Royal Troon will welcome back the Open Championship in 2024 the R&A has announced today, having originally awarded the 2032 Major Championship to the Ayrshire links course

ROYAL Troon will miss out on plans to host the 151st Open Championship 100 years after the famous Ayrshire club first staged the world’s oldest Major championship.

The R&A announced in February that Royal Troon was to host the 152nd Open to mark the historic centenary – but the subsequent cancellation of the 149th Open at Royal St George’s in July has forced the game’s ruling body into a rethink.

With the 150th Open Championship originally due to be held at St Andrews in 2021, the R&A has decided to push its rota back by a year in each case of the venues already announced.

So with Sandwich set to stage The Open in July 2021, and preparations for the Home of Golf to welcome the world’s best players to St Andrews now being readied for 2022, Hoylake will host the event in 2023.

The R&A confirmed today that The 151^st Open will be played at Royal Liverpool, from July 20-23, in 2023, while The 152^nd Open will be played at Royal Troon from 14-21 July 18-21, in 2024.

The famous Claret Jug will be contested at the Kent links from July 15-18, in 2021.

R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers said, “We have been working closely with Royal Liverpool and Royal Troon – and the relevant local agencies – to reschedule the championships.

“We are grateful to everyone involved at the clubs and at our partner organisations for supporting our plans and showing flexibility to adapt their own schedules.

“We can now look forward to seeing the world’s best players competing at these outstanding links courses in 2023 and 2024.”

Royal Liverpool captain Michael Johnson said: “Without doubt the golfing world greatly anticipates the return of The Open after the hiatus of 2020, and Royal Liverpool Golf Club is delighted to fit into the revised schedule alongside our friends at Royal Troon.

“We must thank The R&A for its continued support and look forward to welcoming competitors and spectators alike to Hoylake in 2023.”

Royal Troon captain Desmond Bancewicz said: “Following the most unusual circumstances this year, affecting all our lives, Royal Troon Golf Club looks forward with eager anticipation in hosting The Open in 2024 for a 10th time – and sends their very best wishes to The R&A and Royal St George’s Golf Club for 2021.”

The famous Postage Stamp hole at Royal Troon, the shortest par three on the Open rota.

Hoylake ready for ‘lucky’ 13th Open

ROYAL Liverpool will host The Open for a 13^th time in 2023 – the first time since Rory McIlroy lifted the Claret Jug at Hoylake in 2014.

That was also the last of the four Majors won by the former World No. 1 from Northern Ireland, who turned 30 last year and become a father for the first time at the end of August.

There was a 40-year gap between Argentinian Roberto de Vincenzo’s victory at Hoylake and Tiger Woods’ memorable Royal Liverpool win in 2006 – and his emotional celebration followng the death of his father Earl earlier that summer.

The Open will return to Royal Troon for the 10^th time following Henrik Stenson’s memorable final round duel with Phil Mickelson before claiming victory in 2016.

The first winner of The Open at Troon was Arthur Havers – the Norwich-born pro who was the club pro at Moor Park and Sandy Lodge in Hertfordshire, and Coombe Hill, in Surrey – as well as spells at West Lancashire and Frinton, in Essex.

Havers, who would go on to play in three of the first four Ryder Cups, as well as the first unofficial match at Wentworth in 1926, beat the USA’s defending champion Walter Hagen by a shot.

Future venues:–

• The 149^th Open will be played at Royal St George’s from July 15-18, 2021
• The 150^th Open will be played at St Andrews from July 14-17, 2022
• The 151^st Open will be played at Royal Liverpool from July 20-23, 2023
• The 152^nd Open will be played at Royal Troon July 18-21, 2024
  

  The 2023 Open Championship will return to Hoylake’s links on the Wirral. Royal Liverpool hosted the 2006 Open won by Tiger Woods, while Rory McIlory lifted the trophy in 2014. Picture by The R&A

The post R&A moves next three Open venues back by a year after Royal St George’s move to ’21 appeared first on Golf North.

Rory McIlroy has won three of the four World Golf Championships – victory in the WGC-Mexico Championship would give him a Grand Slam. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

RORY McIlroy is hoping to convert his impressive recent form into a second successive World Golf Championships victory at the WGC-Mexico Championship – and to keep his coveted World No. 1 spot.

Spaniard Jon Rahm is aiming to depose the Northern Irishman at the top of Official World Golf Ranking in the first WGC event of 2020 at Mexico City’s Chapultepec Golf Club.

McIlroy claimed his third World Golf Championships title at the WGC-HSBC Champions in November – and is eyeing victory in the of the four to have so far eluded him in his stellar career.

The Northern Ireland ace has picked up three consecutive top five finishes since – a purple patch which helped him overtake Brooks Koepka to return to the World No. 1 spot for the first time since 2015.

McIlroy, who is still without a Major win since 2014, and has spent the last two seasons trying to improve his early season preparation before The Masters, said: “It’s good to be back in Mexico.

“I’ve played well here the last couple of times I’ve played. DJ (Dustin Johnson) was just sort of too good for all of us last year – I played in the final group with him – but it’s good to be back.

“I’ve always felt like I played well at altitude. I’ve played well here. I’ve played well over in Europe and Switzerland a couple of times.

“I feel like I adjust pretty well to it, and that’s really what it’s all about.

“That’s what it’s all about this week, just trying to adjust and trust your numbers and make sure you know how far the ball is going. That’s really it.

“I feel like this tournament has gone from strength to strength the last few years, and I obviously would love to add it to the list of winners here.

“That would be pretty cool, to have won all of the World Golf Championships.

“WGCs are big events, with the top players in the world, and I’ve always played pretty well in them.

“I had a chance when this was played in Doral a few years ago, or a couple of chances, and obviously I’ve played okay here.

“To complete the set would be nice. Those wedge wood trophies look pretty good in the trophy case, so I’d like to add one more there.”

This week, he tied Nick Faldo in third place on the list of players with most cumulative weeks at the top of the World Rankings on 97.

And another week would move him to outright third position, behind only Tiger Woods (683) and Greg Norman (331).

Rahm, however, could move to the top spot for the first time in his career.

The Spaniard – who received the Seve Ballesteros Award as the 2019 European Tour Players’ Player of the Year ahead of the opening day of the WGC-Mexico Championship – would need a win if he is to have any chance of doing so this week.

Rahm said: “It’s always nice to come to a country where they speak Spanish.

“The culture is a lot more similar to what it is in Spain. There’s good food, good hospitality and a good golf course. It doesn’t really get much better than this.

“My perspective hasn’t changed at all this week, honestly. I’m here to win a tournament. That’s what I’m here to do.

“I’m hoping for the rest of the year, it’s going to be like that where at some point I’m going to win or have a good performance and get to No. 1 in the world, but the main goal is to win championships, win tournaments, and play my best every week I can.

“Those rankings are basically a consequence of what I do on the golf course, so I’ve got to take care of business first.”

Johnson aims for hat-trick in Mexico

Dustin Johnson has won two of the three WGC-Mexico Championships – sandwiching’s Phil Mickelson win over Justin Thomas in a play-off in 2017.

Johnson said: “I feel like the game is in good form, but obviously you’ve got to do a lot of things well around here if you want to win.

“But I like the golf course. I’ve felt comfortable on it, and I’m comfortable up here playing at the altitude.

“But you’ve got to do everything. It’s really narrow, so first and foremost, you’ve got to drive it well, and then obviously these greens are really small and undulated.

“So if I can control the distance of my golf ball, then it’ll be a pretty good week.”

•To follow lives scoring in the WGC-Mexico Championship click here.

The post McIlroy looks to complete Grand Slam of WGC titles with a win in Mexico City appeared first on Golf North.

Graeme McDowell produced an excellent 64 thanks to three closing birdies in a row to share the first round lead in the Saudi International. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

FORMER US Open champion Graeme McDowell birdied his final three holes to take a share of the lead with Malaysia’s Gavin Green after the opening round of the Saudi International.

The Northern Ireland ace, who holed the winning putt at the 2010 Ryder Cup, also birdied four consecutive holes from the second in a superb six-under par round of 64.

The 40-year-old based in Florida, who grew up playing links golf around Portrush, battled the increasingly windy afternoon conditions at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club, to catch the early leader at the top of the leaderboard.

McDowell, who has nine other European Tour titles, including back-to-back French Opens in 2013 and 2014 – the last time he won this side of the Atlantic – was delighted with his start.

“I got off to a fast start which was huge, before the wind got up,” said McDowell, who was almost upstaged by playing partner Phil Mickelson’s nine birdies.

“It was inevitable out here in the Middle East – Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Saudi is similar – in that you get flat-calm mornings, but you know it’s going to blow in the afternoon.

“It was nice to get out of there with six-under par because I felt like I played great today.

“It would have been a horrible round to let get away,” added McDowell, who has seen Ryder Cup team-mate Lee Westwood become the second most successful player in his 40s on the European Tour, after his win in Abu Dhabi, which also propelled him to the top of the Race to Dubai rankings.

“But to finish birdie, birdie, birdie was nice, just feeding off Phil finishing with seven birdies on the back nine,” added Graeme McDowell, who played with three-time Masters winner Mickelson.

“It was Phil the thrill out there,” said GMac. “It was fun to watch him and fun to play with him.”

Five-time Major winner Mickelson bounced back from a double bogey on the second hole, posting nine birdies and three more bogeys in a characteristically entertaining round of 66.

The American is two shots back in a share of eighth position on four-under par, while compatriot and pre-tournament favourite Dustin Johnson, the defending champion, is a further shot back after opening with a 67 to sit on three-under.

Mickelson, who turns 50 in June, two days before the start of the 2020 US Open, said: “It was a great back nine.

“Part of the challenge for me is that I feel like I’ve been playing well but mentally I haven’t been as sharp.

“I haven’t been visualising and I haven’t been seeing the shot clear,” said the San Diego legend, who has 44 victories on the PGA Tour to his name, only second behing Tiger Woods, among current players across the world.

“It was certainly evident early in the round where I made a couple of shots that weren’t that hard that I made difficult.” added Mickelson.

“But the back nine, things really started to come together. Meaning I hit a lot of good shots.

“I started making the putts, and made a lot of birdies, and it was just a good back nine that gave me a good chance heading into tomorrow.

“I feel like my game is a lot sharper than I’ve been scoring, so it was nice having that back nine.

“Going into tomorrow’s round with hopefully less wind in the morning, I can get off to a good, aggressive start and see if I can continue making birdies.

“I feel like I can,” said Mickelson, who won the 2013 Open at Muirfield, a week after claiming the Scottish Open at Castle Stuart.

Green posted five birdies on the front nine and mixed three birdies with two bogeys after the turn to take the early clubhouse lead with the second wave of starters to come.

Green said: “I played solid. Only a few mistakes here and there, which is pretty normal.

“A couple of pretty big par saves, and a couple of mistakes, a couple of three-putts, which was tough to take in because I was playing well and I was playing solid.

“Just a couple slipped off. You know, it’s the nature of the game,” said 26-year-old Green, who has just one Asian Tour win under his belt.

“You just have to live with it and move on, and that’s what we did. We closed off strong, birdied 16, 17. Had a look at 18.

“Had a nasty little lip-out but it is what it is. I’ll take it, added the 2017 Taiwan Masters winner now in his third full year on the European Tour.

Swedes Stenson and Soderberg’s Saudi shift

SWEDEN’S Henrik Stenson, a Ryder Cup team mate of Graeme McDowell and a fellow Major Champion, is part of a five-way share of third place on five-under par,

Stenson is alongside compatriot Sebastian Soderberg, Spain’s Adri Arnaus, France’s Victor Perez and Venezuela’s PGA Tour winner Jhonattan Vegas.

Stenson said: “I attributed most of it to the putting today. It was still a struggle off the tee at times and the rough is pretty thick.

“I had to scramble well on a couple of holes, but the approach shots that were close I converted into birdies and kept it together nicely, so very pleased with that.”

•To follow live scoring during the second round of the Saudi International, click here.

The post Graeme McDowell puts wind up rivals after watching ‘Phil the Thrill’ make nine birdies appeared first on Golf North.

Phil Mickelson is the seventh Major winner to sign up for the 2020 Saudi International at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, from January 30-February 2. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

FIVE-time Major Champion Phil Mickelson will tee it up alongside compatriot and fellow American Ryder Cup star Tony Finau when the Saudi International gets under way at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, in January.

The pair are the latest high-profile Americans to join an already world-class field for the second running of the European Tour event.

They will journey to King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) to compete for a prize fund of $3.5m with defending Champion Dustin Johnson, World Number One Brooks Koepka and Masters winner Patrick Reed for the Saudi Internatioal from January 30-February 2.

The Americans will also face stiff competition from a host of European Major winners, including Open Champions Henrik Stenson (2016) and Shane Lowry (2019), plus 2017 Masters winner Sergio Garcia.

Mickelson – a winner of 51 worldwide titles – has enjoyed a number of high-profile finishes in the Middle East but, despite 10 career European Tour victories, is still in search of a maiden win in the Middle East.

“I am really looking forward to playing in Saudi Arabia in January,” said Mickelson, the left-hander who spent more than 25 years in the world’s top 50.

“I watched Dustin win the title last year and thought the course looked like an interesting challenge.

“Having so many talented players on show also made it look like a much more established tournament than one in its inaugural year.

“I have enjoyed my previous visits to the Middle East and am looking forward to playing in a new country and doing my bit to grow the game in the Kingdom.”

Big-hitting American Tony Finau will seek his first European Tour victory at next month’s Saudi International. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

Ranked firmly inside the top 20 of the Official World Golf Rankings, the big hitting American Tony Finau, adds to the star studded line-up, as the 30 year-old looks for a maiden European Tour title on his first visit to the region.

“I’ve always believed that to be considered a world-class player, you must compete in premier tournaments around the world,” said Finau, who made his Ryder Cup debut in 2018 at France’s Le Paris National.

Finau added: “Playing in Saudi Arabia for the first time will be a great experience, and I’m looking forward to competing against what is already an exceptionally strong field, on what I have learned is a great golf course.”

The Royal Greens Golf & Country Club was designed by European Golf Design on the shores of the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah Economic City

Saudi’s Royal Greens on the Red Sea

ROYAL Greens Golf & Country Club lies along the spectacular Red Sea coastline and is set alongside a series of stunning residential and recreational facilities.

The club not only boasts a championship golf course and world-class practice facilities, but a state-of-the-art clubhouse which was recently voted the ‘World’s Best Golf Clubhouse 2019’ and ‘Best Course in Saudi 2019’ by the World Golf Awards.

His Excellency Yasir Al-Rumayyan, chairman of the Saudi Golf Federation and Golf Saudi, said: “We are excited to add two more world-class players to our tournament and are firmly on track to deliver another successful championship in the Kingdom.

“Phil Mickelson has been at the top of the sport for more than 25 years and it will be fantastic for the people of Saudi Arabia to watch him play up close, while Tony Finau will no doubt wow the crowds with his incredible power hitting and skill.

“Both will be a fantastic advert for golf, and I look forward to them both helping us drive the game forward in Saudi Arabia.”

The second instalment of the Saudi International will place a special focus on families, community, charity and junior development as the Saudi kingdom looks to develop its golfing pedigree.

“Bringing the world’s best golfers to experience what is KAEC has to offer is an exciting proposition for us,” said Mr. Ahmed Linjawy, group chief exectuive of KAEC.

“We are delighted to be hosting two more first-class players at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, a multi-award winning development and the proud jewel of King Abdullah Economic City.

“Our goal is to establish ourselves as one of the region’s leading and most attractive tourism and leisure destinations on the Red Sea – in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 – and the profile this event attracts will speak for the quality of our experiences & offerings.”

•Tickets are now on sale for the Saudi International, priced at 50SAR per day or 160 SAR for a four-day tournament pass. For more information click here.

The post Saudi International: Mickelson and Finau latest American stars to sign up for KAEC appeared first on Golf North.

Shane Lowry wants to add the WGC-HSBC Champions in China to the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship trophy he won in the Rolex Series, in January. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

REIGNING Open champion Shane Lowry, and four golfers who have all won the Masters – Patrick Reed, Sergio Garci, Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson – have confirmed their entry into ‘Asia’s Major.’

The quarter are heading to Shanghai at the end of this month to compete for the coveted WGC-HSBC Champions title.

With Brooks Koepka, Rory McIlroy, Francesco Molinari and Justin Rose already committed, reigning Champion Xander Schauffele will have his work cut out at Sheshan International Golf Club, where the field will be awash with Major champions trying to claim Asia’s most prestigious golf trophy from October 31 to November 3.

Danny Willett, who claimed the Green Jacket at Augusta in 2016 has alreadys confirmed his participation, fresh from his win at the 2019 BMW PGA Championship.

Henrik Stentson, the 2017 Open Champion, and Louis Oosthuizen, who claimed the Claret Jug at St Andrews in 2010, are also in the field, competing for an increased prize fund of $10.25million.

Irish star Lowry won his first major at Royal Portrush earlier this summer, ensuring a fairy-tale ending to what was The Open’s first visit to Ireland since 1951.

With his sights now set firmly on qualifying for the 2020 Ryder Cup, Lowry is eying the WGC-HSBC Champions as an important landmark to set him on his way.

The popular Irishman, who won his first World Golf Championship title at the 2015 Bridgestone Invitational, at Ohio’s Firestone. G&CC, said. “I am looking forward to turning up in Shanghai as a major Champion to compete for the final World Golf Championships title of the year.

“It has been a very special time since winning The Open and I have honestly enjoyed every minute of it.

“However, with the European Ryder Cup Qualifying process kicking off earlier this month, I am now looking to finish the season on a high and the WGC-HSBC Champions is where I have all my focus.

“Even although it is early days in the qualifying process, getting myself up the Ryder Cup standings will certainly help me relax over the off-season and enjoy Christmas all the more.”

Mickelson, who has three Green Jackets and a Claret Jug as well as a PGA Championship to his name, is very popular among Chinese golf fans.

He first played at the Sheshan International Golf Club in 2007 when he went on to win the title on his debut, beating Surrey’s Ross Fisher and Lee Westwood in a play-off.

Mickelson explained: “I can’t wait to return to Shanghai. My family and I have such great memories of our visits there and I love playing golf in front of my Chinese fans, who bring such a fresh excitement and energy to the course that you can’t help but enjoy every minute.

“I am feeling in the best shape of my life, having been working out really hard, so I feel full of energy and ready to end the season with the best possible result.”

Jonathan Castleman, HSBC’s Global head of brand partnerships, said: “We are delighted this thrilling line up of Major winners will be joining the stellar cast we have lined up in Shanghai.

“Shane Lowry is reigning champion of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship and The Open, of which we are a patron.

“We look forward with anticipation to see if he can make it a hat-trick of trophies for 2019.

“Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia and Bubba Watson are all previous champions at Sheshan, so it is great to welcome them back to Shanghai for Asia’s Major.

“This tournament has been a catalyst for so many exciting developments for golf in China at all levels and we look forward to that journey continuing.”

•For more details on the WGC-HSBC Champions and all ticket information, click here.

The post Open Champion Lowry looks to win second HSBC title of the year at WGC in Shanghai appeared first on Golf North.

Sergio Garcia shakes hands with Shane Lowry after his 4&2 win in the first round of the WGC-Dell Technologies World Match Play Championship at Texas’ Austin Country Club. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

IT was a hugely successful opening day for the stars of the European Tour at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play at Texas’ Austin Country Club.

Francesco Molinari, Sergio Garcia, Tommy Fleetwood and Paul Casey were among the 18 members to register victories, while Tom Lewis halved his match with World No. 3 Brooks Koepka.

There were a plethora of notable stories in round one of the group stage, with Stenson overcoming Phil Mickelson 2&1 in a rerun of one of the greatest final round battles in Open Championship history back in 2016.

Lucas Bjerregaard and Lewis both produced massive upsets as the Dane beat World No. 5 Justin Thomas 3&2, while Hertfordshire’s Lewis – who was playing on the Challenge Tour a mere six months ago – clinched a half point against three-time Major Champion Koepka.

Lewis said: “Every game will be tough this week. I knew that I was going to get a tough draw, being one of the last guys in.

“Brooks is a nice guy, I’ve known him through the European Tour and it was a good day. We weren’t at our best. I handed him the first couple of holes. It’s a bit frustrating but I’m pleased I made that birdie on the last hole.

“I’ve been working on my wedge play the last couple of weeks, and it’s obviously shown through there.

“I pulled it the tiniest bit. I knew that the slope wasn’t really going to kick in. I was pleased to have a putt for the winning hole.”

Moor Park’s Matt Wallace, who also hails from Hertfordshire, also won on his debut, overcoming former Major Champion Keegan Bradley, as did Justin Harding who staged a remarkable comeback to beat Matt Fitzpatrick, having been two down stepping onto the 16th tee.

Ryder Cup legend Sergio Garcia beat the current Race to Dubai leader Shane Lowry 4&2, while Ian Poulter – a former winner of this event – sealed a two-up victory over Kevin Kisner.

Poulter, who went to school in Hertfordshire before becoming a club pro in Bedfordshire, said: It was a fun match. Up, down, up, all square with a couple to go, so it was interesting.

“When you’re two-up with four to play, you hit a great shot in there to about five feet and Kevin had a putt from about 15 or 17 feet.

“You’ve always got to expect him to hole it, which he did. But I wasn’t expecting to miss my five-footer there. So that was a bit of a shame.

“And then I hit driver-driver on 16, which I’d like to play the hole over again. It doesn’t matter now.

The Woburn member added: “It kind of got up on to the green and it just trickled off and obviously he holes out from 70 yards, he goes square, and it’s really game on from a position where I kind of had control of it.

Tiger Woods won his opening group stage match, beating Aaron Wise 3&1, while four-time Major winner Rory McIlroy cruised to a 5&4 triumph over Luke List.

Bjerregaard, who claimed the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews, in October, said: “The last couple holes were a little more stressful than I was hoping. I hit a good drive on 15 and then, it was a pretty simple pitch shot in there that I messed up pretty bad.

“But I played well today, I didn’t make many mistakes. I made that one on 15 and hit a shot in the hazard on three. Other than that I put it in some good spots and drove the ball nicely.

“I didn’t give too much away. And then I made a couple of good putts where JT had hit it closer than me and he missed those.

“So there was a couple of match play moments in there that were pretty key for me there.”
Molinari, a 5&4 winner over Japan’s Satoshi Kodaira, said: “I played really well, made some nice putts at the beginning and throughout the match.

“So I’m really happy the way I played. Obviously, it’s a little bit easier when you start that way, but you still have to play a lot of golf and close the match out.

“So there were a couple of moments where I could have done maybe better, but all in all a very good day. It’s great to start with a win.

“It doesn’t mean a lot unfortunately, with this format. So I need to show up tomorrow and try to play some similar golf to today.”

“And I had a big putt there at 17 to leave myself just under the hole to give myself a right-to-left putt, which was a good one. I holed it, and obviously up and down from the last.”

Stenson, after getting the better of Mickelson again, said: “You could say it maybe wasn’t the most well-played match from either one of us, but there were still some good golf in there.

“I was pretty happy with my performance today. I hit some really nice iron shots and made a couple of important putts, as well.

“Phil is always worth the price of admission. He hit some fabulous short-game shots on three or four holes.

“He’s in some areas where you just can’t get up and down, and he’s Phil Mickelson and he gets it up and down. So that’s always tough to compete against.”

The post Lewis and Wallace flex muscles in WGC Dell World Match Play appeared first on Golf North.