Previous Winners
at Carnoustie
1999
Paul Lawrie
Score: 290 (73-74-76-67)
Deep, wire-tough rough made the course a daunting challenge. Tied at 290, Scotland's
Paul Lawrie played off against 1997 champion, Justin Leonard, and Frenchman,
Jean Van de Velde, over the last four holes. A birdie at the 17th put Lawrie
one shot ahead of the other two, then a fairway-splitting drive, followed by
a rifled 4-iron and another birdie putt at the 18th, made him Scotland's first
home-based Open Champion since 1893.
1975 Tom Watson
Score: 279 (71-67-69-72)
A 2-iron rifled over the Barry Burn to Carnoustie's 18th green gained Tom Watson
a par 4 in his play-off with Australian, Jack Newton, for the 1975 Championship.
Shortened and relatively easy, the Open layout produced low scoring until Saturday,
when, in deteriorating weather, none of the leaders broke 70. Watson, almost
un-noticed, posted a 72 to tie Newton on 279 and, on the Sunday, won the first
of his five Opens.
1968 Gary Player
Score: 289 (74-71-71-73)
In difficult weather, there were only two sub-70 rounds during the entire 1968
Open. Player, on 216, went into the final round two shots behind Billy Casper
and one behind Bob Charles. Level going to the 14th, he struck a majestic 4-wood
248 yards into the wind and over the notorious 'Spectacles' bunkers to within
three feet of the flag. He holed the putt and strode on to win the Championship.
1953 Ben Hogan
Score: 282 (73-71-70-68)
One of the all-time greats of golf, Hogan was advised by fellow Americans to
enter the Open, having just won the US Open. Though still suffering from the
after effects of a serious road accident, he entered. Qualifying over the Burnside
and the Medal courses (no exemption in those days) he duly won, improving his
score in every round - and playing two rounds on the Saturday!
1937 Henry Cotton
Score: 290 (74-72-73-71)
The final round which won Henry Cotton the 1937 Open at Carnoustie was perhaps
one of the greatest in the history of the Championship. Starting three strokes
behind the leader, USA's Ed Dudley, Cotton shot 71, an incredible score in atrocious
conditions of gale-driven, torrential rain. It placed Cotton three clear of
a field which had included the entire American Ryder Cup team, fresh from crushing
Great Britain and Ireland at Southport.
1931 Tommy Armour
Score: 296 (73-75-77-71)
Born and educated in Edinburgh, Tommy Armour was blinded in his left eye during
World War One. Turning professional in America in 1925, he came back to Scotland
for the 1931 Open at Carnoustie. Five shots adrift of Argentina's Jose Jurado
after round three, he shot a final record-equalling 71. Jurado and the other
challengers all slipped up and Armour won what proved to be the last of his
Major Championships.
These six caricatures comprise a table mat set, and can be purchased at the
clubhouse bar or by contacting the club
secretary.
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