SOUTHPORT, England (AP) — A hole-by-hole look at Royal Birkdale, site of the 154th British Open to be played July 16-19:
One of the toughest opening holes in the Open rotation. This requires a tee shot to a fairway that bends to the left. The closer the drive is to the fairway bunker on the left, the better view of the green and angle of attack. The prevailing wind is left-to-right and there is out-of-bounds down the right. Two pot bunkers on either side guard the front of the green.
Two bunkers are to the right side of the fairway nearly 300 yards from the tee, and there is severe mounding up the left side between 250 and 290 yards. It plays into the prevailing wind, and the green is protected by six bunkers and rough-covered banks.
A tee built in the dunes turns this hole into a slight dogleg to the right, and additional bunkers on the left side of the fairway at just over 300 yards makes a partially blind tee shot even tougher. The tee shot should stay on the left side of the fairway to open up the best approach to a green guarded by four pot bunkers.
The par 3 is made even more difficult by a right-to-left prevailing wind and a green that is some 40 yards deep. The green no longer has a bunker across the front so shots can run up to the green. But there are three bunkers to the left and one to the right. Mounds to the right will kick the errant shots away from the greens, making it tough to save par.
One of the toughest opening holes in the Open rotation. This requires a tee shot to a fairway that bends to the left. The closer the drive is to the fairway bunker on the left, the better view of the green and angle of attack. The prevailing wind is left-to-right and there is out-of-bounds down the right. Two pot bunkers on either side guard the front of the green.
Two bunkers are to the right side of the fairway nearly 300 yards from the tee, and there is severe mounding up the left side between 250 and 290 yards. It plays into the prevailing wind, and the green is protected by six bunkers and rough-covered banks.
A tee built in the dunes turns this hole into a slight dogleg to the right, and additional bunkers on the left side of the fairway at just over 300 yards makes a partially blind tee shot even tougher. The tee shot should stay on the left side of the fairway to open up the best approach to a green guarded by four pot bunkers.
The par 3 is made even more difficult by a right-to-left prevailing wind and a green that is some 40 yards deep. The green no longer has a bunker across the front so shots can run up to the green. But there are three bunkers to the left and one to the right. Mounds to the right will kick the errant shots away from the greens, making it tough to save par.
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