BBC SPORT | Golf | The Open | Open history

Every year, America's finest golfers enter the Open Championship not knowing quite what to expect.

And every year they return home with the famed Claret Jug.

Afraid of links golf? Troubled by the hostile wind and weather? One paced and not creative enough? Pull the other one.

David Duval's comfortable victory at Lytham in 2001 made it six wins out of seven for American players at the Open.

Suddenly, the one Grand Slam event that was supposed to give Europe a head start has become the exclusive property of Duval and his compatriots.

It was not always so.

In the 12 years immediately after Tom Watson won the Open for the last time, only once did the title go to the United States when Mark Calcavecchia triumphed at Troon.

Unlikely winners: Expect the unexpected

Even when John Daly added his name to the trophy in 1995, few could have expected what was to follow.

American invasion

What did follow was an American invasion. First Tom Lehman, then Prince Andrew lookalike Justin Leonard, followed by Mark O'Meara.

Scotsman Paul Lawrie's victory three years ago hardly bucked the new trend.

Back came the Americans with Tiger Woods and then, of course, Duval.

Never again will anyone be fooled into believing that wide fairways and target golf is the only style suited to the Americans.

If the mind is willing, anything is possible as Woods in 2000 and Duval a year later showed with such commendable ruthlessness.

That, perhaps is the key to America's recent dominance.

Take a look at last year's final leaderboard and it is full of Europeans. Quality players who were perfectly placed at the end of day three.

Colin Montgomerie
Europe's favourites like Montgomerie again fell away
Yet players, like Colin Montgomerie and Darren Clarke, made small but crucial mistakes and could not hold it together when it mattered most.

That was unlike Duval who surged clinically through the pack to win a long overdue first Major.

Duval storms to glory

Not bad for someone apparently uncomfortable being beside the seaside.

What he lacks in charisma, Duval made up for in sheer determination and concentration, qualities the European players once again sorely lacked.

Yet perhaps Duval, like everyone else on the American tour, has Woods to thank for his success.

When you go into every tournament knowing that the only way you can win is to play out of your skin and beat the best player in the world, that is some benchmark.

While Europe's players set out to beat one another, the Americans try to beat Woods.

This time defending champion Duval and, as always, Woods will be everyone's men to beat.


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