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JohnnyMillerOpen1976Cropped

1976 / Royal Birkdale

Johnny Miller was playing the best golf of anyone in the world when he won The Open in 1976.

The blond American had been second and third in the previous three years and won the U.S. Open in 1973 with a record closing round of 63.

At Royal Birkdale he finished with a 66 that took him from two behind to six ahead of the field. He played supreme golf and yet even he would accept that it was a week when a new star was born – Seve Ballesteros.

The 19-year-old Spaniard was relatively unknown to the public but made a lasting impression by playing an outrageous chip-and-run between a couple of bunkers at the last to secure second place alongside Jack Nicklaus.

Amid the heatwave British summer, Ballesteros shared the lead on day one with Christy O’Connor Jnr, who went to the turn in 29, and Japan’s Norio Suzuki.

Five birdies coming home on the second day put Seve two ahead of Miller. In strong winds on the third day, which saw defending Champion Golfer Tom Watson score an 80, both Ballesteros and Miller scored 73s.

The youngster lost the lead early on but rallied in wild but inspired fashion on the way home, helped by another eagle at the 17th.

Ballesteros birdied the first hole of the final round to go three ahead but there was a two-shot swing to the American at the next and the Spaniard suffered a double bogey at the sixth and a triple bogey at the 11th.

Miller could relax and produced his best golf with a birdie at the 12th, an eagle at the 13th and birdies at the last two holes for the third day running.

Ballesteros followed suit with three birdies and another eagle at the 17th before he brought the house down at the last.

Name
Finish
R1
R2
R3
R4
Total
Par
Johnny MILLER
Champion Golfer
1
72
68
73
66
279
-
Seve BALLESTEROS
2
69
69
73
74
285
-
Jack NICKLAUS
2
74
70
72
69
285
-
Ray FLOYD
4
76
67
73
70
286
-
Hubert GREEN
5
72
70
78
68
288
-
Tom KITE
5
70
74
73
71
288
-
Tommy HORTON
5
74
69
72
73
288
-
Mark JAMES
5
76
72
74
66
288
-
Christy O'CONNOR JR
5
69
73
75
71
288
-
Peter BUTLER
10
74
72
73
70
289
-
Vicente FERNANDEZ
10
79
71
69
70
289
-
Norio SUZUKI
10
69
75
75
70
289
-
George BURNS III
10
75
69
75
70
289
-
Brian BARNES
14
70
73
75
72
290
-
John FOURIE
15
71
74
75
71
291
-
Eamonn DARCY
15
78
71
71
71
291
-
Jack NEWTON
17
70
74
76
72
292
-
Graham MARSH
17
71
73
72
76
292
-
Guy WOLSTENHOLME
17
76
72
71
73
292
-
Tom WEISKOPF
17
73
72
76
71
292
-
Bob SHEARER
21
76
73
75
69
293
-
David GRAHAM
21
77
70
75
71
293
-
David HUISH
21
73
74
72
74
293
-
Simon HOBDAY
21
79
71
75
68
293
-
Alan TAPIE
21
74
72
75
72
293
-
Stewart GINN
21
78
72
72
71
293
-
Chi-San HSU
21
81
69
71
72
293
-
Gary PLAYER
28
72
72
79
71
294
-
Sir Nick FALDO
28
78
71
76
69
294
-
Doug SANDERS
28
77
73
73
71
294
-
Neil COLES
28
74
77
70
73
294
-
Gene LITTLER
32
75
74
73
74
296
-
Paddy MCGUIRK
32
76
70
77
73
296
-
Guy HUNT
32
76
68
76
76
296
-
Roberto DE VICENZO
32
77
71
76
72
296
-
Bobby COLE
32
75
71
72
78
296
-
Hale IRWIN
32
74
72
77
73
296
-
David JAGGER
38
78
72
74
73
297
-
Martin FOSTER
38
74
71
77
75
297
-
Vince HOOD
38
76
74
73
74
297
-
Ian MOSEY
38
73
74
75
75
297
-
Barry BURGESS
42
75
76
74
73
298
-
Peter DAWSON
42
80
72
73
73
298
-
Peter OOSTERHUIS
42
74
75
77
72
298
-
Malcolm GREGSON
42
73
75
76
74
298
-
Tony JACKLIN
42
73
77
76
72
298
-
Warren HUMPHREYS
42
73
77
73
75
298
-
Dale HAYES
48
77
71
74
77
299
-
Bill GARRETT
48
74
74
78
73
299
-
Stewart ADWICK
48
78
71
74
76
299
-
Doug MCCLELLAND
48
74
73
77
75
299
-
Bob MURPHY
48
75
77
73
74
299
-
Carl HIGGINS
48
77
67
81
74
299
-
Peter BERRY
48
80
72
71
76
299
-
Arnold O'CONNOR
55
76
76
74
74
300
-
John HAMMOND
55
74
76
73
77
300
-
Andries OOSTHUIZEN
55
75
73
78
74
300
-
Arnold PALMER
55
75
72
76
77
300
-
David TALBOT
55
74
74
74
78
300
-
Bernard GALLACHER
60
74
72
76
79
301
-
Danny EDWARDS
60
74
72
79
76
301
-
Bob WYNN
60
79
70
75
77
301
-
Bill LOCKIE
63
78
74
74
76
302
-
Liam HIGGINS
63
77
74
75
76
302
-
Peter TUPLING
63
75
71
77
79
302
-
Alex CAYGILL
63
80
71
75
76
302
-
Paul HERBERT
WD
79
73
75
-
-
-
Don KLENK
WD
76
71
80
-
-
-
Bill BRASK
WD
71
75
81
-
-
-
Brian WAITES
WD
78
72
77
-
-
-
Tom WATSON
WD
75
72
80
-
-
-
Jimmy HEGGARTY
WD
78
72
78
-
-
-
Michael KING
WD
78
73
77
-
-
-
Brian JONES
WD
77
73
78
-
-
-
Trevor MCDONALD
WD
75
72
81
-
-
-
Harry BANNERMAN
WD
76
74
78
-
-
-
Hugh BAIOCCHI
WD
76
71
81
-
-
-
Ian STANLEY
WD
81
69
79
-
-
-
Sir Bob CHARLES
WD
72
76
81
-
-
-
Peter COWEN
WD
77
75
79
-
-
-
Jerry PATE
WD
73
71
87
-
-
-
John O'LEARY
WD
79
72
80
-
-
-
Brian ELLIS
WD
78
73
82
-
-
-
David THORP
WD
73
79
82
-
-
-
Sestilio PELLEGRINI
M/C
79
74
-
-
-
M/C
G. WATINE
M/C
82
71
-
-
-
M/C
Tony PRICE
M/C
80
73
-
-
-
M/C
Des SMYTH
M/C
75
78
-
-
-
M/C
Curtis STRANGE
M/C
79
74
-
-
-
M/C
David JONES
M/C
81
72
-
-
-
M/C
Sam TORRANCE
M/C
82
71
-
-
-
M/C
Norman WOOD
M/C
75
78
-
-
-
M/C
Jan DORRESTEIN
M/C
72
81
-
-
-
M/C
Craig DEFOY
M/C
78
75
-
-
-
M/C
David WEBSTER
M/C
78
76
-
-
-
M/C
Sam SNEAD
M/C
79
75
-
-
-
M/C
Peter THOMSON
M/C
75
79
-
-
-
M/C
Simon OWEN
M/C
76
78
-
-
-
M/C
Philippe TOUSSAINT
M/C
80
74
-
-
-
M/C
Eddie POLLAND
M/C
77
77
-
-
-
M/C
Delio LOVATO
M/C
82
72
-
-
-
M/C
Alec BICKERDIKE
M/C
73
81
-
-
-
M/C
Russell WEIR
M/C
79
75
-
-
-
M/C
Tom LINSKEY
M/C
78
77
-
-
-
M/C
Ken NORTON
M/C
80
75
-
-
-
M/C
Sheng-San HSU
M/C
81
74
-
-
-
M/C
David STRAWN
M/C
78
77
-
-
-
M/C
Silvano LOCATELLI
M/C
80
75
-
-
-
M/C
Kel NAGLE
M/C
81
74
-
-
-
M/C
Jimmy HUME
M/C
76
79
-
-
-
M/C
Christy O'CONNOR SR
M/C
81
74
-
-
-
M/C
Brian HUGGETT
M/C
78
77
-
-
-
M/C
Bruce HODSON
M/C
79
77
-
-
-
M/C
David REGAN
M/C
83
73
-
-
-
M/C
Roger FIDLER
M/C
75
81
-
-
-
M/C
Willie MILNE
M/C
79
77
-
-
-
M/C
Alan SQUIRES
M/C
82
74
-
-
-
M/C
Peter MCEVOY
M/C
78
78
-
-
-
M/C
John MCTEAR
M/C
79
77
-
-
-
M/C
Juan Carlos CABRERA
M/C
80
77
-
-
-
M/C
Pete COOPER
M/C
78
79
-
-
-
M/C
John HUDSON
M/C
82
75
-
-
-
M/C
Ken BROWN
M/C
82
75
-
-
-
M/C
Lionel PLATTS
M/C
79
78
-
-
-
M/C
Tony GRUBB
M/C
78
79
-
-
-
M/C
Michael MURPHY
M/C
78
80
-
-
-
M/C
Kevin SUDDARDS
M/C
81
77
-
-
-
M/C
John POWELL
M/C
78
80
-
-
-
M/C
Mike NUTTER
M/C
82
76
-
-
-
M/C
Martin POXON
M/C
78
80
-
-
-
M/C
Terry LE BROCQ
M/C
80
79
-
-
-
M/C
Robin MANN
M/C
85
74
-
-
-
M/C
Alistair THOMSON
M/C
82
77
-
-
-
M/C
Granville OGDEN
M/C
79
80
-
-
-
M/C
Michael MCNALLY
M/C
78
81
-
-
-
M/C
Mike HOUGHTON
M/C
82
77
-
-
-
M/C
Peter TOWNSEND
M/C
78
81
-
-
-
M/C
Mike SOUCHAK
M/C
82
77
-
-
-
M/C
R.K. CAMERON
M/C
83
77
-
-
-
M/C
Howard CLARK
M/C
83
77
-
-
-
M/C
Denis SCANLAN
M/C
81
79
-
-
-
M/C
Paul LEONARD
M/C
81
79
-
-
-
M/C
Bernhard LANGER
M/C
82
79
-
-
-
M/C
Bryon HUTCHINSON
M/C
78
83
-
-
-
M/C
D. MCLEAN
M/C
82
79
-
-
-
M/C
John MCMAHON
M/C
81
81
-
-
-
M/C
Vincent TSHABALALA
M/C
82
80
-
-
-
M/C
David INGRAM
M/C
81
83
-
-
-
M/C
Bobby LOCKE
M/C
83
81
-
-
-
M/C
Hugh JACKSON
M/C
76
88
-
-
-
M/C
John FREW
M/C
86
79
-
-
-
M/C
Fred RIDLEY
M/C
82
84
-
-
-
M/C
Maurice BEMBRIDGE
M/C
84
83
-
-
-
M/C
Fred DALY
M/C
86
89
-
-
-
M/C
Gene SARAZEN
NR
-
-
-
-
-
M/C

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