

And leading the applause at the back of the green was O’Meara, the man from North Carolina graciously acknowledging the brilliance of his rival.

Having demonstrated his sportsmanship, O’Meara would go on to display his resolve as he beat Watts by two shots in the play-off – a crucial swing coming at the first extra hole when the Masters champion made a six-footer for birdie before his opponent missed a slightly shorter putt.

Three subsequent pars secured victory for O’Meara and another glorious chapter in his 19th season as a professional.

Coming up clutch

Rising to the occasion was a theme throughout the final round for O’Meara, who had tied for third at The Open on its previous visit to Royal Birkdale in 1991 and at Royal St George’s back in 1985.

After beginning the final round trailing Watts by two, the veteran took full advantage of some good fortune on the 8th, where his approach from the rough kicked off a bank besides the green and rolled on to the putting surface.

O’Meara sunk the subsequent birdie chance to get a crucial shot back after bogeys at the 6th and 7th.

“That was huge,” he said. “I would have loved to have taken a four when I was standing where I was after my tee shot and I walked off with a three, so that was a big turnaround.”

His putter was hot again on the 11th and 12th holes as he rolled in two lengthy putts in succession to move into a share of the lead at level-par.

A bogey followed at the 13th, but O’Meara played arguably his best shot of the day at the next hole, a sensational tee shot setting up a simple birdie on the long par-3 14th.

“I think the shot that really sticks in my mind was the 3-iron I played on 14,” he added. “I just came off a bogey on 13 and that was a great shot for me.”

Pressure, however, was being applied from all directions. Up ahead, a charging Woods finished with birdies at 17 and 18 to set the clubhouse target at one-over, while Watts was also digging deep. When O’Meara dropped a shot at the 16th, all three players were tied at the top.

“I didn’t hit the greatest of drives on 17. I had to lay-up and then I hit a good 9-iron,” said O’Meara.

“As I was walking to the green I saw that Tiger had finished at one-over. I realised that I needed to make a birdie because the 18th hole is not the easiest hole to play.”

Once again O’Meara was up to the challenge, holing his birdie putt to reclaim sole possession of the lead once more.

Watts matched that birdie and then impressed both the crowd and O’Meara with his heroics at the last.

Yet after giving his fellow competitor due credit, O’Meara made sure he ended the day with the Claret Jug in his possession.