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Past champions David Duval, Zach Johnson lead First Coast, South Georgia contingent at British Open

garry smits, florida times-union
·2 min read
Jacksonville native David Duval holds the coveted Claret Jug on July 22, 2001, after winning the British Open at Royal Lytham and St. Annes in England.
Jacksonville native David Duval holds the coveted Claret Jug on July 22, 2001, after winning the British Open at Royal Lytham and St. Annes in England.

David Duval and Zach Johnson have combined for 39 British Open starts.

Trey Mullinax and J.T. Poston are both making their first starts this week in golf's oldest major championship.

Those four players at opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to major championship experience are among nine players in all from the First Coast and the Golden Isles who are in this week's 150th Open Championship, which begins at St. Andrews on Thursday.

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It will be the 20th Open at St. Andrews and the first since Johnson beat Marc Leishman and Louis Oosthuizen in a three-hole playoff in 2015 for his second major title.

Duval is not without success at St. Andrews. He was in the thick of contention with Tiger Woods in 2000 until a tough moment in one of the Old Course's devilish bunkers dropped him into a tie for 11th.

Duval and Johnson were the first two area residents to win an Open Championship.

Cameron Smith will be the first area player to tee off in the first round, going off at 8:03 a.m. (EDT). The last tee time for a player from the area is Keith Mitchell at 2:48 p.m.

Here's the First Coast/Golden Isles lineup for the season's final major:

David Duval, Jacksonville

Past Opens: 23 (won in 2001).

Eligibility: Past champion.

First-round tee time: 2:04 p.m.

Harris English, St. Simons Island

Past Opens: Six.

Eligibility: Top-50, world golf ranking; top-30 2021 FedEx Cup.

First-round tee time: 2:37 p.m.

Brian Harman, St. Simons Island

Past Opens: Six.

Eligibility: Top-50 world golf ranking.

First-round tee time: 8:47 a.m.

Billy Horschel, Ponte Vedra Beach

Past Opens: Seven.

Eligibility: Top-50 world golf ranking; winner, 2021 BMW PGA Championship; top-30 2021 FedEx Cup; top-30 2021 DP World Tour.

First-round tee time: 8:36 a.m.

Zach Johnson, St. Simons Island

Past Opens: 16 (won in 2005).

Eligibility: Past champion.

First-round tee time: 8:36 a.m.

Zach Johnson of St. Simons Island, Ga., hugs caddie Damon Green after winning the 2015 Open Championship at St. Andrews.
Zach Johnson of St. Simons Island, Ga., hugs caddie Damon Green after winning the 2015 Open Championship at St. Andrews.

Keith Mitchell, St. Simons Island

Past Opens: Two.

Eligibility: Top-10 2022 RBC Canadian Open.

First-round tee time: 2:48 p.m.

Trey Mullinax, St. Simons Island

Past Opens: First appearance.

Eligibility: Winner, 2022 Barbasol Championship.

First-round tee time: 10:42 a.m.

J.T. Poston, St. Simons Island

Past Opens: First appearance

Eligibility: Top-10 2022 John Deere Classic.

First-round tee time: 9:03 a.m.

Cameron Smith, Ponte Vedra Beach

Past Opens: Four.

Eligibility: Top-50, world golf ranking; top-30 2021 FedEx Cup; winner 2022 Players Championship.

First-round tee time: 8:03 a.m.

Contact Garry Smits at gsmits@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: On the tee at St. Andrews: David Duval, Zach Johnson lead First Coast, South Georgia contingent at British Open