Since Henry Cotton had won his third and last Open title in 1948 at Muirfield, the East Lothian course had seen Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino and Tom Watson claim the Claret Jug on its fabled links.

In 1987, Nick Faldo not only finally broke through to become a major winner, but he also secured the first of three Open titles that established the Englishman as the finest home player since Cotton.

But what was extraordinary about Faldo’s victory was the manner of it – with 18 pars on a final day when the course was shrouded in a misty haar.

Though it sounds singularly unexciting, there were moments of real drama, not least when he hit a superb 30-yard bunker shot to four feet at the eighth. Whenever he needed to save himself, he did. The same could not be said for the others.

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