Muirfield Open in pictures
- Published
Muirfield will host its 16th Open when the 142nd Championship gets under way on 18 July. The classic Scottish links course, first laid out in 1891, lies 20 miles north east of Edinburgh on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth
The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, established in 1744, claims to be the oldest golf club in the world. It began in Leith and then moved to Mussleburgh but overcrowding prompted it to build a new private course in Gullane, naming it Muirfield. The par-71 layout will measure 7,245 yards for this year's Open
The changeable conditions along the Scottish coastline are sure to provide a testing challenge for the players, in addition to the demands of the links course itself
The list of past champions at Muirfield reads like a Who's Who of world golf. South African Gary Player won the first of his three Opens and nine majors in all on the East Lothian course in 1959 at the age of 23
Jack Nicklaus won his first Open at Muirfield in 1966 to complete the career Grand Slam of all four majors. He described the Scottish venue as the "best course in Britain" and named his own course in Ohio "Muirfield Village". Nicklaus won three Opens in all and 18 major titles
America's Lee Trevino defended the Open title he had won the year before at Royal Birkdale with a remarkable victory at Muirfield in 1972. The motor-mouthed Mexican chipped in four times during the week to beat Nicklaus by one and England's Tony Jacklin by two. Trevino won six majors in all, but never the Masters
Another American Tom Watson won at Muirfield in 1980 for his third Open title. Watson set up his win with a third-round 64, as he beat Trevino by four. Watson, who lost a play-off for the 2009 Open at the age of 59, won five Claret Jugs and eight majors in a stunning career
England's Nick Faldo made his major breakthrough in the 1987 Open at Muirfield after two years rebuilding his swing. Faldo carded 18 pars for a final-round 71 to beat American Paul Azinger and Australia's Rodger Davis by a shot for the first of his his six major titles
Faldo returned to Muirfield in 1992 with four majors under his belt but none for a couple of years and was coming under pressure in the press. He led with eight holes left but faltered down the stretch and lost the lead before regrouping to finish one clear of American John Cook for his third and final Open title
South Africa's Ernie Els clinched his first Open after a four-way play-off at Muirfield in 2002. Els saw off France's Thomas Levet and Australians Stuart Appleby and Steve Elkington after a fierce storm on the Saturday put paid to Tiger Woods's bid for the third leg of a possible Grand Slam
Els returns as defending champion having won the 2012 Open Championship at Royal Lytham, 10 years after his last major triumph at Muirfield