R&A recognise Arnold Palmer and Roberto De Vicenzo ahead of The Open at Royal Birkdale
Wednesday 19 July 2017 14:10, UK
The R&A have remembered two former Open champions ahead of The 146th Open at Royal Birkdale, and discussed Tiger Woods' battle to return to the game.
Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of the R&A, Clive Brown, Chairman of the R&A Championship Committee, and Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, Executive Director of Championships at the R&A were speaking to assembled media ahead of The Open, live on Sky Sports The Open, beginning on Thursday at Royal Birkdale.
Arnold Palmer won his first Open title at Royal Birkdale in 1961, while Roberto De Vicenzo won The Open in 1967 at nearby Royal Liverpool.
"As well as watching the world's best golfers competing, we will take time to remember two great champions: Arnold Palmer played a huge role in revitalising The Open in the early 1960s, and achieved his first win in the championship here in 1961," said Brown.
"Roberto De Vicenzo won The Open in 1967, not too far away at Royal Liverpool. You will see tributes to both these players around the 18th arena."
Royal Birkdale is hosting The Open for the 10th time and once again a memorable championship is expected, but another great of the game will not be playing this week.
Woods, a three-time winner of the Claret Jug, has battled against injury and recently dropped outside the top 1,000 players in the world and Slumbers hopes to see the American return to the The Open in the future.
"I think the sport should be eternally grateful for the transformation he drove in golf," said Slumbers in response to a question about the likelihood of a Woods return at The Open.
"I would love to see him tee it up here again. I hope he gets well. I hope he gets fit. I hope he falls back in love with golf. I hope he tees it up at The Open. He'd be extremely welcomed."
However, Slumbers does not believe golf is struggling in the absence of the 14-time major winner.
"But the game also moves on. We're looking at strong crowds here this week." Slumbers said. "We are expecting to be in excess of 220,000, which will make it the No 4 all time for The Open Championship."
He added: "I think there are some wonderful players out there now that people want to come and watch, and the game is moving forward."
The chief executive of the R&A isn't convinced a unified global tour is a necessary step for the future instead praising the impact of players playing around the world on different tours.
Slumbers said: "But if you look at the players, the best players in the world play all over the world. They always have done and I hope they always will do.
"And the more you talk to them, you hear this thing, "I learn more from playing outside my own country and developing playing in different conditions on different courses in front of different people."
"And we're welcoming 35 percent of the field here is from the United States of America this week. 25 is from GB and Ireland.
"And then we've got from multiple other countries around the world. So this is a truly Open Championship. We try to get the qualifying all the way around the world on various tours. And I think the championship here benefits from it."
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