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Tom Watson
Watson outlasted Nicklaus at Turnberry in 1977 after the pair separated themselves from the field. Three decades later he nearly won The Open again at 59.
Watson and Nicklaus separated themselves from the field at Turnberry in 1977. They traded extraordinary scores across the final two rounds before Watson won by a single shot in the duel now known as the Duel in the Sun.
He ultimately won five Opens and eight majors overall. When he nearly added another Open at 59 in 2009, a new generation saw why his links record had long commanded respect.
His almost-victory in 2009 did not add a ninth major, but it deepened the story of his career. Few golfers have remained so closely associated with one championship across 32 years.