Yahoo News Matt Fitzpatrick hoping Carnoustie shows nasty streak at Open Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick believes his chances of a first major title will be boosted if Carnoustie turns into "Car-nasty" again for this week's Open Championship.
That nickname was inspired by the 1999 Open at the same venue, when a combination of a severe course set-up and bad weather sent scores soaring.
The 156-strong field finished the week an amazing 3,746 over par and that is with 81 players completing only two rounds and two more, Americans Fred Funk and Tom Gillis, quitting after shooting 83 and 90 respectively on the opening day.
A 19-year-old Sergio Garcia, who had won the Irish Open a fortnight earlier, departed in tears in the arms of his mother after rounds of 89 and 83 left him last, with Paul Lawrie eventually winning in a play-off after finishing tied with Jean van de Velde and Justin Leonard on six over.
In Pictures | The Open Championship at Carnoustie
In Pictures | The Open Championship at Carnoustie
1/13 2018
The Claret Jug returns to Carnoustie for the eighth time this year.
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2/13 2007
Padraig Harrington celebrates after winning his first Open Championship, beating Sergio Garcia in a play-off at Carnoustie.
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3/13 2007
Padraig Harrington poses with the Claret Jug, which he would go on to defend at Royal Birkdale the following year.
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4/13 1999
One of the Open's most famous images, as French golfer Jean van de Velde climbs into the Burn on the 18th, before losing the play-off at Carnoustie.
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5/13 1999
Scotsman Paul Lawrie won the play-off in 1999, winning his first and only major.
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6/13 1975
An icon of the Open his born as American Tom Watson wins his first of five Claret Jugs.
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7/13 1968
Having won his first Open Championship at Muirfield in 1958, Gary Player plays down the final hole at Carnoustie in 1968 when he won by two shots.
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8/13 1968
South African Gary Player celebrates after getting his hands on the Claret Jug for the second time.
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9/13 1953
Ben Hogan won nine major championships throughout his career, but just one Open Championship, at Carnoustie in 1953.
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10/13 1953
Following Ben Hogan's win, the sixth hole at Carnoustie has been renamed 'Hogan's Alley, after the American took the most challenging line off the tee of the par five in each of his four rounds that week.
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11/13 1937
The Open returned to Carnoustie for a second time in 1937, when Englishman Henry Cotton won his second of three Claret Jugs, winning by two shots with a score of two over par.
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12/13 1931
The Open was first held at Carnoustie in 1937, where Tommy Armour held firm to win by one shot, having been five back at the start of play on the Sunday.
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13/13 1931
Armour, who lost his sight due to mustard gas in the First World War before regaining sight in his right eye, claimed £100 in prize money for his win, around £6,600 in today's money.
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Lessons were learned when the Open returned to Carnoustie in 2007, but Fitzpatrick admits he is probably the only player who would like a repeat of 1999 and was also in favour of how the USGA set up Shinnecock Hills for last month's US Open.
"In my ideal world I would love it to be like it was when they put all the fertiliser on the rough and it grew six foot high," Fitzpatrick, 23, told Press Association Sport.
"I'm sure I'm the only one thinking that, but then I'm the one who thought the USGA did a great job in the US Open and I loved playing Shinnecock Hills the way it was. That's obviously just me."
Fitzpatrick's best finish in a major is a tie for seventh in the Masters in 2016, with his next best a tie for 12th at Shinnecock Hills, where the USGA admitted they had gone "too far" with aspects of the course set-up after round three.
"When everything is on, any of the majors is a good chance to win, but for me personally it depends on how they set the courses up," former US Amateur champion Fitzpatrick added.
"You look at Erin Hills for the US Open two years ago and I never stood a chance. I hit 80 per cent of fairways and was still minus six in strokes gained driving.
"Whereas Shinnecock I felt was right up my street. It was tight off the tee, the greens were tricky, it required good putting and I feel like it's much more my cup of tea."
