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The Open Championship: Top 10 moments in history

By Luke Norris

CARNOUSTIE, SCOTLAND - APRIL 24: The Claret Jug the Open Championship trophy behind the second green during the media day for the 147th Open Championship on the Championship Course at the Carnoustie Golf Links on April 24, 2018 in Carnoustie, Scotland. (Photo by David Cannon/R&A/R&A via Getty Images)
CARNOUSTIE, SCOTLAND - APRIL 24: The Claret Jug the Open Championship trophy behind the second green during the media day for the 147th Open Championship on the Championship Course at the Carnoustie Golf Links on April 24, 2018 in Carnoustie, Scotland. (Photo by David Cannon/R&A/R&A via Getty Images) /
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UNITED KINGDOM – JULY 22: Padraig Harrington of Ireland holds the Claret Jug aloft after winning the British Open, beating Sergio Garcia of Spain in a four hole play off at the British Open Golf Championship at Carnoustie, Scotland, Sunday, July 22, 2007. Harrington beat Sergio Garcia by one shot in a playoff to win the 136th British Open after both blew chances to win the tournament at the end of regulation play. (Photo by Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
UNITED KINGDOM – JULY 22: Padraig Harrington of Ireland holds the Claret Jug aloft after winning the British Open, beating Sergio Garcia of Spain in a four hole play off at the British Open Golf Championship at Carnoustie, Scotland, Sunday, July 22, 2007. Harrington beat Sergio Garcia by one shot in a playoff to win the 136th British Open after both blew chances to win the tournament at the end of regulation play. (Photo by Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images) /

8. Padraig Harrington vs. Sergio Garcia at Carnoustie in 2007

The Open Championship in 2007 at Carnoustie was setting up beautifully for a good player who most thought should have had a major championship by that point. Unfortunately for Sergio Garcia, it didn’t turn out to be him on that Sunday in Scotland.

Sergio had long been considered to be one of the best players in the world not to have won a major. He had given Tiger Woods a run for his money at the PGA Championship in 1999 as a 19-year-old and it only seemed to be a matter of time before he started racking up major victories. But then a year went by. And then another. He finished in the top 10 of all four majors in 2002 but couldn’t close the deal. He racked up five top-five finishes from 2004-2006 but again couldn’t quite get it done. That was seemingly all about to change.

Sergio led the way with a beautiful opening round of 65 on Thursday and followed it up with a 71 on Friday to take a two-shot lead over K.J. Choi heading into the weekend. A 3-under round of 68 on Saturday upped his lead to three over Steve Stricker and six over a group of seven players at 3-under, one of whom was Padraig Harrington.

To that point, Harrington was an 11-time winner on the European Tour and a two-time winner on the PGA Tour and easily considered one of the top players in the world. He had seven top-10 finishes in majors coming in, six of those in the top five with two of those coming at The Open Championship. So he also was no stranger to being in contention at a major without winning one.

What was a six-shot lead on Harrington to start the round was a one-shot lead as Sergio made the turn. Harrington birdied the 11th to tie but Garcia came back with one of his own at 13. Harrington then made eagle at the par-5 14th but Sergio birdied the hole and the two were once again tied. A costly bogey at 15 dropped Garcia back a shot but Harrington doubled the difficult 18th, opening the door for the Spaniard to win his first major.

Needing only a par to win, Garcia’s approach found the greenside bunker and he was left with a 10-footer for the win, a putt that looked good most of the way but heartbreakingly lipped out as Harrington looked on, which meant a four-hole playoff to decide The Open champion. Harrington took a two-stroke lead on the first playoff hole and never looked back. Sergio gave himself a bit of a chance on the final hole but Harrington sunk a little two-footer for the first of his two consecutive wins at The Open.

Sergio’s major wait would last for nearly a decade until he finally came through with a win at the 2017 Masters.

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