The 2007 Open Championship was a men's major golf championship and the 136th Open Championship, played from 19–22 July at Carnoustie Golf Links in Scotland. Pádraig Harrington defeated Sergio García in a playoff to take the title and his first major championship.
A field of 156 players participated in the championship, and the purse was £4.2 million (an increase of £200,000 over 2006); the winner received £750,000 (an increase of £30,000 over 2006). Using conversion rates at the time of the tournament, the purse was €6,158,474 for the European Tour's Order of Merit rankings and US$8,637,720 for the PGA Tour's money list.
History of The Open Championship at Carnoustie
Carnoustie hosted its first Open Championship in 1931 and the 2007 Open was the seventh to be held at Carnoustie, and third consecutive to end in a playoff. Carnoustie's prestige in the golf community is irrefutable as the list of champions includes Tommy Armour (1931), Henry Cotton (1937), Ben Hogan (1953), Gary Player (1968), Tom Watson (1975) and Paul Lawrie (1999).
The 1999 championship was nicknamed "Carnastie" due to how difficult the course and conditions were. Jean van de Velde stood on the 72nd tee with a three-shot lead, needing only a double-bogey to win. He memorably triple-bogeyed the hole and went to a four-hole playoff with Lawrie and Justin Leonard, in which Lawrie prevailed. Watson's win in 1975, his first of five Open Championships (and eight majors), came after an 18-hole Sunday playoff with Jack Newton.
Course layout
Carnoustie Golf Links – Championship Course
^ the 6th hole was named Long until 2003
Lengths of the course for previous Opens:
1999: , par 71
1975: , par 72
1968: , par 72
1953: , par 72
1937: , par 72
1931: , par 72
Field
The field consisted of 156 golfers. Seventy players made the 36-hole cut at 146 (+4) or better.
1. First 10 and anyone tying for 10th place in the 2006 Open Championship
Ángel Cabrera (3,4,5,9), Chris DiMarco (3,17), Ernie Els (2,3,4), Jim Furyk (3,9,13,17,21), Sergio García (3,4,17), Carl Pettersson (3,13), Andrés Romero, Adam Scott (3,13), Hideto Tanihara, Tiger Woods (2,3,10,11,13,17)
2. Past Open Champions aged 65 or under
Mark Calcavecchia, Ben Curtis, John Daly, Nick Faldo, Todd Hamilton, Tony Jacklin, Paul Lawrie, Tom Lehman, Justin Leonard, Sandy Lyle, Mark O'Meara Eligible but not competing: Ian Baker-Finch, Seve Ballesteros, David Duval, Johnny Miller, Greg Norman, Nick Price, Bill Rogers, Tom Watson, Tom Weiskopf
3. The first 50 players on the Official World Golf Rankings for 28 May 2007
Robert Allenby, Stephen Ames (12), Stuart Appleby (13), Aaron Baddeley, Chad Campbell (13,17), Paul Casey (4,17), K. J. Choi, Stewart Cink (13,17), Luke Donald (4,13,17), Joe Durant (13), Niclas Fasth (4), Retief Goosen (4,9,13), Anders Hansen (5), Pádraig Harrington (4,17), Charles Howell III, David Howell (4,5,17), Trevor Immelman (13), Zach Johnson (10,17), Robert Karlsson (4,17), Davis Love III (13), Phil Mickelson (10,11,12,13,17), Colin Montgomerie (4,17), Arron Oberholser, Geoff Ogilvy (9,13), Nick O'Hern (19), Rod Pampling (13), Ian Poulter (4), John Rollins, Justin Rose, Rory Sabbatini (13), Charl Schwartzel (4,20), Vijay Singh (11,13), Henrik Stenson (4,17), Richard Sterne, Steve Stricker, Vaughn Taylor (17), David Toms (13,17), Scott Verplank (17), Mike Weir (10), Lee Westwood (17), Brett Wetterich (13,17) Eligible but not competing: Tim Clark, José María Olazábal (17)
4. First 20 in the European Tour Final Order of Merit for 2006
John Bickerton, Thomas Bjørn, Paul Broadhurst, Johan Edfors, Jeev Milkha Singh (18), Anthony Wall
5. The BMW PGA Championship winners for 2005-2007
6. Top three players, not otherwise exempt, in the top 20 of the 2007 European Tour Order of Merit through 27 May Markus Brier, Raphaël Jacquelin, Yang Yong-eun
7. Top two players, not otherwise exempt, with the most European Tour prize money from the Italian Open through the French Open, including the U. S. Open Bradley Dredge, Graeme Storm
8. The leading player, not exempt having applied above, in the first 5 and ties of each of the 2007 European Open and the 2007 Barclays Scottish Open. Pelle Edberg, Grégory Havret