FLASHBACK! VICKY POLLARD MEETS BENNY HILL AS ‘WILD THING’ WINS THE OPEN

DATE: 23 July 1995

OCCASION:The Open Championship

SIGNIFICANCE: On one of the most memorable final holes in Open history, Costantino Rocca drove close to the 18th green, just one shot behind John ‘Wild Thing’ Daly, only to fluff a pathetic chip deep into the “Valley of Sin”. But he then holed a snaking 65-footer to force a play-off and collapsed in ecstasy, pummelling the green with his fists…

FINAL SCORES:
1 John Daly USA (won play-off)
67-71-73-71=282 (-6) £125,000

2 Costantino Rocca Italy
69-70-70-73=282 (-6) £100,000

T3 Steven Bottomley England
70-72-72-69=283 (-5) £65,667

T3 Mark Brooks USA
70-69-73-71=283 (-5) £65,667

T3 Michael Campbell New Zealand
71-71-65-76=283 (-5) £65,667

WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Shell-shocked by events at the 18th, Rocca fell apart in the four-hole play-off, taking 19 strokes against Long John’s uncharacteristically steady 15. But there was still a nasty surprise lurking for the new Open champion on the final green…

VENUE: Old Course, St Andrews

ATTENDANCE:50,000

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