Birkdale1976 Royal

Severiano Ballesteros

The baking-hot summer of 1976 heralded the arrival of possibly the most naturally-gifted player to ever grace the Open Championship – and he would go on to win three titles.

Very few people had even heard of the 19-year-old Severiano Ballesteros when he ended the first day on the baked-out Birkdale links atop the leaderboard, alongside Christy O’Connor Junior and Japan’s Norio Suzuki, on three-under-par

It was the same after day two, the young Spaniard leading Johnny Miller by two on sixunder, and he retained that advantage after 54 holes.

However, a final-round two-over-par 74 saw Ballesteros slip back into a tie for second with Jack Nicklaus as Miller lifted the Claret Jug (below).