Open Championship marks 60 years since golfer Sir Bob Charles’ win

Sir Bob Charles holding the British Open Golf trophy in 1963.
Photo: Photosport

The Open Championship began on Thursday, marking 60 years since a then 27-year-old Bob Charles claimed the famous Claret Jug.

Now known as Sir Bob, after a long and illustrious golfing career, the 87-year-old said his memories of the win were a little fuzzy, and he laughs at the fact it was only captured in black and white.

“It’s in the dim ages of antiquity, isn’t it,” Sir Bob says of his triumph at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club in 1963.

“Those were the days of black and white. I sometimes get to see some of the television, listen to the commentary, it’s very grainy, cloudy television, but it refreshes the memory somewhat.”

This year’s tournament is being played at Royal Liverpool, in the town of Hoylake, about 20 minutes from Liverpool.

Kiwi golfers Ryan Fox and Daniel Hillier are both competing, and come into the tournament in good form.

Sir Bob will not be attending the Open this year, but he did head to St Andrews last year for the 150th edition of the Open Championship, playing alongside other champions the day before the tournament began.

He says he will be watching Fox and Hillier from the comfort of his daughter’s Wimbledon lounge.

“I will be following their progress. It would be nice to have another New Zealand winner 60 years later.”

When Sir Bob won the 1963 Open Championship, the reward was a £1500 winner’s purse, which he says easily lasted him a few years.

This year, the winner will take home £2,300,000.

“Well that’s inflation isn’t it,” Sir Bob laughs. “Inflation wasn’t so great in my day. You can do a little bit more with that than what I could do with £1500 in 1963.”

Where he doesn’t laugh as much is at the direction of the sport.

He laments the way technology has seen the ball fly further, meaning some old courses are too short for the modern professional player.

“My average tee shot when I won the Open was about 240, or 245 yards I suppose. And I was about 30 yards behind Jack Nicklaus who was the longest driver at 275 yards.

“Now it’s 375 yards. For me in 1963, that would have been a full driver, and then maybe an 8-iron, or a 7-iron, into the green.”

Sir Bob Charles in action at the British Open golf championship, 1963.
Photo: Photosport

He says longer courses have also made the game slower, which he sees as a blight on the sport.

“The time element, everybody is conscious of time these days and golf takes up too much time.

“I’m a great believer in shorter golf courses, quicker rounds, and having more fun.”

Sir Bob says he is supportive of the professional game using different golf balls that would limit distance.

“I’d like to see them, and they have the ability, to use a golf ball that would only go 275 yards. That’s an average tee shot I’m talking about.

“What that does is it brings the great golf courses of the past, like Merion in Philadelphia, back into play.

“And of course, you don’t have enough real estate to be building 8000 yard golf courses to accommodate the modern player, the modern ball and the modern equipment.”

Another area of contention in golf in recent times has been the introduction of LIV Golf, the Saudi-backed league which has caused a major rift in the professional game.

“I don’t like LIV at all. I wouldn’t walk across the street to see it,” Sir Bob says.

“To me, you wear long pants. These guys are wearing short pants with their hairy legs.

“Three rounds, traditional golf is 72 holes over four days, although in my day you played 36 holes a day.

“I’m a traditionalist of course, I live in the past, I think in the past, and I’m not very happy with the way the game of golf is going. We have enough problems without another form of the game coming along.”

That said, Sir Bob is happy with the way New Zealand’s players are performing, and he suggests Ryan Fox could have a good chance during the Open at Royal Liverpool.

He says his experience, and the way he approaches links golf, could see him in with a chance.

“Ryan of course is proving to be one of the top golfers in the rankings right now. He’s got the power, the length, to handle modern golf.

“I was pleased to see Daniel win a tournament on the European Tour fairly recently, and he’ll be on a high, his confidence will be on a high.”

Ryan Fox at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake, England on the Open Championship Practice Day on 19 July 2023.
Photo: Photosport / David Blunsden

Ryan Fox at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake, England on the Open Championship Practice Day on 19 July 2023.

Fox and Hillier were playing a practice round on Wednesday, and Fox says the conditions will be much different to previous editions of the Open at Royal Liverpool.

He says there has been plenty of rain in the lead-up, meaning usually firm and fast ground conditions are closer to soft, and slow.

“We’re going to get a little bit of everything, it’s going to be a strong golf course this week,” Fox says.

“I played nine holes [on Tuesday], in the rain, and decided it was a different wind and I was getting soaked, so there was no point in continuing.

“It was a bit of a wasted, but now we have some decent weather to get some practice in.”

Fox has had his first taste of the PGA Tour this year, playing a variety of parkland and stadium style courses.

Back on a links course, Fox says his approach stays much the same, but he will make minor changes to the clubs in his bag.

“Previously I used to play a 2-iron regardless, in my bag, but after playing in the States a bit more this year I switched in a hybrid, and then a 7-wood, to get that extra loft out of the rough.

“But in the last couple of weeks I’ve gone back to the 2-iron. Having something that you can hit low and run along the fairways, that’s a lot more useful than standing there with a 7-wood and hitting it straight up in the air, not having a clue what the wind is going to do with it.”

Fox says it would be a dream come true to win the Open, 60 years on from Sir Bob’s victory.

“I don’t really know what else to say. I’ll be trying to emulate Sir Bob, it’s a high point in New Zealand golf history, and I’ll be trying to do that this week.

“I hope that happens, but if it doesn’t I’d still like to play well and at least get myself in contention come Sunday, that’s always the goal at the start of the week.”

Fox teed off in the opening round at 5.58pm Thursday (6.58am in the UK), playing alongside Lucas Herbert, and Byeong Hun An.

Hillier teed off at 12.46am (1.46pm UK) alongside Kyung Nam Kang, and Kensei Hirata.