The simple swing thought that led to this pro's unlikely Open win

Todd Hamilton's victory at the 2004 Open Championship at Royal Troon was one of the most unexpected triumphs in the history of this prestigious tournament. A little-known player who had spent most of his career in Japan managed to outplay world golf stars, including Ernie Els, in a playoff. The secret to his success, as it turned out later, lay in one simple yet brilliant swing element that he discovered literally on the eve of the tournament.

Before 2004, Todd Hamilton was more of a "traveler" in the world of golf. For over a decade, he competed in Japan, unsuccessfully trying to break into the PGA Tour. Only in 2003, at the age of 38, did he finally manage to earn his PGA Tour card. In early 2004, he secured his first victory on the American tour, winning the Honda Classic. However, the week before The Open, his form left much to be desired – he showed only a modest result at the John Deere Classic. The transatlantic flight also did not add confidence: due to a flight delay in Chicago, Hamilton arrived at Royal Troon only on Tuesday evening, leaving minimal time for preparation.

Hamilton finished the first round of the tournament with a score of 71 (-1), showing confident play and ending the day with a positive balance. "For some reason, that made a big impact on me," Hamilton recalled in a recent episode of the GOLF's Subpar podcast. "I thought I shot par in a major, rather than one over." However, the real turning point came later, during practice on the driving range. It was there that he discovered what every golfer dreams of: a simple and effective swing element that, according to him, became "the only thing I thought about the next three days."

What was this thought? Hamilton had always preferred a gentle fade (a ball that slightly curves to the right for a right-handed player), but recently this shot had become uncontrollable. "I have a tendency to get very open at address," Hamilton explained. "So I was hitting a lot of weak, high shots to the right." To correct this flaw, Hamilton focused on keeping his belt buckle pointed at the ball at address, "instead of too far out front."

The rest is history. His ball-striking instantly improved and remained solid throughout the week. Combined with deft chipping and putting, this propelled Hamilton to a win in a four-hole playoff over Ernie Els. Thus, he became the second "dark horse" in The Open's history to win the tournament consecutively, following Ben Curtis, who achieved similar success in 2003. If you think that's unlikely, you should also hear where Hamilton keeps his Claret Jug. The full episode can be listened to here or watched below.