Golfnutter: The Open Championship – Hoylake

The latest winner of golf’s oldest – and to many its most coveted – trophy will be decided this weekend.  Royal Liverpool Golf Club, located in the small town of Hoylake, on the Wirral Peninsula across the River Mersey from Liverpool, plays host for the 12th time in its long and illustrious history.

Before we look at the event itself, a teaser for you enthusiasts: Can you name the poor sod who has finished runner-up, or joint runner-up, more than anyone else?

The answer appears below.

Hoylake has a long and distinguished history of golfing firsts.  It was originator and host to the inaugural men’s amateur championship in 1885, which became The Amateur Championship.  It was host to the first ever international between Scotland and England in 1902.  It also hosted the first Home International matches, and the first transatlantic contest between Great Britain & Ireland and the USA in 1921, an event which became the Walker Cup.

Royal Liverpool Golf Club – where the elements can test the purest of swings.

But it is possibly Royal Liverpool Golf Club’s contribution to the amateur game that has set it apart from all other clubs in England.  Even though, at the end of the nineteenth century, it was the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews that took on the role of the governing body in golf as the game developed, it was at Hoylake that the rules of amateur status were first laid down.  The Open at Hoylake was also the scene of the second leg of Bobby Jones’ historic Grand Slam in 1930.

Hoylake, a links course whose key defence is wind, is mostly level, although holes nearest the coast run through sand hills.  When this course last hosted The Open, in 2006, the wind was conspicuous by its absence.  The course, baked dry and playing exceptionally fast, saw that year’s winner, Tiger Woods, use his driver just once during four rounds.  This was the tournament where we saw the Woods’ 2-iron “stinger” – the tee shot that would stay low and seemingly run forever.  Whatever else it did, it hit balls that evaded pot bunkers thus playing a major part in helping Woods engineer an 18-under par two-shot victory.

Other notables that finished top-ten in 2006, who will be competing this time round include: Els, Furyk, Garcia, Cabrera and current OWGR No 1, Adam Scott.

In all, there will be 156 competitors who will play 36 holes of strokeplay on Thursday 17 and Friday 18 July.  The leading 70 players and ties will play a further 36 holes over the weekend.  In the event of a tie after 72 holes, the players will contest a four-hole playoff.  The Champion will be the player with the lowest four-hole aggregate.  If there is still a tie, play will continue over the 18th until a winner emerges.

As was expected, Tiger Woods’ return to Open Championship golf has dominated headlines with many so-called analysts belittling his preparation.  Sir Nick Faldo, Paul Azinger, Curtis Strange and even ex-coach Hank Haney have all expressed negative views on Woods’ apparent lack of appropriate groundwork.  Strange and his fellow ESPN analyst Azinger know full well that Woods playing golf moves viewer interest like few other sporting events on American TV.  If Woods can contend at the home of his most emotional win, the viewing needle will go through the roof.  ESPN and the other networks will be praying those analysts got it wrong.

Players I believe representing the ten best bets, using odds from Paddy Power as at Monday 14 July, are listed in the table below.  If pressed to name just one?  I would back Stenson to pick up Sweden’s first major – for men.

Oh, and the perennial runner-up, none other than Jack Nicklaus; 1964, 67, 68, 72, 76, 77, 79. Poor sod indeed!

BBC broadcast times suit us here in Pattaya. Enjoy!

Golfnutter