Head to head battle

Turnberry was also the setting for perhaps the greatest man to man duel the Open Championship has ever seen. In 1977 Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus entered the last round neck and neck, and by halfway they were the only two left in it.

On the back nine Nicklaus pulled away slightly only to see Watson hole out from well off the 15th green to draw level. A birdie at the 17th let Watson go ahead. At the 18th he lashed an iron to an ideal position, while Nicklaus went all out for length and carved a driver dangerously close to the gorse.

Watson played a fine second to within 3ft (1m) of the hole and it all seemed over. Then Jack kept the tension going when he holed a long and difficult putt for his birdie. But Watson coolly knocked in his ball to win. They were an amazing 10 and 11 shots ahead of the rest of the field.