Hoylake's historic return to The Open

Jun 7 2006 Wirral News

NEARLY 40 years of golfing history will come full circle when the Open Championship returns to the Royal Liverpool Golf Club in July.

Thousands of spectators are expected to flock to Hoylake from Thursday, July 20 when the 135th Open - watched by millions around the globe every year - gets underway in Wirral.

Golf's biggest names will descend on the Royal Liverpool, who host the event for the 11th time, for the chance to wrestle the claret jug trophy from reigning champion Tiger Woods.

Hoylake last hosted the Open in 1967, when the record for the lowest round scored in an Open Championship was set by Roberto de Vicenzo and Gary Player.

They had identical scores in the third round of the 1967 Championship. Roberto de Vicenzo's record-setting 67 was achieved with seven birdies and two dropped shots.

He bettered par at all four par-fives, but the shot credited with winning him The Open title was a thundering three-wood across the out-of-bounds practice ground to the heart of the 16th green in the final round.

It is doubtful that his record will stand up to the challenge of the world's leading players as The Open returns to the famous Royal Liverpool links after a 39-year gap.

But a change to the numbering of the holes at Hoylake means that the 135th Open Championship will finish on the same green.

An adjustment to the order of play will make the 560-yard par five the closing hole and the 17th and 18th holes will be played as the first and second.

The course has been lengthened by 122 yards since the Amateur Championship was played over the historic links in

2000. It will be 263 yards longer than when Roberto de Vicenzo won the Open at Hoylake in 1967.

A spokesman for Royal Liverpool said: "There will be some who believe that altering the layout of the Hoylake links is at best, unnecessary and, at worst, heresy.

"However, the club believes that the new sequence will create the best possible Championship and present a challenging test to the greatest players in the world."

The Open Championship will be held at Royal Liverpool Golf Club from July 20-23rd. For further information and tickets contact 632-7772 or visit: www.royal-liverpool-golf.com