None in the crowd of roughly 10,000 suspected that when Bobby Locke of South Africa tapped in for a two-shot victory and a record score in the British Open, he would be the last player from outside the United States to hoist the claret jug at Royal Troon.
That was in 1950.
Since then, there have been six Opens on the Ayrshire links in Scotland, and six American winners.
Surprising?
It was to Phil Mickelson, who cupped his hand under his chin and stared in deep thought as he went down the list of champions at Royal Troon — Arnold Palmer and Tom Weiskopf, Tom Watson and Mark Calcavecchia, Justin Leonard and Todd Hamilton. The list complete, Mickelson came to a predictable conclusion.
‘‘I would be shocked if anyone other than an American won this year,’’ Lefty said with a laugh. ‘‘There’s something to those trends.’’
Really, it’s nothing more than a coincidence. The club motto at Royal Troon translates to ‘‘as much by skill as by strength,’’ which goes against the American style of power golf that is all about hitting it high and far and firing at flags.
‘‘I wouldn’t say it’s more Americanized. Birkdale has probably a little of that,’’ Jim Furyk said. ‘‘We had a hell of a run there starting in the mid-90s [10 victories by Americans in 12 years]. I think it’s just one of those things that happens.’’
Odds are it can happen again. Royal Troon has received enough rain this spring — with more in the forecast during the Open — that it likely will play substantially softer, meaning more targets and less bounces that define the subtlety of links golf.
As for the players?
Dustin Johnson and a dozen other Americans are among the top 25 in the world.
Johnson broke through for his first major after four close calls, winning the US Open by three shots.
After a week off to celebrate, he chased down world No. 1 Jason Day on the back nine at Firestone to win a World Golf Championship. Johnson was the 36-hole leader at St. Andrews a year ago.
He can handle links golf, but this will be his first time seeing Royal Troon.
