No.9

Mackie: Players will take whatever club necessary to keep the ball in the fairway at a hole that was ranked the No. 1 most difficult when the Open was last played here in 1999. Trees left, a drainage ditch in the right rough and a quartet of bunkers between 280-340 yards put a premium on tee-shot accuracy. The second shot has to find a long, skinny green that has bunkers and mounds on both sides.

Keith Mackie is an acclaimed international golf writer based in St. Andrews, Scotland. Carnoustie will mark the 44th consecutive Open Championship he has covered.