THE Open Championship at Carnoustie will always have special memories for Martyn Thompson – but probably still gives Jean van de Velde nightmares.

Having this week returned to the scene of his finest hour, Parkstone’s head professional Thompson will caddy for Wales’s Rhys Enoch at the famous Scottish venue.

Hours after he had completed his final round in 1999, qualifier Thompson was present as Frenchman van de Velde famously triple-bogeyed the 18th after ricocheting off a grandstand and going into the Barry Burn.

He had only needed a six at the par four to lift the Claret Jug but, after carding a seven, he was beaten in a three-way play-off by Paul Lawrie.

“I walked down that same hole and made a four, which Van de Velde probably would have paid a lot of money for at the time!” said Thompson, speaking to the Daily Echo before the final practice round of this year’s event.

“I was in the grandstand on the other side watching it.

“It was sad to watch – 99 times out of 100, anybody who had hit that ball where he did, it would have rattled around in the stand. He would have got a drop, chipped it on the green and won The Open.

“As it was, his ball bounced back over the burn into some very thick rough. He was intensely unlucky and sometimes you just have to think you didn’t make a bad decision. He hit a bad shot and got incredibly unlucky.”

Carnoustie brings the memories flooding back for the former Canford Magna professional, who held his nerve when others crumbled as the course was nicknamed ‘Car-nasty’ 19 years ago.

The 156-strong field finished the week an amazing 3,746 over par – Americans Fred Funk and Tom Gillis quitting after shooting 83 and 90 on the opening day, respectively.

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.

Reminiscing about the famous event, Thompson said: “To walk down the final hole of a major championship on a Sunday at any time in your life is a great thing to be able to do. I look back on it with very fond memories and am very proud of what I achieved during that week.

“All the other players were talking about how hard it was. At the time, I was striking the ball beautifully and didn’t feel it was as tough as everybody else was saying.

“Had I putted anything like sensibly, I think I would have finished in the top 20.

“It is the highlight of my career and people still remember it. When The Open comes around, those memories are still there.”

Ever the competitor, Thompson wishes he was in action this week as the best in the world descend on the famous links.

Instead, he will be imparting his knowhow on the bag to Enoch.

“It’s the first time I have been back in 19 years having played in 1999. It’s lovely to be here and great to see it again,” he added.

“It’s very different to when I was last here – 19 years ago it was very green with very thick rough. Now it’s incredibly brown, bouncy and the fairways are running 70 or 80 yards.

“The whole event is much bigger and better. It’s an incredible atmosphere on the range and all around the tournament.

“It gets the goose bumps going, you want to be playing rather than caddying – I’m not going to lie – but it’s great being inside the ropes at such a huge event.”

Enoch, 30, begins his first round tomorrow alongside Marcus Armitage and Kodai Ichihara (11.04am).

Earlier today, Thompson and Enoch rubbed shoulders in a practice round alongside 2016 Open champion Henrik Stenson.

“I have played with Rhys’s dad many times in a Pro-Am in Truro. Rhys used to caddy for me when he was about 10.

“He used to walk round and watch us play – 20 years later I am caddying for him at The Open!

“I have watched his progress over the years and he has done well. He is moving in the right direction up the world rankings.

“I have been trying to mentor him with his course management over the past year or so. I guess with my experience of playing here in a major, he knows I have been there and done it.

“He knows I know how to play the golf course. It just seemed the natural thing for me to be the person on his bag this week.”