1977 Open Championship: Tom Watson wins at Turnberry (Ailsa Course)
Tom Watson won the 1977 Open Championship at Turnberry (Ailsa Course), Scotland with 268 (−12), by 1 stroke over Jack Nicklaus.
Updated October 23, 2026
See 1977 in The Open room, or every year on The Open winners list.
- Dates
- 6 July 1977 to 9 July 1977
- Course
- Turnberry (Ailsa Course), Scotland
- Edition
- 106th Open Championship
- Format
- 72 holes of stroke play
- Par
- 70
- Field
- 156
- Made the cut
- 64 (cut at 150)
- Purse
- £100,000 · winner's share £10,000
- Trophy
- Claret Jug (replica to winner)
- Champion
- Tom Watson · age 27 · USA · born Kansas City, USA
- Champion's title
- 2nd Open title
- Winning score
- 68-70-65-65 = 268 (−12) · won by 1 stroke
- Runner-up
- Jack Nicklaus (269)
- 54-hole leaders
- Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson (203)
- Deciding hole
- No. 17, round 4
- Final-day weather
- fine, hot: The final two rounds were a "heavyweight battle in brilliant weather" (the "Duel in the Sun"), during "a rare Scottish heat wave".
- Caddie
- Alfie Fyles
Top 12 as recorded
| Pos. | Player | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Total | To par |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tom Watson | 68 | 70 | 65 | 65 | 268 | −12 |
| 2 | Jack Nicklaus | 68 | 70 | 65 | 66 | 269 | −11 |
| 3 | Hubert Green | 72 | 66 | 74 | 67 | 279 | −1 |
| 4 | Lee Trevino | 68 | 70 | 72 | 70 | 280 | E |
| T5 | Ben Crenshaw | 71 | 69 | 66 | 75 | 281 | +1 |
| T5 | George Burns | 70 | 70 | 72 | 69 | 281 | +1 |
| 7 | Arnold Palmer | 73 | 73 | 67 | 69 | 282 | +2 |
| 8 | Raymond Floyd | 70 | 73 | 68 | 72 | 283 | +3 |
| T9 | John Schroeder | 66 | 74 | 73 | 71 | 284 | +4 |
| T9 | Mark Hayes | 76 | 63 | 72 | 73 | 284 | +4 |
| T9 | Johnny Miller | 69 | 74 | 67 | 74 | 284 | +4 |
| T9 | Tommy Horton | 70 | 74 | 65 | 75 | 284 | +4 |
What happened at the 1977 Open Championship
In the "Duel in the Sun" final round, Watson holed a 60-foot putt at the 15th to draw level, then birdied the 17th (where Nicklaus missed a 4-footer) to lead for the first time.
At the 18th Watson hit a 7-iron to 2 feet. Nicklaus, from the rough, holed a 35-40-foot birdie putt, and Watson tapped in for 65-65 and a record 268. Mark Hayes had shot the Open's first 63 in round 2.
After Watson's 60-foot putt at the 15th drew him level, his birdie at the par-5 17th (where Nicklaus missed a short birdie putt) "put Watson in front for the first time."
How this was built
Every value is shown as recorded in GNN's The Open data. A value no source confirmed is left out; nothing is estimated. Where sources disagree, the organizer's own record is used.
Data: the-open.json (The Open room's data), with GNN's Open Championship addendum tables L (top ten by round), H (deciding hole), W (final-day weather).