- About Us
- How to get here
The Open
The Open
The Open at Carnoustie
Carnoustie has a long and illustrious association with The Open. Golf has been played over the links at Carnoustie since the 1500's but the present course came into being in 1850.
Some 20 years later the legendary Old Tom Morris improved and extended the Carnoustie course to 18 holes, and in 1926 the famous architect James Braid redesigned the Championship course extensively, although some of his holes were reckoned too weak for competitive play and the notorious "sting in the tail" - Carnoustie's final three holes - was later introduced to compensate.
The Open first came to Carnoustie in 1931 when Tommy Armour won. Later, Henry Cotton, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Tom Watson, Paul Lawrie and Padraig Harrington all triumphed to lift the Claret Jug on the famous links. Now deemed the "toughest course in the world", Carnoustie is a significant challenge even on a mild day.
The Senior Open Championship comes to Carnoustie for the first time from 22nd to 25th July 2010. Find out more about The Senior Open Championship Tournament.
Previous winners of The Open at Carnoustie
1931 - Tommy Armour
Carnoustie staged its first open in 1931. Scots born Tommy Armour was a popular winner producing rounds of 73, 75, 77 and 71. He finished the course one shot ahead of Argentina's Jose Jurado and two in front of England's Percy Alliss and America's Gene Sarazen.
1937 - Henry Cotton
Carnoustie delivered Henry Cotton his second Open title with one of the finest rounds of golf ever played in an Open despite rain threatening to end play. His first Open win came in 1934 at Royal St George's golf course and he lifted the Claret Jug again at Muirfield in 1948.
1953 - Ben Hogan
The 1953 Open at Carnoustie was the first time American Ben Hogan had played in Great Britain. The reigning US Open and Masters Champion achieved the Grand Slam in style scoring a course record of 68 at Carnoustie. This was his one and only appearance at the world's oldest golfing event.
1968 - Gary Player
The Open at Carnoustie was the high spot of Gary Player's successful 1968 international season. Player saw off a challenge from America's Billy Casper and New Zealand's Bob Charles, at the 14th, when a 3 wood wonder shot helped him to a birdie. A closely fought finish saw Player triumph over Jack Nicklaus and take his second Open title.
1975 - Tom Watson
Tom Watson, like Ben Hogan some 22 years before, arrived at Carnoustie in 1975 never having played a links course in his life. A tie with Jack Newton forced a Sunday play-off and in a nail-biting finish at the 18th Watson pulled ahead to lift the Claret Jug. Watson went on to win five other Opens over the next nine years.
1999 - Paul Lawrie
When it comes to sheer drama the 1999 Championship's climax was so unexpected that it will never be forgotten. It resulted in Paul Lawrie becoming the first Scotsman to win for 68 years and made Frenchman Van de Velde headline news after a catastrophic collapse in the last stages.
2007 - Padraig Harrington
Padraig Harrington has become the first Irish winner of The Open Championship since Fred Daly in 1947. He lifted the Claret Jug after a dramatic nail-biting four-hole play-off with Sergio Garcia of Spain.
He had a one stroke advantage on the final hole of normal play but twice put his ball in the Barry Burn to take six. Garcia then had the chance to win at the 72nd hole, but bunkered his second shot and took five to force the play-off.
Harrington took an immediate advantage in the four hole decider, holing a birdie putt from eight feet while Garcia was bunkered short of the pin and failed to get up and down. They matched shots at the 16th and 17th before Harrington laid up in two at the 18th.
Going for broke Garcia hit his driver and then fired a six-iron from the light rough on the left 203 yards into the centre of the green. Harrington's approach pulled up outside Garcia's ball and his first putt rolled three feet past. Garcia's putted shaved the hole but he made the return, leaving Harrington an unwanted three-footer for the title.