St Andrews to host 2005 Open Championship

The Old Course, St Andrews will host the 134^th Open Championship from 14^th to 17^th July, 2005, the 27^th Open to be played at the ‘Home of Golf’.

In 2005 almost 132 years will have passed since the first playing of the Open at St Andrews, on 4^th October 1873. That year, 13 pairings played for prize money of £25 and for the recently purchased ‘cup’. Given that all but two of the competitors hailed from St Andrews it was no surprise that a local player emerged the winner.

However Tom Morris Jnr and his father, who was 52 years old at the time, failed to justify their positions as favourites and it was Tom Kidd who lifted the title with a two round score of 179, the highest ever recorded.

Tiger Woods, the winner of the 2000 Open is the most recent of a list of golf’s greatest names to win at St Andrews. In his fourth year as a professional he became the youngest and only the fifth player ever to win the Open as well as the Masters, US Open and the USPGA Championship. His total of 269 produced an eight shot winning aggregate.

Previously announced venues:

• 2002 Muirfield  18th – 21st July
• 2003 Royal St George’s  17th – 20th July
• 2004 Royal Troon  15th – 18th July

The Open Championship www.opengolf.com