Glenmorangie names ‘Greatest Finish’ after vote

Single malt Scotch brand Glenmorangie has named the 1977 ‘Duel in the Sun’ between Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus The Open’s Greatest Finish following two months of voting by golf fans.

Selected from a 10-strong shortlist compiled by golf experts and commentators, the “Duel in the Sun” on the Turnberry course was “overwhelmingly” voted top.

Glenmorangie, the official ‘Spirit of The Open’, has been commemorating ‘greatest finishes’ throughout 2016 in reference to its own “lingering” finish.

“We have been delighted with the public’s reaction to this debate,” said Marc Hoellinger, president and CEO of The Glenmorangie Company.

“The Open’s Greatest Finishes campaign has seized the imagination of golf aficionados worldwide and sparked a lot of interesting conversations. We at Glenmorangie know all about great finishes through our award-winning whisky and recognise the ‘Duel In the Sun’ to be well-deserving of the title of The Open’s Greatest Finish.”

The Open golf tournament took place at Royal Troon, Ayrshire, from 12-17 July. Ahead of the event, Glenmorangie named Justin Rose it’s official “golf ambassador” and partnered with the player for a number of campaigns in the run-up to the event.

The full shortlist for The Open’s Greatest Finishes:

1970: St Andrews – Jack Nicklaus defeats Doug Sanders by a single stroke in their mammoth 18-hole play off

1972: Muirfield – Lee Trevino lands his second Open title in a tight finish ahead of Tony Jacklin and Jack Nicklaus, chipping in on the penultimate hole to secure a crucial par

1977: Turnberry – Tom Watson edges out Jack Nicklaus in a titanic battle forever referred to as the ‘Duel in the Sun’

1984: St. Andrews – Seve Ballesteros ends the challenge of Tom Watson by holing a magic 15ft put on the 18th before rejoicing with the iconic fist pump celebration

1995: St. Andrews – Constantino Rocca produced one of the truly great shots in the history of The Open at the 72nd hole of The Open, sinking an uphill put from the edge of the green to force a play-off with John Daly

1999: Carnoustie – Jean Van De Velde’s meltdown, wasting a three-shot advantage on the final hole which included visiting the Barry Burn before losing in a three-way play-off to Paul Lawrie

2000: St. Andrews – Tiger Woods completes the career Grand Slam by obliterating a stellar field to win by eight shots, breaking a multitude of records in the process

2007: Carnoustie – Padraig Harrington comes from six shots behind on the final day to defeat Sergio Garcia in a four-hole playoff after Sergio fails to make a par on the 18th

2009: Turnberry – 59-year-old Tom Watson wound back the clock and set up a golfing fairytale with a putt to win his sixth open, to the distress of all he missed and duly lost out in a four-hole play-off to Stewart Cink

2013: Muirfield – Phil Mickelson charged through the field, posting a round of 66 on the final day, which in included four fantastic birdies in the final six holes