With the focus this weekend on Carnoustie and the 136th Open Championship, we look back at some memorable battles for the Claret Jug, starting with the year interest in the event really took off thanks to Arnold Palmer.

1960, ST ANDREWS

Arnold Palmer may not have lifted the famous Claret Jug at St Andrews, but his mere appearance was undoubtedly the catalyst which sparked renewed interest in the championship.

The number of American players taking part had fallen dramatically, with Australia's Peter Thomson and South African Bobby Locke winning seven titles between them in eight years.

Palmer arrived as the newly-crowned US Open champion and was three under par at half-way, but a third-round 70 left him trailing little-known Australian Kel Nagle by four shots.

Torrential rain meant the final round was delayed for 24 hours and, after nine holes, Palmer was still four behind. But he birdied the 13th and 15th, made par at the 17th for the first time all week and then birdied the last as well.

Nagle was facing a tough par putt on 17 when he heard the roar for Palmer's birdie, but bravely holed and made a safe par up the last to seal a one-shot victory.

Palmer famously won the next two Opens at Birkdale and Troon to re-establish the championship as a major target for the top American players.

1970, ST ANDREWS

Another Open which is best remembered for the man who finished second, the unfortunate Doug Sanders, destined to go down in history as the man who missed 'that' putt at the 18th.

Minutes earlier, Sanders had saved par from the infamous road hole bunker at the 17th, leaving him needing just a par on the last for the title. His approach finished 30 feet beyond the flag and his first putt stopped three feet short of the hole.

''I was over the ball when I thought I saw a spot of sand on the line,'' explained Sanders. ''Without changing the position of my feet, I bent down to pick it up, but it was a piece of brown grass. I didn't take the time to move away and get re-organised.''

The miss that followed meant an 18-hole play-off the following day against Jack Nicklaus, who led by one shot playing the 18th. Ironically Sanders hit a superb approach to four feet but Nicklaus, after pulling off his jumper on the tee, had smashed his drive through the green and chipped down to eight feet.

He duly holed for birdie to seal victory, tossing his putter high in the air and briefly panicking as it looked like falling on the unlucky Sanders.

1977, TURNBERRY

Nicklaus was in the thick of the action seven years later in a thrilling battle with Tom Watson, which became known as the 'Duel in the Sun'.

Rounds of 68 and 70 saw Nicklaus and Watson one shot off the lead at halfway, and paired with each other in the third round. In glorious conditions, they matched each other shot for shot and carded rounds of 65 to lead by three shots from Ben Crenshaw.

The stage was set for a classic final-day confrontation, and two of the game's greats did not disappoint.

Nicklaus quickly moved three ahead with two early birdies, but Watson fought back to level by the eighth before dropping a shot at the ninth. Nicklaus holed from 25 feet at the 12th to go further ahead, but back came Watson again and a 60-foot putt from off the green on the 15th drew him level again.

Nicklaus then missed from four feet on the 17th, while Watson two-putted for birdie to edge ahead for the first time.

On the 18th, Watson fired a seven-iron to within three feet, while Nicklaus' drive ended under a gorse bush. But Nicklaus smashed the ball on to the green and then holed a curling 40-foot putt for an amazing birdie. Watson then calmly holed for a closing 65 to claim his second Open title.

1984, ST ANDREWS

Seven years later, Watson had an historic sixth Open title in his sights, only to be denied by a typically inspired Seve Ballesteros.

Two shots behind Watson and Australian Ian Baker-Finch going into the final round, Ballesteros had drawn level by the time he reached the 17th tee.

He had failed to make par there all week but predicted that if he did, he would go on to win. A typically bold prediction, but the Spaniard had the skills to back it up and a six-iron approach from 200 yards secured that vital par.

In the match behind, Watson was unable to save par and a roar from the 18th told him Ballesteros had holed for birdie.

Watson needed to eagle the 18th to force a play-off but failed and Ballesteros claimed his second Open title.

1999, CARNOUSTIE

The 1999 Open will forever be remembered for Van de Velde's final-hole meltdown when the Claret Jug was within his grasp.

A fiendishly tough course - dubbed 'Car-nasty' - combined with bad weather to produce a plethora of high scores.

Van de Velde's excellent 68 gave him the half-way lead and a 70 on Saturday took him five shots clear. Scotland's Paul Lawrie closed with a 67 to set the clubhouse target on six over but Van de Velde held a three-shot lead as he stood on the 18th tee.

A double bogey or better would have been good enough to win, but after a wild drive, his two-iron second bounced off the grandstand and into heavy rough. His third found the water short of the green and, after a farcical interlude where he removed his shoes and shocks and waded in to contemplate playing from there, the Frenchman opted for a penalty drop. His fifth shot found a greenside bunker but he got up and down for a triple-bogey seven to force a play-off with eventual winner Lawrie and 1997 champion Justin Leonard.