IT IS officially Open Championship week, with the last of golf's four majors to begin on Thursday, July 18.

The only major to be played outside of the USA will then conclude on Sunday, July 21, when this year's 'Champion Golfer' will be crowned, getting their hands on the coveted claret jug.

Best of all for us in Ayrshire, the incredible spectacle which brings together the best players on the planet will be taking place right on our doorstep, at Royal Troon.

The South Ayrshire links will be hosting the event for the 10th time this week, with all hoping for a thrilling contest to match the last event hosted at the course in 2016.

On that occasion, Henrik Stenson carded a record breaking 20-under-par score to claim the title - becoming the ninth different winner at Troon.

It was far from the only thrilling Open Championship to be played in Ayrshire, with the county hosting the event on an incredible 37 occasions in the past.

So ahead of the latest edition of the Championship played on the west coast - we have taken a look back at some of the most memorable, and historic, championships to be played in the area.

1860 - Prestwick Golf Club

The first ever Open Championship was played in Prestwick.The first ever Open Championship was played in Prestwick. (Image: Street View/Iain Forrest)

Okay, perhaps 'memorable' is a bit of a stretch for this one.

However, we could not fail to mention that the first ever Open Championship in fact took place in Ayrshire.

Played at Prestwick Golf Club in 1860, it looked ever so slightly different from what we know the competition to look like now.

The idea for The Championship came from the Earl of Eglinton and Colonel James Fairlie, prominent members of the Prestwick club, and the timing came about due to the death the previous year of Allan Robertson, the St Andrews clubmaker who, without question, had been the greatest player of his time.

Thus, the question arose, 'who now was the champion golfer?'.

Invitations went out to clubs and golfing societies across Scotland and England for the best professionals, essentially caddies who also played, to contest for the Challenge Belt, made from red Moroccan leather and featuring silver panels of golfing scenes bought from Edinburgh silversmiths James and Walter Marshall for £25.

Just eight professionals assembled for the event, with the belt the only prize and no money on offer.

Played on the then 12-hole course at Prestwick, local greenkeeper Tom Morris was the home hopeful, but it was Musselburgh’s Willie Park who prevailed over the three round, 36-hole, contest.

Park's score of 174 was enough for a three shot victory over Morris.

The championship would be hosted by Prestwick a further 23 times, though is no longer on the current rota and last hosted the major in 1925.

1977 - Turnberry

The event was covered in the Ayr Advertiser back in 1977.The event was covered in the Ayr Advertiser back in 1977. (Image: Staff)

The year 1977 saw the Open come to Turnberry for the very first time, for what would prove to be one of the most memorable championships of all time.

Tom Watson would win the second of his five Open titles on the Ailsa course, though that only tells part of the story.

The championship will forever be remembered as the 'Duel in the Sun' - after the thrilling round played out between the eventual winner and his playing partner, and runner-up, Jack Nicklaus.

After two rounds, Watson and Nicklaus were one shot out of the lead, in a four-way tie for second, and were paired for the third round on Friday. Both shot five-under and catapulted themselves into a tie for first - meaning they would play together again on Saturday.

It was a real to-and-fro with both players at the top of their game and refusing to give the other any ground.

Nicklaus birdied twice to pull three ahead after four holes but Watson battled back to birdie three of his next four to level the scores once again.

The Golden Bear would go two clear again after a birdie on 12 - after Watson had bogeyed nine - but Watson again bounced back with birdies on 13 and 15 to make for a thrilling conclusion.

After pars on 16, on the reachable par five 17th Watson would secure birdie to pull one ahead of Nicklaus and lead for the first time all round.

On the 18th tee, Watson drove to an ideal position in the fairway, but Nicklaus went right and into the rough.

The event put Ayrshire in the spotlight.The event put Ayrshire in the spotlight. (Image: Staff)

Watson's seven-iron approach stopped pin-high and two feet left of the flag, and with Nicklaus in trouble, appeared to seal the victory - but Nicklaus slashed his eight-iron recovery onto the front of the green and sank his 35-foot putt to give him hope.

Though Watson sank his two-footer to claim the title.

So memorable was the duel that the 18th hole at Turnberry is now named after the contest - and a plaque is etched into the fairway in the position where Watson played his stunning final approach.

1989 - Troon

While thrilling final rounds always have their place as a memorable finale, sometimes you can't beat a little bit of play-off drama.

That was certainly the case in the 1989 Open at Troon, where we were treated to a three-way play-off.

The competition that year saw American Mark Calcavecchia win what would turn out to be his only major.

Heading into the final round, Calcavecchia was three behind third round leader, Australian Wayne Grady.

A final round four under par saw the American earn a spot in the play-off with Grady, where they were joined by another Australian in Greg Norman.

The play-off, in true Open fashion, would be played over four holes - with Norman the man in form coming off a final round eight under par, a course record, to earn his spot tied at the top.

Norman started off in the same form he had finished the main round, with birdies at the first two holes. Calcavecchia also scored a birdie at the second, Grady only making par at both.

Then at the short par three 17th, their third play-off hole, Calcavecchia was the only one to make par while Norman dropped a shot, back into a tie for the lead, and Grady also bogeyed it to be two shots behind.

The real drama unfolded on the 18th, the final play-off hole, where Calcavecchia made a birdie , and Grady a regulation par.

Norman found two bunkers in succession and then mishit his third shot out of bounds, following which he picked up his ball and conceded without completing the hole, to drop behind Grady and accept third place.

2009 - Turnberry

The incredible 'showdown' was covered by the Ayr Advertiser at the time.The incredible 'showdown' was covered by the Ayr Advertiser at the time. (Image: Archive)

While Turnberry only hosted four Open Championships, it is fair to say it left its mark during the course's brief stint on the rota.

The last, in 2009, will long be remembered as one of the greatest 'what if' stories in championship history.

The standout story of the Open that year was that of Tom Watson, the champion of the 1977 contest at Turnberry.

Having won his fifth championship in 1983, and largely been out of contention since the 80s, the 59-year-old found himself back at the top end of the leader board.

Watson led after round two and three, and was suddenly in contention to become the oldest major champion in history.

The five-time champion had the golfing world captivated heading into the final round, and heading on to the 17th tee was still tied for the lead - with clubhouse leader Stewart Cink.

Watson would birdie the penultimate regulation hole, and had a one stroke lead heading down the last.

Needing a par four at the 18th to win, his approach shot took a hard bounce and rolled well over the green. Watson was unable to get up and down and entered into a four-hole playoff with Cink for the Claret Jug.

Thereafter, it appeared that the 59-year-old had run his race, with Cink putting his foot down on the way to victory.

Cink parred the opening two holes in the four-hole play-off, with Watson only able to muster a bogey and par in return.

The par-five 17th proved to be the final nail, with Cink finishing with a birdie while Watson rounded off the hole with a three-putt for a double bogey.

Cink rounded off his only major victory to date with a birdie on the final hole, with Watson bogeying the last once again.

The play-off finished with Cink at two under and Watson at four over - a true tale of what could have been.

2016 - Troon

Henrik Stenson won a thrilling Open Championship the last time the major was played at Royal Troon.Henrik Stenson won a thrilling Open Championship the last time the major was played at Royal Troon. (Image: Christian Cooksey/CookseyPix.com)

It would be hard to talk about the Open coming back to Troon without looking back at the last occasion the event was played in Ayrshire.

With the winning score in 2016 being a record breaking figure at the time, it would be easy to assume it was a walk in the park victory.

Though that was far from the case for Sweden's Henrik Stenson who won his only major championship to date on the Ayrshire coast on July 17, 2016.

Stenson recorded a record breaking tournament that week, with his four round total of 20 under par the lowest total ever recorded in a major championship.

This record stood until Xander Schaufelle won the USPGA championship in May this year with a total score of 21 under.

Though the total score far from tells the tale of what was one of the most enthralling final rounds in recent major championship memory.

Heading into the last day, Stenson was one shot clear of American legend Phil Mickelson, with the pair five and six shots clear of the rest of the field.

What transpired on the final day was an epic battle between two of the world's best truly at the top of their game.

From the word go it looked like the final round would be a classic, with Stenson three-putting to bogey the first, with Mickelson claiming top spot with a birdie.

Neither man was willing to budge thereafter with Stenson rebounding to birdie five of the remaining eight holes in his front nine.

Mickelson recorded a birdie and an eagle at the par-five fourth, giving Stenson back a one-shot lead at the turn.

Both birdied the tenth hole but when Stenson bogeyed 11 the pair were tied up once again.

Both parred the next two holes, before Stenson recorded three consecutive birdies, including a 51-foot putt from off the green on the 15th to open up a two-shot lead.

Mickelson narrowly missed an eagle putt on the 16th while Stenson got up and down from the greenside rough for a birdie to maintain the advantage.

With another birdie at the 18th, Stenson tied the major championship scoring record with a spectacular eight under final round - despite his two bogeys.

Stenson's 'to par' scoring record stood until earlier this year.Stenson's 'to par' scoring record stood until earlier this year. (Image: Christian Cooksey/CookseyPix.com)

Mickelson would finish on 17 under, tying the previous Open scoring record.

Emphasising the incredible performance of the top two, third place J.B Holmes finished 11 shots back of Mickelson.

While two horse races are not always the most entertaining, this was certainly one which would live long in the memory.

It is fair to say Ayrshire has had its fair share of memorable Open Championships.

Here's hoping that this is the case once again at Royal Troon this year!