The Ryder Cup Match played at Royal Birkdale in September 1969 was initially marred by considerable acrimony and unsportsmanlike behaviour by players on both sides. During one of the fourballs on the second day, both captains had to come out and calm down the warring...
Peter Thomson's final Open Championship victory came in what was the last of the three-day Championships. The 35-year-old Australian overcame the strongest international fields, including the defending Champions Tony Lema, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Roberto de Vicenzo, and fellow countrymen Kel Nagle and...
Royal Birkdale saw the staging of the Ryder Cup in the same year as hosting the Open Championship. The Great Britain & Ireland team were in with a chance at the end of Friday, but the Americans won the singles matches convincingly. The 1965 Ryder Cup...
In came Arnold Palmer, and with him, undoubtedly the renaissance of the Championship as a truly international event. Few will argue that the stature of the modern Open had its roots in the charisma and media exposure, two decades and more ego, of the trio...
This was Royal Birkdale's first Open Championship; the Second World War prevented it from being staged earlier in 1940. The Australian Peter Thompson was victorious by one shot from Bobby Locke, who narrowly missed a putt for a three at the last to force a playoff,...
The United States had only once tasted defeat in the twelve meetings of the Walker Cup since 1922. Despite what seemed like favourable weather conditions and a player of the calibre of Ronnie White, the home team were to come in second place once again....
No one was unduly surprised when the brave British ladies were beaten by a decisive margin of 6.5 to 2.5. Probably more surprising than the result was the non-selection of local hero Frances Stephens from the British team. It was reflected that her omission probably...
The first post-war championship was played at Birkdale during May 1946. In the final contested between James Bruen and Robert Sweeny they had to endure mixed weather, blustery wind in the morning and heavy rain in the afternoon. The power of Bruen allied with some...
The changes to the Clubhouse were even more radical than those to the course, as the building and location were entirely new. The selection of an architect was made by running a competition in which George E Tonge was successful. The new two-storey Clubhouse with...
In 1922 the Club sought to buy the course from Weld Blundell, but the asking price of nineteen thousand pounds was considered to be too high. Southport Corporation eventually became the new owners and fears that they would take over the course were thankfully groundless...