US Open: Golf tipping legend Jeremy Chapman gives his views on Pebble Beach

When the tapes go up on the 2019 US Open, there will be 17 British and Irish golfers, headed by past winners Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose, chasing glory and a similar number from continental Europe. When Tony Jacklin won in 1970, he was on his own.

Jacklin didn’t just win at Hazeltine, he rubbed it in, sauntering home by seven shots for the widest victory margin until Tiger Woods came along 30 years later to annihilate the field by 15 at this week’s fabled venue, Pebble Beach.

Charismatic and with a boyish charm, Jacklin was never short of confidence and he arrived in Minneapolis as the reigning Open champion following his ground-breaking victory at Royal Lytham 11 months earlier - the first by a Brit for 18 years.

Tony had already won in the States, at the 1968 Greater Jacksonville Open. He feared nobody, having beaten and tied with the incomparable Jack Nicklaus on the last day at Royal Birkdale the following year to force the first dead-heat in Ryder Cup history.

That was the day of the famed Nicklaus concession of a putt just short of three feet on the final green. It earned Jack a gold medal for sportsmanship but a tin one from US captain, Sam Snead, who wanted to go home a winner and gave Nicklaus an earful.

In those days British and Irish golfers were the poor relations and none bar Jacklin had the spirit of adventure even to enter the US Open.

Golfers of the calibre of Neil Coles, Peter Alliss and Brian Barnes (who beat Nicklaus twice in a day in the 1975 Ryder Cup) never played in the US Open. The best of them, Coles, had a bad plane experience and dreaded flying.

Only three UK journalists went over to report Jacklin’s triumph and TV coverage was limited to BBC highlights.

If there’s one Major the Americans hated losing, it was their national Open. Runner-up Dave Hill led off by saying the course would be improved with 80 acres of corn and some cows. He was fined $150 for the insult.

Someone else moaned “it has so many doglegs it must have been designed by Lassie”, another said “I’d withdraw but I don’t know my way back to town” and a third suggested digging up the land “and build a golf course on it”.

Naturally enough, the Minnesota locals did not take kindly to their beloved Hazeltine being rubbished. They started booing the whingers, some even rooting for the lone Brit.

It was cold, wet and windy, gusting up to 40mph, and Hazeltine was the sort of links-style layout the Scunthorpe lorry driver’s son revelled in. Being hailed as the good guy in foreign parts was a bonus and he led from pillar to post.

Never renowned as a putter, Jacklin was helped by some advice by his best American buddy Bert Yancey’s brother Jim, and rolled in putt after long putt. He missed a few short ones but was so far clear it didn’t matter.

In that year when he held both Open titles, Jacklin was arguably the best in the world but the game bit back. Two years later at Muirfield it looked as if two pars would land him another Open. Instead two bogeys finished him as a major force.

Lee Trevino, playing with him, nonchalantly holed his pitch for a five after zig-zagging down the 17th like a 20 handicapper and Jacklin, in shock, three-putted from 20ft.

He admits he was never the same again, although he won a few more tournaments up to beating the young Bernhard Langer in a playoff for the 1982 PGA Championship at Hillside.

Was it a case of too much too soon, did he burn himself out by chasing every money-making opportunity or was it simply the body-blow of that Muirfield meltdown?

Whatever, when the Ryder Cup morphed from GB&I to Europe v USA, he found a new calling as an inspirational leader who made his men believe in themselves.

He led his success-starved Europeans to a breakthrough victory at The Belfry in 1985, to a first triumph in the States two years later at Muirfield Village, and to a 14-14 tie in 1989 which meant defending champions Europe retained the trophy.

The first Brit to win the US Open for 45 years and the last until Graeme McDowell conquered Pebble Beach 40 years later, he surely did enough as player and captain to merit a knighthood. He was one of a kind.

Cantlay can claim Pebble glory

The only certain winner at Pebble Beach is the course. Of the last 468 golfers to have played US Opens there, only three beat par.

Level par did it for Graeme McDowell in 2010, Tiger Woods shot a phenomenal 12 under in 2000 but the next best was three over, Tom Kite was three under and runner-up Jeff Sluman one under in 1992 when Pebble Beach was played as a par 72.

So what’s so special about Pebble? Certainly not its length, just 7,075 yards par 71.

The greens are very small and when they are fast-running, when the breeze is up, the rough is tough and flags tucked away, it requires a discipline players aren’t used to in the bread-and-butter tournaments. It’s a big week for distance control.

My main fancy is Patrick Cantlay, who has been playing exceptional golf. He arrives after nicking the Memorial with a dazzling last-day 64 and his form in the first two Majors, ninth at the Masters, third in the US PGA, is compelling.

Patrick Cantlay acknowledges the Memorial crowd at Muirfield Village Golf Club two Sundays agoCredit: Getty IMages

Brooks Koepka goes for his fourth Major in 23 months and three US Opens in a row. Being in the hot seat doesn’t seem to bother him but for once he has not been underestimated by the layers.

Dustin Johnson may be haunted by his hellish Sunday when the Open was last staged at Pebble. Leading by three going into Sunday, DJ crashed to an 82. He should have won more Majors than the one he has.

Tiger Woods isn’t as brilliant at distance control or with the flat stick 19 years after his record-smashing 15-shot romp in 2000. He still looks fragile when a really low score is looming but kept his nerve to turn the clock back at Augusta for his 15th Major.

This is surely the last-chance saloon for Phil Mickelson in his quest for a career Grand Slam. Lefty, 49 on Sunday, is a six-time US Open runner-up and a five-time Pebble Beach Pro-Am champion, the latest coming four months ago. He is not to be overlooked.

Jordan Spieth won the 2015 Pro-Am when two of the four rounds were played at Pebble but the course was set up gently to make the amateurs look good. After two years of driving and putting problems, he is getting there but not quite quickly enough.

This is a good course for Brandt Snedeker’s silky skills. A double winner of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am and in electrifying form with a 60 in Canada on Friday, he merits an each-way interest.

Back at the scene of his only Major victory, the revived McDowell could go close. A winner in March, he was an eye-catcher in eighth in Canada although not as eye-catching as Rory McIlroy who was at his irresistible best when scooting home by seven shots. It could be a big weekend for Northern Ireland.

Adam Scott is a winner waiting to happen now he is putting more confidently. His second to Cantlay at Memorial sets him up for a second Major triumph and the 2013 Masters champion is still playing the big ones well.

Staking plan
Patrick Cantlay
2pts e-w 18-1 Betfair
Rory McIlroy
1.5pts each-way 17-2 Hills
Adam Scott
1pt each-way 35-1 Hills
Brandt Snedeker
0.5pt each-way 50-1 bet365
Graeme McDowell
0.5pt each-way 100-1 Hills
Phil Mickelson
0.5pt each-way 50-1 bet365

Today's top sports betting stories

Follow us on Twitter @racingpostsport

Like us on Facebook RacingPostSport