Whether you want a touch of nostalgia or, like me, an opportunity to find that extra crucial nugget of data to help you nail down your best bets for The Open Championship, indulging in a trip down memory lane can be a great way to get in the mood for a Major.
As players prepare for their first tee shots at Royal Troon, I am starting my preparations by looking at the performances of every past champion since the Open was last held at this iconic track - and analysing their scorecards.
The results were fascinating, and one key trend really jumped out at me. As I scrolled back round-by-round over the last eight years, it became very clear that in order to win the Open Championship, you probably need to achieve this one major milestone...
This Trend Could Indicate How To Win The Open Championship
Since the Open was last held at Royal Troon in 2016, there have been six different winners of the Claret Jug, and each of them have recorded at least one bogey-free round on their way to victory.
Three of the last six winners have also recorded two or more bogey-free rounds, while only one player, 2018 Champion Francesco Molinari, has managed to produce a blemish-free weekend performance.
Each of the last six winners achieved this milestone with a round of 66 or better, indicating the importance of finding at least one low round over the four days.
Interestingly, the trend stopped at Royal Troon in 2016, where despite a sensational performance from Henrik Stenson to hold off Phil Mickelson down the stretch, it was actually the American that managed to produce two bogey-free rounds despite finishing three shots behind.
Surprisingly, however, just one of the six previous winners prior to that epic battle recorded a bogey-free round, perhaps highlighting the improvement in scoring ability over recent years.
Five of the six Open Championships since 2016 have recorded a winning score of more than 10-under-par, while only three of the six that preceded it reached those totals.
The data suggests that since the Open Championship was last held at Royal Troon, the premium on low scoring has increased and in order to win it appears that ability to go low (at least once) and banish the bogeys from the scorecard is now a necessity.
