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Facts and figures

Phil Mickelson holds the Claret Jug after winning the 2013 British Open Golf Championship at Muirfield golf course at Gullane in Scotland on July
Image: Phil Mickelson holds the Claret Jug after winning last year

The oldest, the youngest, and other facts and figures for the Open Championship at Hoylake.

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The oldest, the youngest, and other facts and figures for the Open Championship

* Old Tom Morris is still the oldest winner of the oldest major title after claiming the Open in 1867 aged 46 years and 99 days. * Young Tom Morris remains the youngest Open champion, winning the 1868 title when only 17 years, 5 months, 3 days. * Harry Vardon's name appears on the Claret Jug six times, while James Braid, JH Taylor, Peter Thompson and Tom Watson have five wins each. * Harry Vardon (1896, 1903, 1911), JH Taylor (1894, 1900, 1913) and Gary Player (1959, 1968, 1974) are the only three players to win the Open title in three different decades. * Tom Watson (59yrs, 10 mths) became by far the oldest runner-up in 2009, while Jack Nicklaus holds the record for the number of runner-up finishes with seven, one more than JH Taylor. * JH Taylor and Jack Nicklaus share the record for the most top-five finishes at the Open Championship with 16 each. * Jack Nicklaus has the highest number of Open rounds under par with 61, nine more than Nick Faldo and 20 ahead of five-time winner Tom Watson. * Ernie Els set a new record in the third round of the 1994 Open at Turnberry when he carded his seventh consecutive round under 70. * Ben Curtis became the 10th player to claim the Claret Jug in his debut Open appearance when he won at Royal St Georges in Sandwich in 2003. * Bobby Jones claimed the Open title three times as an amateur in 1926, 1927 and 1930, while Harold Hilton (1892 and 1897) and John Ball (1890) are the only other amateur champions. * Gene Sarazen was the oldest person to tee up in the Open when he played at Royal Birkdale in 1976 aged 74 years, four months and nine days. * Tiger Woods was eight clear of the field at St Andrews in 2000, but Old Tom Morris has the biggest margin of victory with his 13-shot win in 1862. * Greg Norman's aggregate of 267 at Royal St Georges in 1993 remains the lowest winning score at the Open. His closing 64 is also the best final round in tournament history. * Mark Hayes carded the lowest Open round with a 63 in 1977, a score equalled by Isao Aoki, Greg Norman, Paul Broadhurst, Jodie Mudd, Nick Faldo and the late Payne Stewart. * Nick Faldo is the only player to fire 130 over the first two days when rounds of 66 and 64 set him up for a tense victory over John Cook at Muirfield in 1992. * Tom Watson (1977), Ian Baker-Finch (1991) and Anders Forsbrand (1994) are the only three players to have covered the final 36 holes in 130 blows. * Iain Pyman (Royal St Georges, 1993) and Tiger Woods (Royal Lytham, 1996) share the record for the lowest aggregate for an amateur at the Open - 281. * Tom Lewis set a new benchmark in 2011 when he opened with a stunning 65 at Royal St Georges, the lowest round by an amateur in the Open. * Denis Durnian set a new record with an outward-nine 28 at Royal Birkdale in 1983, while only eight players have broken 30 over nine holes. * Tom Weiskopf was the last man to hold the outright lead after each round in 1973, after Ted Ray, Bobby Jones, Gene Sarazen and Henry Cotton. * Paul Lawrie holds the record for the biggest final-round comeback after he made up a 10-shot deficit to claim the Open at Carnoustie in 1999. * Gary Player has made the most Open appearances with 46, eight more than Jack Nicklaus, who played for the final time at St Andrews in 2005. * Only Young Tom Morris is the only player to win the Open title on four consecutive occasions, from 1868 to 1872. * Macdonald Smith (Prestwick, 1925) and Jean Van de Velde (Carnoustie, 1999) are the only players to have blown a five-shot lead on the final day. * Colin Montgomerie equalled an unwanted record in 2002 when his third-round 84 was 20 shots worse than his second effort at Muirfield. * Greg Norman (1993), Nick Price (1994) and Tiger Woods (2000) are the only three men to have won the Open title with four rounds under 70. * Phil Mickelson won the 2013 Open at Muirfield at his 20th attempt, while Dai Rees holds the record for the most Opens without a victory with 29. * The 1994 Open Championship at Turnberry produced a record 148 rounds under 70. * Hoylake hosts the Open for the 12th time this year, but St Andrews has been the venue for a record 28 times. The longest course was Carnoustie in 2007 at 7,421 yards.

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