In true Scots style, his victory had to come the difficult way, and his hopes looked forlorn after a wayward drive on the 14th hole. Luckily he managed to dig his ball out for an unexpected birdie, before battling towards the 18th tee with victory in his sights.
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And so a Scot had finally won the Open, for the first time since Tommy Armour in 1931. Lyle's career was instantly enhanced and he followed up his St George's triumph with a historic Masters win in 1988, becoming the first non-US citizen to don one of the famous green blazers.
Lyle's 1980's successes helped inject confidence into European golf, something which is particularly evident in the continent's impressive Ryder Cup record from the 80's onwards. Lyle had taken the Masters for Europe and for Scotland, and with it put the little country which had invented the game 150 years before back into the forefront of golf's mind.
At last Scotland had a true world champion and the European game, as a result, was given new credibility. Players like Nick Faldo - who collected his Masters green jacket only 12 months after Lyle - Seve Ballesteros, Sam Torrance, Bernard Gallacher, Mark James, Jose Maria Olazabal, Ian Woosnam, Colin Montgomerie and Langer, some of whom can claim more major triumphs than Lyle ever achieved, were now able to go across the pond and routinely win in the American's 'back yard'.
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How ironic it would have been for the man who did so much to end the US domination of golf to have led the Europeans to a record breaking third successive Ryder Cup victory?
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