AUGUSTA, Ga. (Reuters) – Twice major winner Sandy Lyle wanted to make sure Collin Morikawa was not caught off guard for his British Open title defence in July so gave the world number three a “history lesson” on Wednesday about the tournament’s hardware.
The 64-year-old Scotsman joined Morikawa during a pre-Masters practice round and surprised him when he talked about the red Moroccan leather belt that was awarded to British Open winners before the Claret Jug.
“I said this year is a very special year. He kind of goes why? It’s just another Open. I said it’s the 150th anniversary of the belt,” Lyle, who won the 1985 British Open and 1988 Masters, told reporters at Augusta National.
“So I gave him a little history lesson. I said, if anybody comes up to you panicking, saying we need to present you with a British Open Belt after you’ve had the Claret Jug, at least you know what it’s all about.”
The belt was awarded to the British Open winner until it was given permanently to Tom Morris Jr. when he won it for a third consecutive year in 1870 and was replaced by the Claret Jug.
Morikawa had never met Lyle, the first British winner of the Masters who this week will be making his 41st start at Augusta National, until their meet-up on Wednesday.
“Just about everything,” said Morikawa when asked what he and Lyle talked about. “There’s this Open Championship belt that I had no clue was a thing that apparently they give out to a couple champions here and there, and he said it would be a special one to win next year or this year.”
Morikawa, who like Lyle won the British Open at Royal St George’s, will defend his title from July 14-17 at St Andrews.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Toby Davis)
