Duel in the Sun: Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus in the Battle of Turnberry »

Michael Corcoran is the executive editor of Golf Magazine. He is author of several books, including How to Break 90: An Easy Approach for Breaking Golf's Toughest Scoring Barrier and The Golf Dictionary: A Guide to the Language and Lingo of the Game.

The British Open, or the Open Championship as it's known outside the United States, is believed to be the most challenging tournament in professional golf. There was no greater Open than in 1977 at Turnberry on Scotland's southwest coast, when Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus battled over the last thirty-six holes with Watson winning with a closing birdie. Drawing on interviews with participants, caddies, journalists, and spectators, Michael Corcoran brings the drama of this historic Open Championship to vivid life. Along with a revealing retelling of the '77 Open, Corcoran delivers an evocative historical overview of the Open and the tradition it represents.

Library Journal

This is one of those rare books that actually delivers more than the title promises. Corcoran, one-time editor of Golf Illustrated and author of The PGA TOUR Complete Book of Golf, highlights the stirring battle waged between Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus for the 1977 Open (British) Championship in Turnberry, Scotland. The author offers both a succinct history of that tournament, reaching back to the mid-19th century, and a particularly revealing examination of leading participants from the United States. He tells how Arnold Palmer's 1960 quest for the title rekindled the interest of America's top touring pros in the four-day event that most golfers consider the world's most important. Corcoran provides rich analyses of Palmer; Nicklaus, the man who dethroned him; and Watson, who out-dueled the Golden Bear during a magnificent final 36-hole shootout. Even for those who recall the event in detail, this book will prove entertaining and enlightening, with riveting hole-by-hole accounts, evocative depictions of the weather, course conditions, and emotions besetting the golfers. Included are telling portraits of other noteworthy linksmen from the era. Highly recommended. Robert C. Cottrell, California State Univ., Chico Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.