www.dailypostathenian.com WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 2021 | SPORTS DAILY POST-ATHENIAN | B3 THE 149 TH OPEN AT ROYAL ST. GEORGE’S THE OPEN FACTS & FIGURES RETURN TO Event: 149th Open Championship Dates: July 15-18 Site: Royal St. George’s Length: 7,189 Par: 70 The course: Royal St. George’s is located in south- east England about 15 miles from the Strait of Dover. TRADITION It was founded in 1887 by William Laidlaw Purves, and it was the rst links in England to host the British s tradition goes at the British Open, it all feels will be presented to him by someone wearing gloves. Open. This will be the 15th time it has held the British the same. Shane Lowry, a popular winner at Open. ARoyal Portrush, returns the silver claret jug upon THE COURSE Field: 156 players his arrival at Royal St. George’s for a ceremonial start to Royal St. George’s was the rst course in England to Playo (if necessary): 3 holes, aggregate score the 149th edition of golf’s oldest championship. It’s like host the British Open in 1894. is will be the 15th time Prize money: $11.5 million clockwork, with one exception. it has the Open, fourth on the list behind St. Andrews Winner’s share: $2,070,000 e British Open is one year behind. (29), Prestwick (24) and Muireld (16). It is famous for Defending champion: Shane Lowry Strange as it was for the Masters to be played amid terrain so lumpy that Justin Rose once referred to it as Last year: The British Open was canceled for the autumn hues of November and the U.S. Open to be held “almost playing on the surface of the moon.” Tee shots rst time since World War II because of the COVID-19 in September for the rst time in nearly a century, the down the middle can bounce to the le or the right on pandemic. biggest fallout in golf from the COVID-19 pandemic several holes. “You just pack your patience and under- Last time: Shane Lowry of Ireland captured his was the British Open not being played at all last year. rst major at Royal Portrush in the rst British Open stand that it’s the same for everyone, and the good and in Northern Ireland in 68 years. He closed with a Now it’s back, though not quite to normal. the bad bounces should all level out over 72 holes,” Rory e R&A is allowing 32,000 spectators a day at Royal 1-over 72 for a six-shot victory over Tommy Fleet- McIlroy said. St. George’s, located along the eastern English coast near wod. The nal round featured such rough weather the Strait of Dover. Major championship golf hasn’t seen that no one from the last 12 groups broke par. a crowd that large since Portrush two summers ago. GLOBAL GAME Last time at Royal St. George’s: Darren Clarke, e players, meanwhile, will be conned to a strict Hideki Matsuyama of Japan won the Masters. Phil who had gone 10 years without even contending in bubble of no more than four people from their own Mickelson of the United States won the PGA Cham- the majors, closed with an even-par 70 for a three- support team. ey are to avoid mixing with the pionship. Jon Rahm of Spain won the U.S. shot victory over Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson. general public, except for the 32,000 fans behind Open. at’s three majors won by play- British Open champions at Royal St. George’s: the ropes on the golf course. at means Justin ers from three continents. Dating to the J.H. Taylor (1894), Harry Vardon (1899, 1911), Jack omas can’t share a house with Jordan Spieth, creation of the Masters in 1934, there has White (1904), Walter Hagen (1922, 1928), Henry as they oen do. And no trips to restaurants or never been a year when the four major Cotton (1934), Reg Whitcombe (1938), Bobby Locke the grocery store, much less a pub. champions came from four continents. (1949), Bill Rogers (1981), Sandy Lyle (1985), Greg “I feel like a lot of the family restrictions, each Maybe it’s worth paying attention to some- Norman (1993), Ben Curtis (2003), Darren Clarke player’s team restrictions, it’s a little too much,” U.S. one like Marc Leishman (Australia), Joaquin (2011). Open champion Jon Rahm said. “But I understand Niemann (Chile) or Louis Oosthuizen (South COVID-19 restrictions: The R&A is limiting players to a “buddy bubble” of no more than four people why they want us to stay at home and why they Africa). want to keep the players as safe as possible. ... It’s and they cannot share houses with other players or the rules they put up, and we just have to deal mix with the general public. The R&A also is allowing OLYMPIC IMPACT 32,000 fans a day, the most of any major. with it and follow them.” Men’s golf in the Tokyo Olympics start Olympic conict: Sungjae Im and Si Woo Kim of It’s a big change from players on the PGA 11 days aer the British Open ends, and 29 Tour, where testing is no longer required for South Korea and Juvic Pagunsan of The Philippines players at Royal St. George’s will he headed to have withdrawn to concentrate on the Tokyo Olympics, vaccinated players and restrictions have been Japan. e list was a little longer until Sungjae loosened considerably. which start 11 days after the British Open ends. Im and Si Woo Kim of South Korea, and Juvic Key statistic: Bryson DeChambeau is the only e cancellation allowed Lowry to keep the Pagunsan of e Philippines, withdrew from claret jug for two years, the longest of any Brit- player from the top 10 in the world who has yet to the British Open so as not to detract from their nish in the top 20 at a major this year. ish Open champion since 1939 winner Richard preparations for the Olympics. Noteworthy: Major champions this year have Burton held it for seven years because of World come from Asia (Hideki Matsuyama), North America War II. He said it traveled well, poured well and (Phil Mickelson) and Europe (Jon Rahm). Dating to even picked up a few dings he had repaired. SILVER MEDALS Royal St. George’s has produced world-class the creation of the Masters in 1934, the four majors Now it’s up for grabs on a links with a repu- have never been won by players from four conti- tation of being the quirkiest of all, with so many winners from Harry Vardon and Walter Hagen to Bobby Locke and Greg Norman. Equally impressive nents in the same year. humps and hollows along the fairways that Royal Television (all times EDT): Thursday-Friday, 1:30 St. George’s is oen described as having a lunar is the recent list of players who nished second. Mickelson and Dustin Johnson tied for second a.m. to 4 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 5 a.m. to 7 landscape. “e world championship of a.m. (Golf Channel), 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. (NBC); Sunday, imagination,” Greg Norman called it when he in 2011, while Vijay Singh was a runner-up in 2:30 a.m. to 6 a.m. (Golf Channel), 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. won in 1993. 2003. Other runner-up nishes at Royal St. (NBC). No matter how many restrictions are in George’s belong to Nick Faldo (1993), Payne place for tthe players, someone will be hold- Stewart (1985) and Bernhard Langer (1981) ing the claret jug on Sunday. It probably All are in the World Golf Hall of Fame. “Look, it’s one week. It’s a major championship and let’s just do what it takes to be able to compete.” — Phil Mickelson, on the COVID-19 protocols in place for players at Royal St. George’s 149TH BRITISH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYER CAPSULES JON RAHM BROOKS KOEPKA LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN JORDAN SPIETH Age: 26 Age: 31 Age: 38 Age: 27 Country: Spain Country: Country: Country: World ranking: 1 United States South Africa United States Worldwide wins: 12 World ranking: 7 World ranking: 13 World ranking: 22 Majors: US Open Worldwide wins: 11 Worldwide wins: Worldwide wins: 15 (2021) Majors: PGA Cham- 12 Majors: Masters 2021 Majors: Mas- pionship (2018, 2019), Majors: British Open (2015), US Open (2015), ters-T5, PGA Champion- US Open (2017, 2018) (2010) British Open (2017) ship-T8, US Open-1 2021 Majors: Mas- 2021 Majors: Masters-T26, 2021 Majors: Masters-T3, British Open moment: Made his profes- ters-Cut, PGA Championship-T2, US Open-T4 PGA Championship-T2, US Open-2 PGA Championship-T30, US Open-T19 sional debut at the Quicken Loans National in British Open moment: Standing his British Open moment: Winning at St. British Open moment: His birdie-eagle-bird- 2016, and his tie for third earned him a spot in ground at St. Andrews in 2015 when an Andrews in 2010. That remains his lone PGA ie-birdie stretch on the back nine at Royal the British Open at Royal Troon (tie for 59th). ocial told him to keep playing and Koepka Tour title. Birkdale to win in 2017. Backspin: Not since Tiger Woods has a refused because the wind kept moving his Backspin: He already has the career Backspin: He has six nishes in the top 5 this player won golf’s two oldest championships ball on the 11th green.