6 golfers with the best history at The Open Championship at Carnoustie

For the third time in the last 20 years, The Open Championship returns to Carnoustie. The Open was held there in 1999 and 2007 and six of the top finishers from those two championships are also competing this season.

The names on this list come from The Open's list of players who have entered The 147th Open at Carnoustie.

Here are the golfers with the best history at Carnoustie.

Padraig Harrington

Open History at Carnoustie: Won in 2007 (-7)

How He Qualified: Harrington earned two exemptions thanks to his back-to-back victories at The Open Championship in 2007 and 2008:

• Former winner of The Open Championship who is 60 or younger as of July 22, 2018
• Winning The Open Championship in the last 10 years

Open Highlight: In 2007, Harrington overcame a six-stroke deficit on Sunday to force a playoff with Sergio Garcia – the sixth playoff in a 13-year span at The Open.

Sergio Garcia

 

Open History at Carnoustie: 2nd in 2007 (-7), 150th in 1999 (+30)

How He Qualified: Garcia earned four exemptions to qualify for The Open:

• Among the first 50 players on the OWGR for Week 21 of 2018
• First 30 in the Final Race to Dubai Rankings for 2017
• Won The Masters from 2014-18
• Top 30 player from the Final 2017 FedExCup Points List

Tiger Woods

Open History at Carnoustie: T-7th in 1999 (+10), T-12th in 2007 (-2)

How He Qualified: Thanks to winning The Open Championship on three occasions – in 2000 and 2005 at St. Andrews and 2006 at Royal Liverpool – Tiger will earn an exemption to The Open for the next 18 years, if he chooses to compete.

• Former winner of The Open Championship who is 60 or younger as of July 22, 2018

Open Highlight: Here are some of Tiger's best shots ever at The Open.

Ernie Els

Open History at Carnoustie: T-4th in 2007 (-5), T-24th in 1999 (+14)

How He Qualified: Like Harrington, Els earned two exemptions as a former champion of The Open.

• Former winner of The Open Championship who is 60 or younger as of July 22, 2018
• Winning The Open Championship in the last 10 years

Open Highlight: Els prevailed in a four-person playoff at The Open Championship in 2002 at Muirfield.

Stewart Cink

Open History at Carnoustie: T-6th in 2007 (-4), T-135th in 1999 (+20)

How He Qualified: Cink's 2009 victory at The Open Championship at Turnberry in South Ayrshire, Scotland, gives the PGA Tour veteran two exemptions for The Open this year.

• Former winner of The Open Championship who is 60 or younger as of July 22, 2018
• Winning The Open Championship in the last 10 years

Open Highlight: Cink beat Tom Watson in a four-hole playoff at The Open for his first career victory in a major.

Justin Rose

Open History at Carnoustie: T-12th in 2007 (-2), T-83rd in 1999 (+14)

How He Qualified: One of the few players on this list who isn't a former winner of The Open, Rose still earned three exemptions for qualification for Carnoustie this year.

• Among the first 50 players on the OWGR for Week 21 in 2018
• First 30 in the Final Race to Dubai Rankings for 2017
• Top 30 player from the Final 2017 FedExCup Points List

Open Highlight: Rose's best career finish at The Open came as a 17-year-old amateur in 1998, when he finished tied for fourth.

Here's a list of other notable golfers who are slated to compete in The 147th Open who also played at Carnoustie in The Open in 1999 and/or 2007.

• Phil Mickelson (T-74th in 1999; Missed the cut in 2007)
• Rory McIlroy (T-42nd in 2007)
• Zach Johnson (T-20th in 2007)
• Lee Westwood (T-18th in 1999; T-35th in 2007)
• Paul Casey (T-27th in 2007)
• Adam Scott (T-27th in 2007)
• Ian Poulter (T-27th in 2007)