A YOUNG David Jagger set up a new professional record on his home course at Abbeydale Golf Club during the first round of the Yorkshire Open on this day in 1971.
The trouble was, that was only enough for a share of the lead, along with Cleckheaton’s Alex Caygill.
And it was the latter who won out Caygill, at 31, claiming the title for the only time in his career.
He had first turned professional with West Bowling and showed a lot of promise as a youngster.
Before turning 23, Caygill won the British Youth Open twice, before winning two professional tournaments in three days in September 1963.
In one of those, he forced the young Tony Jacklin into second place.
But while Jacklin went from strength to strength, Caygill suffered badly with stomach ulcers for years, hampering his career though he did enjoy two top 20 finishes at The Open Championship, in 1964 and 1966.
Happily, he enjoyed a proper renaissance at the end of the decade, winning two professional tournaments in six weeks in 1969, which almost out of nowhere, put him in Ryder Cup contention.
By now at Cleckheaton, Caygill represented the club with pride at Royal Birkdale, in one of the most memorable editions of the famous event ever.
Caygill and Brian Huggett halved a thrilling four-balls match with Americans Ray Floyd and Miller Barber Jr, which set the tone for an epic contest.
In the end, it all came down to the final singles match between Jacklin and the great Jack Nicklaus.
The latter famously conceded a three-foot putt on the last as the contest finished 16-16, the first-ever tie in the tournament’s history.