The R&A has officially announced that golf’s original major will return to Carnoustie Golf Links for the 2029 Open Championship. Affectionately nicknamed “Car-nasty” by players over the decades, the legendary Angus layout is widely considered the toughest course on the Open rota.

When the world’s best descend upon the links in 2029, it will mark the ninth time Carnoustie has hosted the championship. As we look forward to another exacting test, here is a trip down memory lane, looking back at the eight previous times Carnoustie played host to The Open.

1. 1931 – Tommy Armour

The inaugural Open at Carnoustie set a brutal precedent for the fields to come. Scottish-born American Tommy Armour captured the Claret Jug, carding a final-round 75 to post a total of 296. Armour finished just one shot ahead of Argentina’s Jose Jurado, who crucially stumbled down the final stretch. Armour’s victory established Carnoustie’s place as a world-class, uncompromising championship venue.

2. 1937 – Sir Henry Cotton

Playing through a deluge of torrential Scottish rain, England’s Henry Cotton claimed his second Open title. While the weather completely dismantled the rounds of players from the heavily favoured American Ryder Cup team, Cotton showed masterful control. He won by two strokes with a winning total of 292, establishing himself as one of Britain’s greatest-ever golfing icons.

3. 1933 – Ben Hogan

In what remains one of the most legendary chapters in golf history, American titan Ben Hogan arrived for his first and only Open Championship appearance.

Hogan grew to love the course’s immense difficulty, meticulously plotting his way through a perilous par-5 sixth hole. He won by four strokes with a record aggregate score of 282. In 2003, the sixth hole was officially renamed “Hogan’s Alley” to commemorate his legendary strategy.

4. 1968 – Gary Player

At 7,252 yards, Carnoustie was set up as the longest Open course in history up to that point. South Africa’s Gary Player navigated the immense distance by hitting one of the most famous shots of his career.

Facing a raging gale on the par-5 14th hole, Player smashed a 3-wood over the “Spectacles” bunkers, landing it just two feet from the pin for a spectacular eagle. He won by two strokes to claim his second Claret Jug.

5. 1975 – Tom Watson

American legend Tom Watson won his very first major championship at Carnoustie, but he had to do it the hard way. Watson tied with Australian Jack Newton after 72 holes, forcing a full 18-hole play-off – the last of its kind in Open history.

Watson edged out Newton by a single stroke in the play-off to lift the Claret Jug, kicking off one of the most dominant links-golf careers of all time.

6. 1999 – Paul Lawrie

The 1999 staging is universally remembered for the most dramatic collapse in major history. France’s Jean van de Velde arrived at the 72nd hole needing only a double-bogey to win.

Instead, a sequence of chaotic shots led him into the Barry Burn, leading to a shocking triple-bogey. Local hero Paul Lawrie, who began the day a seemingly impossible 10 shots back, shot a brilliant 67 to enter a three-way play-off, where he ultimately triumphed.

7. 2007 – Pádraig Harrington

Drama returned to the 18th hole for the first all-European play-off in modern major history. Ireland’s Pádraig Harrington found the Barry Burn twice on the 72nd hole, finishing with a double-bogey to seemingly hand the title to Sergio García.

However, García bogeyed the final hole after a greenside bunker mishap, forcing a four-hole aggregate play-off. Learning from his mistake, Harrington played safely with a hybrid off the 18th tee to secure his maiden major victory.

8. 2018 – Francesco Molinari

Under baked, lightning-fast conditions, Italy’s Francesco Molinari played a flawless final round to lift the Claret Jug. While a roaring Tiger Woods briefly held the solo lead on Sunday afternoon to thrill the galleries, Molinari stayed completely unfazed. He did not record a single bogey over his final two rounds, calmly making a birdie on the formidable 18th to secure a two-stroke victory.