Rory McIlroy's Tiger-esque performance at Congressional has many golf fans wondering what the 22-year-old has in store for Royal St. George's, one of the most difficult courses in the Open Championship rotation. Past winners Walter Hagen, Sandy Lyle and Greg Norman were required to play the best golf of their careers to capture the Claret Jug, and this year's champion will need to produce a similar performance — perhaps one worthy of being mentioned with the following memorable British Open performances.
- Old Tom Morris, Prestwick, 1862: A pioneer in the sport, Old Tom Morris was not only the first professional golfer, but the first dominant professional golfer. He won four of the first eight Open Championships before his son, Young Tom Morris, proceeded to win four of his own. Old Tom's most impressive performance came in 1862, when he obliterated the field by 13 strokes, a record that stood for 138 years.
- Ben Hogan, Carnoustie, 1953: One Open Championship appearance, one win. Hogan was unable to participate in the tournament in any other year because the PGA Championship was held at the same time, but 1953 proved to be the right year for him to enter the field, as he had already won that year's Masters and US Open. Shooting a course record 68 in the final round, he finished four shots ahead of the field, demonstrating the highest level of golf to the captivated gallery.
- Jack Nicklaus, St. Andrews, 1970: Sure, Jack won it with a little help from Doug Sanders, who, with a one shot lead heading to 72, failed to sink a three-foot downhill putt to secure the victory. Jack, a proven winner, pounced on the opportunity to win his eighth major and second British Open title. Overcoming difficult conditions all weekend, including 56 mph wind, he won a 18-hole playoff after sinking a dramatic eight-foot putt. It was his first major victory since the 1967 US Open — his father had recently died, and golf had lost its importance to him, which is why this victory was extra important.
- Tom Watson, Turnberry, 1977: Remembered as one of the finest displays of golf in a major championship, the 1970 Open Championship pitted the ageless Nicklaus versus the emerging Watson. Paired in the third round as both were one shot off the lead, they entered the final round with a four-shot lead on the field, battling to a tie on 16. Nicklaus's remarkable missed birdie on 17 gave Watson the advantage, but he still needed to sink a birdie on 18 to seal the win. He finished with a 65 and a record 268.
- Seve Ballesteros, Royal Litham & St. Annes, 1979: Three years after he finished second at Royal Birkdale as a fresh-faced 19-year-old, Seve won his first major championship, and he did it in entertaining fashion. With a two-shot lead over Ben Crenshaw on 16, his tee shot settled beneath a parked car, giving him a free drop. Amazingly, he still secured a birdie, sinking a 20-foot putt that has since lived in Open Championship lore.
- Seve Ballesteros, St. Andrews, 1984: It was a duel between two players who lived for the Open — Seve and Watson finished their accomplished careers with three and five Open championships respectively. During the final day of the 1984 edition, only a shot separated the two, and it wasn't until the final two holes that things cleared up. Watson bogeyed 17 and Seve responded by birdying 18, stealing the victory.
- John Daly, St. Andrews, 1995: Sometimes, merely surviving is half the battle. Daly wasn't expected to appear at the top of the leaderboard at St. Andrews in 1995, but he did, and he had a heck of a time keeping his spot. After achieving a difficult par on 17, Costantino Rocca found himself in the "Valley of Sin" on 18, where he made a spectacular 60-foot putt to force a four-hole playoff. Undaunted, Daly proceeded to win the playoff, capturing his second major championship.
- Tiger Woods, St. Andrews, 2000: Memories of Old Tom Morris's dominance resurfaced as Tiger continued playing the best golf of his career — the best golf of anyone's career — winning the Open by eight strokes over Ernie Els and Thomas Bjorn, accumulating the lowest 72-hole score in relation to par in major championship history. This came after Tiger's 15-stroke victory at the US Open in which he broke Morris's record. Completing the "Tiger Slam," he became the youngest golfer to win all four major championships.
- Padraig Harrington, Carnoustie Golf Links, 2007: Sergio Garcia led the first three rounds, but relented on the final round, as the lead changed on multiple occasions. Down six shots the day, Harrington remained determined to win his first major, connecting on four birdies and an eagle to gain a one-shot lead heading into the final hole. After his double bogey, he defeated Garcia in a playoff. He was the first Irishman to win the tourney in 60 years.
- Tom Watson, Turnberry, 2009: He didn't win, but never has a 59-year-old performed better in the Open Championship. Fans marveled at Watson's first round 65, but he was expected to quickly fade so the younger generation could rule the course. By the end of the third round, however, he was in sole possession of the lead and in serious contention for his sixth Open Championship. After a birdie on 17, he needed a par four at 18 to win, but he bogeyed, and lost in a playoff to Stewart Cink. Despite the outcome, his performance made the 2009 edition of the tournament extra-memorable.
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