Troon tapped to host 2016 Open Championship

Golf's oldest major championship, the British Open, will return to the west coast of Scotland in 2016 at Royal Troon, the R&A announced Wednesday.

Royal Troon, which last had the British Open in 2004 when American Todd Hamilton won his first and only major championship, will host the year's third major for the ninth time.

Other past winners on the famous links course include Justin Leonard (1997), Mark Calcavecchia (1989), Tom Watson (1982), Tom Weiskopf (1973), Arnold Palmer (1962), Bobby Locke (1950) and Arthur Havers (1923).

This year's Open Championship will be played July 19-22 at Royal Lytham & St. Annes. The 2013 tournament will be at Muirfield. In 2014 it returns to Royal Liverpool and in 2015 to St. Andrews.