The 151st Open Championship takes place at Royal Liverpool for the first time since 2014, when Rory McIlroy claimed his 3rd career major victory.
QUICK FACTS
Field: 156 players (150 professionals, 6 amateurs)
Cut: Top 70 scores & ties
Venue: Royal Liverpool (7,383 yards | Par 71)
Purse: $16.5M | $3M winner’s share
Defending champion: Cameron Smith (-20)
THE COURSE AND TEE TIMES
Royal Liverpool, located in the small town of Hoylake in England, is hosting its 13th Open Championship. The first was held in 1897 and the last in 2014.
Tiger Woods, Bobby Jones, and Walter Hagen are the only players representing the United States to win The Open at Royal Liverpool.
Royal Liverpool is one of three courses at which multiple players have earned their 5th major victory, as McIlroy is trying to do. The others are Augusta National (Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson) and Muirfield (Nick Faldo, Phil Mickelson).
You are going to have to get up pretty early for the first two days of this tournament. Here is a complete list of times and pairings for the first two days.
OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP WINNER TRENDS
A 28-year-old Cameron Smith won The Open in 2022, and a 24-year-old Collin Morikawa won in 2021. The last time 3 straight Open Championships were won by players under 30 was from 1975-77, when Tom Watson won twice and Johnny Miller once.
The last time three straight Opens were won by different players under 30 was from 1895-97, when J.H. Taylor, Harry Vardon, and Harold Hilton won, respectively.
The last four Open Champions have represented four different countries: Cameron Smith, Australia | Collin Morikawa, United States | Shane Lowry, Ireland | Francesco Molinari, Italy. A streak of five straight would tie the longest in Open Championship history, last done from 1985-89 (Scotland, Australia, England, Spain, United States).
We will have more on all of this on Shemon and Sheppard the rest of the week. Below is a list for some of the favorites and a few nuggets.
RORY McILROY
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays a bunker shot on the 17th hole during a practice round prior to The 151st Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Club on July 18, 2023 in Hoylake, England. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
Won the Open Championship last time it was held at Royal Liverpool. Only four player since World War II have claimed successive wins at a certain Open Championship venue.
McIlroy will look to join Tiger Woods (St Andrews), Tiger Woods (Medinah), Nick Faldo (Muirfield) and Seve Ballesteros (Royal Lytham) as the only golfers to win multiple non-Masters majors at a single venue over the last 50 years.
JON RAHM
Jon Rahm of Spain tees off on the 6th hole during a practice round prior to The 151st Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Club on July 19, 2023 in Hoylake, England. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Owns longest active made cut streaks in major championships (16).
Seeking to become first player since Jack Nicklaus (1975) to bookend a calendar year with major victories. Only four players have accomplished this feat since 1950.
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER
Scottie Scheffler of the United States speaks during a press conference prior to The 151st Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Club on July 18, 2023 in Hoylake, England. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
If finishes in the Top 5 at The Open, will join Tiger Woods (2 streaks) as the only player over the last 35 years with 8 straight Top-5 finishes on TOUR.
Scheffler has also posted a Top-12 finish in 18 straight PGA TOUR starts, the longest streak by any player over the last half century. That distinction was previously held by Jack Nicklaus (16 straight in 1977).
BROOKS KOEPKA
Dustin Johnson of the United States and Brooks Koepka of the United States walk on the 8th fairway during a practice round prior to The 151st Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Club on July 18, 2023 in Hoylake, England. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Koepka won the U.S. Open and PGA Championship in 2018, and will now look to win a second major in 2023. If he wins this week, he’ll become the 8th man in golf history to win multiple majors in multiple years.
VIKTOR HOVLAND
Viktor Hovland of Norway and his caddie Shay Knight walk on the 15th hole during Day Two of the Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club on July 14, 2023 in United Kingdom. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
Last year, Viktor Hovland co-led The Open with Rory McIlroy after 54 holes, but it was Cameron Smith who ended up with the Claret Jug.
Hovland finished tied for 4th last year, and tied for 12th in 2021 in what was his first Open Championship start. He will look to join Collin Morikawa in 2021 and Ben Curtis in 2003 as the only players since 2000 to win The Open in one of their first three starts at the event (both won in their 1st start).
CAMERON SMITH
Cameron Smith of Australia tees off on the 18th hole during a practice round prior to The 151st Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Club on July 19, 2023 in Hoylake, England. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
Shot 64 (-8) in the final round at St. Andrews last year to tie the all-time major championship score to par record (-20). It included birdieing the first 5 holes on his back nine en route to shooting 30 (-6) on the final nine holes for a 1-shot victory. Only 5 players have won back-to-back Open Championships since 1960.
JORDAN SPIETH
Jordan Spieth of the United States plays a bunker shot on the 8th hole during a practice round prior to The 151st Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Club on July 18, 2023 in Hoylake, England. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
46-under in Open Championship career, best total score to par of any player in tournament history (next: Jodie Mudd, -24). Only player to shoot under par in all eight rounds of last two Open Championships.
RICKIE FOWLER
Rickie Fowler of the United States shelters under an umbrella during a practice round prior to The 151st Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Club on July 18, 2023 in Hoylake, England. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
Finished runner-up here at Royal Liverpool in 2014, two shots behind Rory McIlroy. 9 career Top-5s in majors, tied for 2nd-most in the last 80 years by player without a major win (Lee Westwood, 12 | Jay Haas, 9).
COLLIN MORIKAWA
Collin Morikawa of the United States speaks to the media in a press conference during a practice round prior to The 151st Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Club on July 18, 2023 in Hoylake, England. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
Won 2021 Open Championship in first career start at tournament; looking to become 6th player to win The Open in 2 of first 3 starts (Tom Watson, Arnold Palmer, Bobby Jones, J.H. Taylor, Old Tom Morris).
With wins in 1st start at PGA Championship & The Open, Morikawa is looking to join Gene Sarazen and Walter Hagen as the only players to pick up three major victories within their first three starts at the particular event.
WYNDHAM CLARK
Wyndham Clark of the United States walks off of the tee box on the 15th hole during a practice round prior to The 151st Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Club on July 19, 2023 in Hoylake, England. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Looking to become 2nd player in last 40 years to win U.S. Open and Open Championship in same year (Tiger Woods, 2000); there have been 7 instances of this overall.
Looking to become 4th player to pick up first two major victories in consecutive majors in a calendar year, joining 2015 Jordan Spieth, 1941 Craig Wood, and 1922 Gene Sarazen.
