HOYLAKE, England (Reuters) – Englishman Matthew Jordan said it was an “amazing honour” to hit the opening tee shot of the 151st British Open on Thursday at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club, where he has been a member since the age of seven.
The 27-year-old, a native of Hoylake, came through qualifying to earn a place in the 156-man field.
In overcast conditions, with his parents and fans watching on, Jordan’s drive veered away from the fairway and landed in the rough but he still managed to make par after sinking a 14-foot putt.
While Jordan, who failed to make the cut last year, is not among the favourites to win the Claret Jug he will dream of taking home the winner’s cheque of $3 million – a record purse for the world’s oldest major.
Rory McIlroy stands a better chance of claiming the top prize, the in-form world number two warming up for the tournament by winning the Scottish Open on Sunday.
A fifth major victory is long overdue for the Northern Irishman, who won the British Open in 2014 when it was also held at Royal Liverpool.
He will be playing alongside European Ryder Cup team mates Jon Rahm and Justin Rose, with the trio set to tee off at 2:59 p.m. local time.
American world number one Scottie Scheffler is among the early starters and will tee off at 9:47 a.m, a few minutes before defending champion Cameron Smith.
One veteran who will be missing the tournament for the first time in 25 years is 2017 Masters champion Sergio Garcia, who came up short in a qualifying event.
Three-times winner Tiger Woods withdrew as he continues to recover from ankle surgery.
While last year’s 150th Open was played against the backdrop of the simmering feud between the PGA and DP World Tours and the rebel LIV Golf Tour, a merger of their commercial operations announced in June put an end to the turmoil.
The R&A, which organises the British Open, welcomed the partnership agreement and hoped for “an end to the disruption in the men’s professional game”.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
