British Open, Facts & Figures

HOYLAKE, England (AP) Facts and figures for the British Open golf championship:

Event: 143rd British Open

Dates: July 17-20

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

Last year: Phil Mickelson delivered one of the best closing rounds in major championship history at Muirfield. He made four birdies in the last six holes to win the major even he thought he would never win. Mickelson rallied from a five-shot deficit and won by three shots over Henrik Stenson. It was his fifth major, and left him only a U.S. Open away from the career Grand Slam.

Last time at Royal Liverpool: One month after missing the cut in a major for the first time, Tiger Woods won his third claret jug in 2006 with a two-shot victory over Chris DiMarco. Woods hit only one driver all week on the brown, baked fairways - and that one went on the adjacent fairway. He closed with a 67 and became the first player since Tom Watson in 1982-83. This major was memorable for the emotion. Woods broke down and sobbed on the 18th green. It was his first major since the death of his father.

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 is the second-oldest golf course in England, founded in 1869. It hosted the first British Amateur, and it staged the first match between the United States and Britain in 1921, which inspired George H. Walker to start the Walker Cup. Until 1876, golfers shared the links with a horse racing track.

Tiger Tales: Tiger Woods is playing his first major of the season after having back surgery on March 31. He is a combined even par in majors since winning his last one at the 2008 U.S. Open.

Key statistic: Seven of the last 10 major champions were ranked in the top 20 of the world ranking.

Noteworthy: The last three Open champions - Phil Mickelson (43), Ernie Els (42) and Darren Clarke (42) - were all in their 40s, the first time any major has had three successive winners 40 or older.

Quoteworthy: ''Doubt is a killer in the British Open. You play by feel and have to believe what you feel.'' - Jim Furyk.

Television (all times EDT): Thursday and Friday, 4 a.m. to 3 p.m., ESPN. Saturday, 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., ESPN. Sunday, 6 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., ESPN.