Watson hopes for more Open glory at Carnoustie

Former Open champion Tom Watson wants a victorious trip down memory lane when he returns to Carnoustie for the Senior Open championship this week.

Watson has won the Open five times but his fondest memories of the event will always take him back to Carnoustie, where he won on the Championship Course in 1975 to claim the Claret Jug for the first time.

The 60-year-old American will retrace his steps around the course in the senior version starting on Wednesday.

Watson has already won the Senior Open title three times, with two of those victories coming at the Turnberry and Muirfield courses where he also won the more famous version of the event.

He is still more than capable of playing some magical golf, as he showed by finishing second at the 2009 Open, and he hopes Carnoustie will inspire him to more glory on the senior circuit.

"I love playing links golf and I love Scotland and the golf fans here," Watson said.

"The Senior Open Championship is a truly great event. It attracts the best players in the world and the atmosphere is so friendly it makes you want to play here."

Joining Watson in an all-star cast on the Scottish course are former European Ryder Cup players Bernhard Langer, Sam Torrance and Ian Woosnam.

American Corey Pavin will become the first presiding Ryder Cup captain to play in the tournament, while former US Ryder Cup captain Tom Lehman is also competing.

Lehman, who captured the Claret Jug in 1996, is one of six former Open Champions playing at Carnoustie, along with Watson, Sandy Lyle, Nick Faldo, Mark O?Meara and American Mark Calcavecchia, who makes his debut in a senior Major championship.

Calcavecchia said: "I think my game suits Carnoustie and it is a course I like a lot. I had a decent Open there a few years back. You never know.

"It depends on what kind of weather you get stuck in, if you get the good draw or the bad draw. A lot depends on that over here.

"Carnoustie is one of my favourite courses and I?m immensely looking forward to it. I think it?s going to be right up my alley."

Calcavecchia is out to dethrone reigning champion Loren Roberts, who captured his second Senior Open crown 12 months ago when he defeated Mark McNulty and Fred Funk in a play-off at Sunningdale.

"Carnoustie is a hard golf course -- I know that from the Open in 2007," Roberts said.

"The last four holes are unbelievable but I just love links golf, it fits my game, and hopefully I can defend my title."