On Thursday morning at precisely 6.30 am, Englishman Barry Lane hit the first shot in the 141st Open Championship, and so will begin one of the most eagerly-awaited events in all of sport.
Much has changed since 1860, when Willie Park won the inaugural Open title at Prestwick. Back then, Park, from Musselburgh, prevailed over just seven rivals whereas tomorrow 156 of the world best players will tee up, all endeavouring to succeed 2011 champion, Darren Clarke, and claim an elusive slice of immortality.
This year, the battle for the Claret Jug, and an accompanying cheque for £900,000, looks like being particularly competitive. In the last 15 Majors there have been 15 different winners and it would take a brave man to discount the possibility of that sequence being extended. Not with the likes of Lee Westwood, Luke Donald, Justin Rose all waiting for their first Major, and not with the European Tour currently in the midst of a run of 25 events without a repeat success.
The one thing that is more certain is that Royal Lytham & St Annes is likely to produce a winner of some quality. This year is the eleventh time the venerable course has hosted The Open Championship and its cast of previous champions attests to the quality of the test it provides.
Legendary US amateur, Bobby Jones, won Lytham’s first Open back in 1926 and since then his successors Bobby Locke (1952), Peter Thomson (1958), Bob Charles (1963), Tony Jacklin (1969), Gary Player (1974), Seve Ballesteros (1979 and ’88), Tom Lehman (1996) and David Duval (2001) have all come from the top drawer.
On Tiuesday, the host club recognised Ballesteros’ seminal role in its history by unveiling a new portrait of the late Spanish champion but from tomorrow morning onwards all thoughts will turn to who will become the tenth player on that impressive list.
The bookies have cast the resurgent Tiger Woods as favourite. Home hopes rest with Westwood, Donald, Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell and Padraig Harrington but whoever wins the crowds are in for a treat.
A glance at the draw for the opening two rounds shows there will be much to enjoy throughout the day. The likes of Clarke, Westwood, McDowell, Woods, Rose, Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Charl Schwarztel are all out in the morning while late risers will be able to watch McIlroy, Harrington, Donald, Phil Mickelson, Louis Oosthuizen and Jim Furyk in the afternoon.
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