British Open 2012: The best photos
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British Open 2012: The best photos

Updated 2018 GMT (0418 HKT) July 22, 2012
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Ernie Els of South Africa celebrates with the Claret Jug after his victory during the final round of play at the British Open at the Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club in England on Sunday, July 22. See all the action as it unfolds here. Getty Images
Ernie Els tosses his golf ball to the gallery after a birdie putt on the 18th green on Sunday. Getty Images
Ernie Els reacts to a birdie putt on the 18th green Sunday. Getty Images
Adam Scott of Australia reacts to a missed par putt on the 18th green Sunday. Getty Images
Adam Scott reacts to a bogey on the 17th green Sunday. Getty Images
Adam Scott plays a bunker shot on the 15th hole Sunday. Getty Images
Adam Scott gestures on the 9th green during his final round on Sunday. AFP/Getty Images
Adam Scott looks at his putting line on a green Sunday. AFP/Getty Images
Ernie Els reacts to a birdie putt on the 18th green Sunday. R&A/Getty Images
Ernie Els reacts to a birdie putt on the 18th green Sunday. Getty Images
Adam Scott plays out of a bunker on Sunday. AFP/Getty Images
Ernie Els hits his second shot on the 15th hole Sunday. R&A/Getty Images
Ernie Els tees off on the 14th hole Sunday. R&A/R&A/Getty Images
Tiger Woods of the United States tries to works his way out of a bunker on the sixth hole Sunday. R&A/Getty Images
Tiger Woods stumbles and watches the path of his bunker shot on the sixth hole Sunday. Getty Images
Overall leader Adam Scott of Australia hits his tee shot on the fifth hole Sunday. Getty Images
Scott and caddie Steve Williams watch the action on the first hole Sunday. R&A/Getty Images
Ernie Els of South Africa, who began the day at -5, waves to spectators from the the on the first hole as he begins the final round Sunday. R&A/Getty Images
Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland watches his tee shot on the second hole as Scott looks on. Getty Images
Woods, who had several bogies on the day, hits his approach shot on the second hole during the final round Sunday. Getty Images
Woods tips his cap to the crowd on Sunday. Getty Images
Overall leader Scott, left, waits with McDowell on the first tee during the final round of play. Getty Images
McDowell tees off on the first hole Sunday. R&A/Getty Images
Woods acknowledges the crowd as he prepares to begin his final round of play Sunday. Getty Images
Scott, who started the day at -11, tees off on the first hole of the final round Sunday. Getty Images
Andres Romero of Argentina, right, and his guest caddie, soccer player Carlos Tevez of Manchester City, watch the action from the tee on the 12th hole Sunday. R&A/Getty Images
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays out of a bunker on the 10th hole Sunday. Getty Images
K.J. Choi of Korea plays a shot in front of the gallery. R&A/Getty Images
Brandt Snedeker of the United States, who started the day in second place at -7, hits his tee shot on the first hole Sunday. Asian Tour/Getty Images
Nicolas Colsaerts of Belgium, who finished with a 279 at one under par, plays a shot from the rough on the 18th hole Sunday. Getty Images
Adam Scott of Australia hits an approach shot on Saturday, July 21, at Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club in England during the third round of the British Open on Saturday. Scott finished with a four-shot lead going into the final round of golf's oldest major championship Getty Images
Tiger Woods hits his second shot on the 17th hole on Saturday. Woods finished the third round alone in fourth place, five shots behind Adam Scott. Getty Images
Brandt Snedeker of the United States wears a ribbon in sympathy for the Aurora, Colorado, shootings during the third round of the British Open on Saturday. Getty Images
Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland celebrates making a putt for birdie on Saturday. McDowell and Brandt Snedeker are tied for second, four shots behind leader Adam Scott. Getty Images
Tiger Woods putts on the 18th green as Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark looks on Saturday. Woods is seeking his first major championship since the 2008 U.S. Open. Getty Images
Adam Scott of Australia reacts to his putt on the sixth hole on Saturday. Getty Images
Adam Scott celebrates making a putt for birdie on the eighth hole. Getty Images
Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark putts on he 18th green. Olesen is in seventh place heading into the final round at Royal Lytham & St. Annes, which is hosting the Open Championship for the 11th time. Getty Images
Adam Scott of Australia walks to the 16th tee on Saturday. Getty Images
Jason Dufner of the United States reacts to a missed putt on the 17th green. Dufner struggled to shoot 73 on Saturday and is 10 shots out of the lead. Getty Images
Tiger Woods hits his tee shot on the 17th hole on Saturday. Getty Images
Spectators watch Olesen extract himself from one of Royal Lytham & St. Annes' many bunkers on Saturday. Getty Images
Tiger Woods makes some calculations before teeing off at No. 5. Getty Images
Ernie Els of South Africa hits an approach shot. Els, a three-time major champion, is tied for fifth place with American Zach Johnson, six shots out of the lead. Getty Images
Woods follows through on his drive at the fifth. Getty Images
Woods waits to play on the 18th green. Getty Images
Adam Scott tees off on the fifth hole. Getty Images
Woods scrambles out of a greenside bunker after hitting the ball close on fifth hole. R&A via Getty Images
Wind whips the flag on the first green at Royal Lytham and St. Annes. Getty Images
Scott pulls a club as caddie Steve Williams looks on. R&A via Getty Images
Woods recently eclipsed Jack Nicklaus in career wins and is currently No.1 on the PGA Tour money list. R&A via Getty Images
Graeme McDowell tees off on the fifth hole. R&A via Getty Images
Ernie Els follows through on his swing at the first hole. R&A via Getty Images
McDowell squats to line up a putt on the second green. AFP/Getty Images
Olesen blasts out of a bunker at the third hole. Getty Images
The crowd watches American golfer Bubba Watson, this year's Masters champion. Getty Images
Snedeker reacts to a poor shot on the 11th hole. Getty Images
Olesen hits a shot from a bunker on the seventh hole. Getty Images
Woods celebrates a birdie at No. 6. Getty Images
Scott rears back for a drive on No.5 Getty Images
Snedeker hits his tee shot on the first hole Saturday. R&A via Getty Images
Olesen watches his tee shot on the first hole as Woods prepares to play. R&A via Getty Images
Spectators at the Open Championship enjoy Saturday's play in ideal golf weather. Getty Images
Scott follows through on a tee shot. Getty Images
Mark Calcavecchia of the United States laughs with wife (and caddie) Brenda in the third round. Getty Images
Lee Westwood of England hits his approach to the 18th green. R&A via Getty Images
Golfers must dress appropriately to play in the Open. Rules for fans are more relaxed. R&A via Getty Images
American John Daly swings at the fifth hole. Daly, who won the Open in 1995, struggled to a 77 Saturday and is in next-to-last place. Getty Images
Woods follows through. R&A via Getty Images
Bubba Watson tees off at No.5 Getty Images
Fans of young American star Rickie Fowler fans pose in the bleachers at No. 18, dressed in their hero's customary bright, monochrome colors. Getty Images
Sweden's Alexander Noren fires a fairway wood shot over the long grass at the 11th hole Saturday. R&A via Getty Images
Ireland's Padraig Harrington blasts from a bunker on the 18th hole Saturday. R&A via Getty Images
Rory McIlroy sits as he waits to tee off on the 16th hole. R&A via Getty Images
India's Keev Milkha Singh tries to escape from deep rough. Asian Tour via Getty Images
Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa searches for a lost ball on the third hole. Oosthuizen, the 2010 Open champion, was tied with several players in 10th place after Saturday's play. Getty Images
Golfer Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand waves to the gallery after making a putt on Saturday. Asian Tour via Getty Images
Luke Donald of England talks with caddie John McLaren. R&A via Getty Images
Els prepares to play on the first tee Saturday. R&A via Getty Images
Spectators follow the flight of Snedeker's ball after a shot from the rough during the second round of the British Open on Friday, July 20 Getty Images
Woods celebrates after holing out from a bunker for birdie on the 18th hole, finishing Friday's second round with a three-under-par 67. Getty Images
Woods takes practice swings at No. 15 under gray wisps of clouds during Friday's round. Getty Images
England's Ian Poulter walks off the 18th green during the second round on Friday. Getty Images
Woods intently watches his chip shot on the 14th hole during the second round. Getty Images
Australia's Aaron Baddeley follows the flight of a shot during Friday's second round. Getty Images
A view of leaderboard during the second round on July 20. Getty Images
Kevin Na plays a shot left-handed during the second round on July 20. Getty Images
Tiger Woods of the United States tees off on the 11th hole Friday, July 20. Getty Images
Zach Johnson of the United States watches his tee shot on the 14th hole during the second round Friday. Getty Images
Ian Poulter of England reacts after missing a birdie putt on the 13th green Friday. Getty Images
Aaron Baddeley of Australia plays a bunker shot on the fourth hole during the second round Friday. Getty Images
Vijay Singh of Fiji plays out of the rough on the 13th hole on Friday. Getty Images
TV towers loom over the course during the second round Friday. Getty Images
Tiger Woods of the United States reacts to a shot on the seventh hole during the second round Friday. Getty Images
Matt Kuchar of the United States acknowledges the crowd on the 16th green during the second round Friday. Getty Images
John Daly of the United States hits a shot from the rough on the 18th hole during the second round Friday. Getty Images
A marshal gestures during the second round on Friday. Getty Images
Aerial view of the seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th holes during the second round Friday. Getty Images
Tiger Woods of the United States hits his second shot on the second hole during the second round Friday. Getty Images
Brandt Snedeker of the United States tees off on the fifth hole during the second round Friday. Getty Images
Angel Cabrera of Argentina walks with his group off the fourth tee during the second round of the 141st Open Championship Getty Images
Zach Johnson of the United States watches his tee shot on the first hole during the second round Friday. Getty Images
Adam Scott of Australia waits on the fifth hole during the second round Friday. Getty Images
Keegan Bradley of the United States hits his tee shot on the 11th hole during the second round Friday. Getty Images
Padraig Harrington of Ireland hits a shot during the second round Friday. Getty Images
Rory Mcllroy of Northern Ireland reacts to a missed putt on the 17th green during the second round Friday. Getty Images
Robert Allenby of Australia and his caddy, Darren May, walk alongside a pheasant on the sixth fairway during the second round of the 141st Open Championship on Friday. Getty Images
Luke Donald of England tees off on the fifth hole during the second round on Friday. Getty Images
Luke Donald of England hits his tee shot on the 11th hole during the second round on Friday. Getty Images
John Daly of the United States speaks with his caddy, Peter Van Der Riet, on the second fairway during Friday's second round. Getty Images
Richard Sterne of South Africa hits from a greenside bunker on the 11th hole during the second round Friday. Getty Images
Rickie Fowler of the United States reacts after a putt on the 12th green during the second round Friday. Getty Images
Members of the grounds crew clear water on the course Friday during the second round. Getty Images
Sergio Garcia of Spain and Tiger Woods of the United States look on at the first tee during the second round Friday. Getty Images
Harris English of the United States plays a shot from the rough on the sixth hole during the second round on Friday. Getty Images
Spectators enjoy the action during the second round on Friday. Getty Images
Tiger Woods makes a tough shot from the rough during the first round of the British Open on Thursday, July 19. Woods finished the Round 3 under par at 67. Getty Images
Phil Mickelson of the United States hits his tee shot on the 11th hole on Thursday. Getty Images
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland lines up a putt on the ninth green on Thursday. Getty Images
Jason Blue of Bristol gets medical attention after he was struck by Rory McIlroy's golf ball on the 15th hole on Thursday. Getty Images
Jason Blue of Bristol poses with a golf glove given to him by Rory McIlroy after he was struck by his golf ball on Thursday. Getty Images
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland hits his second shot on the 14th hole on Thursday. Getty Images
Brandt Snedeker of the United States reacts to his putt on the 18th hole during the first round on Thursday. Getty Images
Nicolas Colsaerts of Belgium hits his tee shot on the first hole Thursday. Getty Images
Charles Howell III of the United States plays a shot from the rough on the 14th hole during the first round Thursday. Getty Images
Spectators watch the action as Sergio Garcia of Spain hits a tee shot during the first round Thursday. Getty Images
Luke Donald of England hits his third shot on the seventh hole during the first round Thursday. Getty Images
Phil Mickelson of the United States searches for his golf ball on the eighth hole Thursday. Getty Images
Padraig Harrington of Ireland hits a shot from the rough on the sixth hole Thursday. Getty Images
Jbe Kruger of South Africa makes some moves Thursday. Getty Images
Scottish golfer Paul Lawrie plays a shot from the rough on the eighth hole Thursday. Getty Images
A fan keeps an eye on first-round action Thursday. Getty Images
With caddie Michael Waite at his side, Lee Westwood of England removes his jacket during the first round Thursday. Getty Images
Bubba Watson of the United States hits a tee shot on the fifth hole Thursday. Getty Images
Fans receive the signal to remain silent during the first round Thursday. Getty Images
Junior spectators take in the action during the first round Thursday. Getty Images
Rickie Fowler of the United States walks off the first tee Thursday. Getty Images
American Zach Johnson watches his iron shot from the second fairway Thursday. AFP/Getty Images
South African Ernie Els waves to the gallery on the 18th hole during the first round Thursday. Getty Images
Woods reacts to missing a putt on the 13th green Thursday. AFP/Getty Images
Amid a sea of spectators, Woods plays a shot to the green on the 14th hole Thursday. Getty Images
Adam Scott of Australia plays out of the rough on the second hole Thursday under the watchful eyes of spectators. AFP/Getty Images
Scott, who leads the tournament after the first round with a 64, reacts to a shot Thursday. Getty Images
Scott looks at the lie of his ball in the deep rough on the 18th hole Thursday. Getty Images
Golf fans don matching Union Jack suits for early action Thursday, the first day of the British Open. PA PHOTOS/LANDOV
John Daly of the United States attempts a shot from well off the fairway on the second hole Thursday. Getty Images
Watson tries to escape a bunker on the seventh hole Thursday. R&A/Getty Images
Ryo Ishikawa of Japan tees off on the fifth hole Thursday. REUTERS/LANDOV
Spectators lean in to follow a shot out of the rough from Garcia on Thursday. PA PHOTOS/LANDOV
Garcia, left, lines up a putt Thursday with the help of his caddie Gary Matthews on the second green. AFP/Getty Images
Amateur golfer Alan Dunbar of Northern Ireland leaps up to get a better view on the second hole during the first round of play Thursday. AFP/Getty Images
Bill Haas of the United States plays a shot from a bunker Thursday. Getty Images
Vijay Singh of Fiji reacts after playing a shot on the third hole Thursday. AFP/Getty Images