Tom Watson won at Carnoustie in 1975 for his third career title and first of five British Open wins.

Learning to love the links game became much easier as Watson was racking up British Open titles, five in all, including four in Scotland. His first came at Carnoustie Golf Links 24 years ago, the last time the Open was played at this storied course.

Back then, Watson was just 25 years old, with a penchant for blowing leads in major championships.

Now, at age 49, he is listed among the all-time greats, with eight major championships, 34 PGA Tour titles and a lucrative Senior PGA Tour career just around the corner.

Some growing pains were necessary. In 1974, Watson took a one-stroke lead into the final round of the U.S. Open but shot 79 at Winged Foot. A year later, he was at 135 through two rounds of the Open at Medinah, then went 78-79 on the weekend to finish three strokes behind Lou Graham.

So a month later, when Watson was in contention in his first British Open, nobody gave him much notice. He did have two PGA Tour victories to his name, but that didn't matter to the likes of Jack Nicklaus and Raymond Floyd and Johnny Miller, all in contention.

But Watson, with the gap-toothed grin and scraggly red hair, holed a 25-foot birdie putt at the 72nd hole to finish one stroke ahead of Nicklaus and Miller, then stood by as Australian Jack Newton bogeyed two of the last three holes to tie him. Watson won in an 18-hole playoff the next day, 71-72.

And one of the great runs in golf was underway.

"Carnoustie was where it all really started for me," Watson recalled. "Winning on the course where Ben Hogan won was certainly beyond my expectations when I arrived. I did not think I was ready."

Watson returns to Carnoustie -- the site of just five British Opens -- for the 128th edition, which begins Thursday. It will be his last Open Championship as a full-time PGA Tour member. Watson turns 50 on Sept. 4 and said he will devote his playing schedule to the Senior Tour.

"I'm trying my best to give it one more parting shot," Watson said. "I want to beat those kids one more time. Although my game has been misfiring a bit this year, you just never know when it will turn around. I've been around long enough to know that.

"But my ability to compete out here is winding down. Fortunately, you never know when you're at the end. Sometimes, I feel like I'm at the end. Other times, I feel like, 'Bring on Tiger.' "

At one time, Watson was the Tiger Woods of his day. Watson went on to capture four more British Open titles in 1977, 1980, 1982 and 1983. He won The Masters in 1977 and 1981. He captured the U.S. Open in 1982.

From 1977 to 1984, Watson was as good as any player at any time, including Nicklaus. He won 26 PGA Tour events and four British Opens in that span and led the PGA Tour money list four times.

Amazingly, Watson was not much of a fan of links golf when he journeyed to Scotland for his first British Open. In fact, he went with little thought of winning.

He rented a home with John Mahaffey and Hubert Green, just down the road from Carnoustie. He tried to play a practice round on the Sunday he arrived, but learned the course was closed for qualifying. So he went to a nearby course, and recalled hitting a drive down the middle on an early hole -- and couldn't find the ball.

"I hit one of the mounds and it rolled about 50 yards (sideways) into a pot bunker. Dead," Watson said. "I said, 'I don't like this very much.' Honestly, when I first played links golf, I did not like it. I was a through-the-air golfer. I was a Jack Nicklaus wannabe. I wanted to hit that high cut shot through the air."

But Watson made an adjustment with his swing that week to try and hit a lower trajectory shot, believed to be a key on any British Open course.

Watson remembers vividly a few things about the tournament. He was never able to par the brutish par-3 16th hole, bogeying it during all four rounds and the playoff. During the final round, he needed a 3-wood for his second shot at No. 17, which he hit to 5 feet to set up a birdie. And then he hit a 9-iron at the finishing hole to 25 feet for another birdie.

The conditions changed so much for the 18-hole playoff the next day that both Watson and Newton needed 2-irons to reach the last hole.

"The wind changed 180 degrees from the final round to the playoff," Watson said. "That is what is so fascinating about links golf."

Carnoustie is on the North Sea on Scotland's east coast, and most who have played the course say it is among the most demanding layouts they have ever seen. It measures 7,361 yards, the longest of the eight courses now in use for the Open. Par is 71.

Watson rates it as the toughest of the British Open venues, which makes his victory at Carnoustie even more remarkable.

"You bet I'm nostalgic about it," he said. "But the handwriting is on the wall. My play has fallen off sharply this year. My game is in a lull. And when you're not playing well, it's easy to talk about the Senior Tour.

"I want to go out there and beat my pals and win golf tournaments. It is always great to win. I make no bones about it. Winning on the PGA Tour is the ultimate challenge. You obviously want to win against the strongest fields possible, but I'm looking forward to being out there with my pals and playing golf with them for the first time in a long time."

Bob Harig, who covers golf for the St. Petersburg Times, writes a column every Tuesday for ESPN Golf Online.