What you need to know about the 151st Open

Following the cancellation of the 149th Open in 2020 and the unforgettable 150th Open at St Andrews in 2022, fans of professional golf across the globe are eagerly awaiting the start of the 151st Open.

But what do you need to know before you tune in?

 

When and where is the 151st Open?

The upcoming 151st Open is being held at Royal Liverpool Golf Club links from Sunday the 16th till Sunday the 23rd of July.

As the oldest of all English seaside clubs (with the exception of Westward Ho!) Royal Liverpool at Hoylake can be stunningly challenging as well as breathtakingly beautiful.

Though the link may seem flat at first appearance, wind and weather conditions can challenge a player’s shot selection, distance control and accuracy.

Who is playing in the 151st Open?

In the Open Field, golf enthusiasts will see 156 golfers qualify and play, including big names such as:

·         Northern Irish world ranking #2 Rory McIlroy

·         American world ranking #1 Scottie Scheffler

·         English world ranking #21 Tommy Fleetwood

·         American world ranking #22 Rickie Fowler

·         American world ranking #19 Collin Morikawa

These big 5 have been targeted by Elliott Heath, senior staff writer at Golf Monthly as most likely to lift the Claret Jug this week during Royal Liverpool.

Another name to look out for is Matthew Jordan, a local lad who grew up in nearby West Kirkby and has been a member of Royal Liverpool since the tender age of 7 – like his father and grandfather before him.

Matthew has been given the honour of playing the first shot of the 151st Open, so let’s see how he gets on!

What is the course like at the 151st Open?

With pros like Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy previously winning at the Royal Liverpool previously, at the 2006 and 2014 Opens respectively, what can professionals expect from the Liverpudlian links course?

Well, thanks to tweaks to the Hoylake layout this year, including additional bunkering, harsher run-off areas in places, new tees and an eye-catching new hole, players will certainly face fresh challenges on this challenging but awe-inspiring course.

Hole name and number	Par	Key points
Front nine: 1 – Royal	4	Increased bunkering from 2022, bumps and hollows in the green, and winds can be a challenge.
2 – Stand	4	Easterly winds in the summer months and a tight drive on the hole measuring 460 yards can make this hole tricky.
3 – Course	4	The hole doglegs sharply to the right and has an internal out-of-bounds that runs the entire right-hand side.
4 - Road	4	With bunkers that guard the entrance, the position of the player is very important here. As a raised green surrounded by bunkers, swales, rough, and gorse – this could be tricky!
5 – Long	5	The best birdie chance on the course but much depends on conditions and precise positioning.
6 – New	3	Playing slightly uphill with severe run-offs and large bunkers on either side – accuracy is paramount.
7- Telegraph	4	Changes to the green since 2014 make the 7th at Hoylake a real challenge – with or without summer winds. Brutally long, with bunkers and gorse, players must find the fairway to succeed here.
8 – Briars	4	If conditions are tricky, hitting level or just before bunkering to the right of the fairway is essential – as the further on players move, the tighter the fairway becomes.
9 – Dowie	3	Players shouldn’t expect a birdie here – with challenging winds, run-offs, bunkers, and lots of movement in the green, this hole could make playing par tricky.
Back nine: 10 – Far	4	As potentially the most difficult holes on the course, the large mound in the middle and intimidating run-offs and bunkers make this hole more mentally than physically trying.
11 – Punch Bowl	4	With incredible views of the ocean, professionals must play up a hill with a narrow and tight approach.
12 – Dee	4	Running alongside the shore, hole 12 brings danger from large bunkers, a sea of rough and a raised green.
13 – Alps	3	A stunning favourite with natural optical illusions make this hole look harder than it is. With mounds a-plenty, rough hillocks, a bunker, and an unforgiving hill – crossing the Alps might well be easier.
14 – Hilbre	4	With a significant dogleg, another mound that impairs the view, and a light slope that is hard to read, coming in on par here is tricky.
15 – Field	5	After recent lengthening, this hole will play over 600 yards and despite the combo of new bunkers, wind, and a sloping putting green, players have a good birdie chance in stunning scenes.
16 – Lake	4	An exceedingly long hole, players will need delicate skill to miss the bunkers.
17 – Little Eye	3	Royal Liverpool’s newest hole, this infinity green encompasses stunning views of the ocean and Wales, but it is certainly not pretty. With a raised green, huge fall-off areas and bunkers, considerable undulations, and the potential for wind – players beware.
18 – Dun	5	After significant changes to the hole, Dun has become a hole that is a lot more likely to result in double bogeys rather than eagles – thanks to the shifted tee, a tweaked out-of-bounds, three dangerous bunkers, and more of Liverpool’s optical illusions.

How can I watch the 2023 Golf Open?

Fans in the UK can access coverage of The Open during the championship in many ways including:

·         On Sky Sports Golf from 6:30 am – 9 pm on Thursday 20th of July, with shorter broadcasts on Saturday and Sunday after the cuts.

·         BBC Radio 5 Live each day.

·         On the Sky Go app or website, or using a Now TV pass, which will give you access to all Sky Sports channels (available on smart TVs, games consoles, laptops, and smartphones).

·         The Open official website and YouTube channels.

Play along with the professionals this weekend

With a winner’s check of $3 million from a purse of $16.5 million (around £12.7 million), players across the world will compete avidly for the chance to lift the Claret Jug.

If you want to make a weekend of it and play just like your heroes, consider a golf simulator of your very own. Contact Black Box Golf today using our online contact form or call/ WhatsApp us on  +34 951 120 980 and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.