Rose’s magic moment came just over two decades after Ballesteros left spectators in awe with his genius on the same hole.
At The 105th Open in 1976 Johnny Miller claimed the Claret Jug, however Seve’s swashbuckling performance as a 19-year-old captured the imagination of everyone in attendance.
Needing a birdie on the closing hole to tie second with Jack Nicklaus, and faced with a daunting shot with two bunkers separating his ball and the green, with the pin just a few yards from the front, he conjured up something special.
While many expected the Spaniard to parachute the ball onto the green, he opted for the more risky option – running the ball between the bunkers and perfectly up on to the green, before making his birdie.
In addition to the remarkable golf shots played, this hole has given some of The Open’s greatest Champions the Greatest Walk in Golf, framed by dunes, grandstands and the unmistakable silhouette of the clubhouse.
Watson, Thomson, Palmer, Trevino and Harrington are all multiple Open champions who have won at Royal Birkdale, while Jordan Spieth joined the pantheon of Birkdale champions on The Open’s most recent visit to Southport.
He spoke of treasured memories from the week he claimed the Claret Jug in July 2017.
“I think it’s the greatest trophy in all of golf,” he said. “When you’re looking at the trophy and then you’re looking around at that spectacle of what The R&A creates on the 18th hole, that’s when I was like ‘wow, how many images and videos have I seen of some of the greats of the game holding this trophy on the 18th hole?’ It was a kind of pinch me moment, for sure.
“I remember walking onto the 18th green and being called ‘Champion Golfer of the Year’. To be able to walk around and really embrace what is the greatest 18th hole display in all of golf and receive golf’s most incredible trophy, it was a dream come true for me.
“In my opinion it’s the best golf tournament in the world – and the fans are a huge reason for that.”