Royal Liverpool is ready to welcome the best golfers in the world this week for the 151st Open Championship organized by the R&A. This golf club ranks as one of the top five venues to host The Open. There have been 12 previous winners at this venue including three Americans, Walter Hagen (1924), amateur Bobby Jones (1930) and Tiger Woods (2006). Woods won three Opens in the span of seven years with his first two at St Andrews (2000 and 2005). The most recent winner at Royal Liverpool was Rory McIlroy in 2014.
| Top Five Venues to Host The Open Since 1860 | |
|---|---|
| St Andrews | 30 |
| Prestwick | 24 |
| Muirfield | 16 |
| Royal St George’s | 15 |
| Royal Liverpool | 13 |
In anticipation of this year’s major, changes were made to this historical course. The newly designed par-3 17th hole was created in 2019 and will challenge players. There is a steep slope on the approach to the green as well as deep bunkers which could prove to be quite difficult to escape.
Of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking competing this year for the $16.5 million dollar purse, 25 are Americans.
One player ready to capture the win is Max Homa, a California native currently living in Scottsdale, Arizona. Ranked fourth overall in the PGA Tour FedEx Cup regular-season points standings, Homa has yet to win internationally. He turned professional in 2013 and has competed in two previous Opens with his best finish a tie for 40th in 2021 at Royal St. George’s.
Homa has earned six PGA Tour victories with his vision of winning his first major. In 2023, he has played in 20 events with eight top-10 finishes including two wins. Homa has competed on two national teams, the 2022 Presidents Cup and 2013 Walker Cup.
American Danielle Kang also has recorded six LPGA Tour wins including one major win at the 2017 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Kang joined the tour in 2012 and is currently ranked 25th in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings. Born in San Francisco, California, she currently makes her home in Las Vegas, Nevada. She has competed in three Solheim Cups (2017, 2019 and 2021) and the 2023 Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown.
As Kang continues her professional golfing journey, she regularly engages with her social media followers and supporters including Homa. In recent months, Homa has reached out and challenged Kang to build her winning record as he looks to build his own professional wins in a friendly rivalry.
Competing in ten LPGA events this year, Kang has finished in the top 45 eight times with three top-10 finishes.
According to KPMG Performance Insights, Kang is ranked 35th in strokes gained putting this season, earning more than half a stroke on the greens which is similar to Homa’s performance.
| Danielle Kang vs. Max Homa | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2023 Performance Statistics | ||
| Kang | Homa | |
| Strokes Gained Putting | 35th: 0.630 | 11th: 0.624 |
| Putting from Greater than 25 Feet | 51st: 6.61% | 3rd: 9.16% |
| Par 3 Scoring Average | T-13th: 2.99 | 1st: 2.93 |
| Birdie Average | T-18th: 3.76 | 9th: 4.29 |
As the Open Championship will be played in Holyake, England, fans from around the globe will be watching their favorite players meeting the challenges of the course.
)
)
)
)
