The 105th
Championship
For the fifth time the ' Open ' comes to Royal Birkdale Golf Club on the Lancashire coast. Scene of many great matches, Royal Birk dale remembers the tenacity of Arnold Palmer when he won in 1961. In the third round, on the 16th hole, he played his ball from a seemingly impossible lie in scrub to within inches of the pin. A plaque on the spot commemorates this feat.
In the final round in 1971 Lee Trevino found trouble at the 17th, hitting his tee shot into the sand-hill and taking seven for the hole. He won however from the irrepressible Mr Lu of Taiwan, who proved the winner in the popularity stakes.
Can the younger golfers retain the title won on their behalf by Tom Watson last year? The American challenge is extremely strong, with JOHNNY MILLER , BEN CRENSHAW , HUBERT GREEN and HALE IRWIN leading the field. But past champions will not let go easily and GARY PLAYER (South Africa), TOM WEISKOPF (USA) and the legendary JACK NICKLAUS are all determined to regain the cup and with it the £7,500 top prize.
Commentators HENRY LONGHURST
PETER ALLISS , HARRY CARPENTER
MARK MCCORMACK and DAVE THOMAS
Producers Richard TILLING , FRED VINER
Editor a p. WILKINSON. Preview: page 13 The BBC Book of Golf, £1.30, from bookshops