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HOYLAKE, England – Facts and figures for the British Open golf championship, which starts Thursday:
Event: 143rd British Open
Site: Royal Liverpool Golf Club
Length: 7,312 yards
Par: 35-37_72
Field: 156 (152 professionals, 4 amateurs)
Prize money: 5.4 million pounds ($9.24 million)
Winner’s share: 975,000 pounds ($1.67 million)
Defending champion: Phil Mickelson
Open champions at Royal Liverpool: Tiger Woods (2006), Roberto De Vicenzo (1967), Peter Thomson (1956), Fred Daly (1947), Alfred Padgham (1936), Bobby Jones (1930), Walter Hagen (1924), John H. Taylor (1913), Arnaud Massy (1907), Sandy Herd (1902), Harold Hilton (1897).
The course: Royal Liverpool was brown, fast and fiery in 2006 when Tiger Woods won by two shots. With a wet spring and occasional rain in recent weeks, it is green, not as fast and has thicker rough.
Tiger Tales: Tiger Woods is playing his first major of the season after having back surgery on March 31.
Tee times (all times EDT): 4:04 a.m. — Tiger Woods, Angel Cabrera, Henrik Stenson. 9:05 a.m. — Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, Bubba Watson.
Television (all times EDT): Thursday, 4 a.m. to 3 p.m., ESPN.
