Carnoustie has been confirmed as the host of the 157th Open Championship in 2029.
The famous Angus venue will stage the game’s oldest major for the ninth time, ending an 11-year wait since Francesco Molinari became the first Italian to win the Claret Jug in 2018.
Carnoustie arguably hosted one of the most dramatic Opens in 1999, producing memorable snaps of Jean van de Velde with his shoes and socks off in the Barry Burn on the 18th hole, plummeting to a triple-bogey with a three-shot lead.
He then lost in a three-man playoff to Paul Lawrie. Tommy Armour, Sir Henry Cotton, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Tom Watson, and Padraig Harrington have all won the championship at Carnoustie as well.
Mark Darbon, Chief Executive of The R&A, said: “Carnoustie is a world-class championship venue where some of golf’s greatest players have lifted the Claret Jug and the return of The Open to these famous links after more than a decade will give fans the opportunity to be part of another memorable chapter in the Championship’s history.
“We want to continue to deliver an outstanding experience for players, fans and our partners at one of the world’s great sporting events and so have worked closely in collaboration with Carnoustie to help ensure their plans to enhance the venue also support successful stagings of The Open in the years ahead.”
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Carnoustie’s rota return came after ownership changes
Darbon also thanked Carnoustie’s ownership and management, the Scottish Government and local authorities for their support in bringing the championship back to Angus.
The announcement follows a period of significant change at Carnoustie, where questions had surrounded the investment required to maintain its place on The Open rota.
As reported in Golf Business Quarterly last year, the ownership and management arrangements at Carnoustie underwent major changes after decades of council ownership and management by the Carnoustie Golf Links Management Committee.
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The Carnoustie Golf Heritage and Hospitality Group (CGHH) acquired the Carnoustie Golf Hotel and Spa in 2023 and subsequently reached an agreement with Angus Council concerning the golf courses.
The group has pursued plans to improve the venue’s facilities and strengthen its long-term position on the rota.
Carnoustie first hosted The Open in 1931, when Tommy Armour became Champion Golfer of the Year. It has since established a reputation as one of the toughest courses on the championship rota.
Ben Hogan famously won his only Open appearance here in 1953, while Tom Watson claimed the first of his five Claret Jugs at Carnoustie in 1975.
Padraig Harrington won the first of his back-to-back Open titles at Carnoustie in 2007, beating Sergio Garcia in a playoff, before Molinari held off Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and others to win in 2018.
The Championship Course, one of three layouts at Carnoustie alongside the Burnside and Buddon, is renowned for its demanding closing stretch and the Barry Burn, which snakes across the final two holes.
The 16th is a brutally long par 3, while the 17th and 18th have the potential to ruin scorecards.
Carnoustie also regularly hosts the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship alongside Kingsbarns and the Old Course at St Andrews.
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