Winning The Open’s Claret Jug, golf’s oldest and most prestigious trophy, is the lifelong ambition of most top golfers.

Some like Ben Curtis in 2003 and Todd Hamilton the following year emerge from nowhere to capture the top prize with apparent nonchalant ease.

Other, higher profile, golfers come agonisingly close to Open glory only to see the prize snatched away from them at the death.

Here are four players, all competing next week at Hoylake, who have had one hand on the famous trophy but failed to hold on.

Thomas Bjorn (Royal St George’s, 2003)

The big Dane led in the final round by two shots with three holes to play, but needed three attempts to play out of a greenside bunker on the par-three 16th hole. That opened the door to fast-finishing American unknown Ben Curtis. Playing in his first major championship and ranked 396 in the world, Curtis became the first debut winner at The Open since Tom Watson in 1975.

Sergio Garcia (Carnoustie, 2007)

Tournament leader Padraig Harrington went into the 18th hole’s Barry Burn twice, and closed with a double-bogey six to open the door for the Spaniard who had a one-shot lead on the last tee. He found a greenside bunker with his approach shot and then left himself a ten footer for par, but his putt lipped out. That meant a four-hole playoff between Garcia and Harrington with the Irishman leading all the way in that to win his first major.

Lee Westwood (Turnberry 2009)

The Englishman eagled the seventh hole on the Ailsa course to move into the lead, which he held or shared for most of the final round. But bogeys at three of the last 4 holes saw him fall one stroke behind clubhouse leader Stuart Cink, who eventually won his first major by defeating 59-year-old Tom Watson in a four-hole playoff. Westwood tied for third with Chris Wood.

Adam Scott (Royal Lytham St Annes 2012)

The Australian was the leader after 54 holes with Ernie Els six strokes back, tied for fifth. After a birdie at the 14th hole, Scott stood on the cusp of his first win in a major, four strokes clear of second-placed Els with four to play. Inexplicably he bogeyed all four holes, missing an eight-footer at the last, and with Els having earlier finished with a huge birdie putt, the South African had won the Open for a second time.

(All four men – Bjorn, Garcia, Westwood and Scott – still await an Open triumph and Scott is the only one of the quartet to have won a major title – at the 2012 Masters).