Tiger Woods won’t be at Royal Liverpool this week, but he’ll loom large over the proceedings. That’s because in 2006, Woods, then the best golf in the world, took the firm links apart with exacting iron shots that left the famed course all but defenceless. Rory McIlroy would win his only British Open at the course eight years later, and he’s still a favourite coming into the week, even though he hasn’t won a major championship in an improbable nine years.
What You Need To Know
Why Is It Called Hoylake?
You’ll hear announcers talk about how The Open Championship is being played at Hoylake this week. Excuse me? Isn’t it called Royal Liverpool? Well, like most British links, the course has an official name—its royal designation—and the name it is referred to locally, in this case a reference to the town of Hoylake, where the course resides.
How Is The Open Championship Different?
The Open Championship is played on “links,” which is the firm sandy turf where the ocean receded. The land wasn’t useful for much other than grazing animals, but it was ideal for golf, where it has been played for centuries. Royal Liverpool is set slightly away from the ocean, but the course is punctuated by bunkers and fescue. The bunkers at Hoylake are devilish, but Tiger Woods managed to avoid all of them when he won in 2006 by showcasing a nearly unparalleled iron game.
What’s The Story At This Open Championship?
Rory’s Return
He hasn’t won a major in nine years, but the last summer he did win one of golf’s four main championships, The Open Championship at Hoylake was one of them. He’s been central to the PGA Tour’s ongoing battle with LIV Golf, the breakaway league, and it has clearly distracted him. He finished second at the U.S. Open in Los Angeles, and third in the Open Championship last year. Can he repeat at Royal Liverpool?
Cam’s Circumstance
A year ago, Cameron Smith won The Open Championship at the Old Course at St. Andrews with a remarkable display of putting, chipping and hutzpah. He jumped to LIV Golf after the FedExCup last year, and has two Top 10 finishes in his last two majors, suggesting leaving the PGA Tour hasn’t impacted his game. He’s savvy enough to be in the mix at The Open Championship for years to come, though he doesn’t have experience with Royal Liverpool.
Scottie’s No. 1
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler has to be one of the clear favourites. After all, in 15 starts this year, he has 11 Top 10s, and three Top 10s in the major championships. The only issue could be his lack of experience in The Open Championship, where he finished tied for 21st last year.
Canuck Central
Only two Canadians—Corey Conners and Nick Taylor—are in the field at The Open Championship. Conners has emerged as one of the best in the game and has contended at The Open Championship before. Taylor has emerged as one of the top storylines of the year after holing a 72-foot putt in a playoff to become the first Canadian to win the RBC Canadian Open since 1954. It will be the first Open Championship he’s played in, and given the advantage of local knowledge in the championship, it is hard to imagine Taylor will be a factor. That said, he surprised us recently, hasn’t he?