Watson believes he has a chance

Thirty-two years on from the legendary ‘Duel in the Sun’ Tom Watson still believes he can claim a sixth Open Championship crown.

The 59-year-old has an enviable record on links courses having won the Open in ’75, ’77, ’80, ’82 and ’83 and the Senior British Open right here at Turnberry in 2003.

When asked if he thought Turnberry was a course where he could do well this week the American’s response was a confident one.

“Yes, it is. The quick answer is yes, it is. I felt that I could play links golf courses. Even though they lengthened them some, I still have a chance here, unlike a course like Augusta.”

His memories of victory over Jack Nicklaus in 1977 are still vivid: “Well, it was pretty good. It was pretty good theatre, let’s put it that way. It was one of the moments of my career.”

He added: “It’s (Turnberry) a marvelous place. It’s a place that brings back obviously great memories. It brings back memories of elation, of good play.”