Open fears for Lytham as R&A look to trim rota

ARE the Royal and Ancient about to spring a surprise and award the 2022 Open to Royal Liverpool? A decision is expected later this month and Royal Lytham, which has hosted just one Open since 2001, is the firm favourite.

But there are influential voices inside St Andrews hQ who believe that Lytham is too cramped to host a modern Open, so Royal Liverpool is being heavily considered for a move up the pecking order from a later date.

If chosen, it would complete a remarkable renaissance for the Wirral links, which only returned to the Open rota in 2006 following a 39-year absence. That edition and the one that followed in 2014 — won by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy respectively — were such spectacular successes that the venue has become a firm favourite.

Such has been the growth of the game’s oldest championship in recent years, with attendances topping 220,000 people when it is staged in the north west of england, there is speculation that the R&A will trim their current rota of 10 courses to weed out the venues struggling to cope.

This would certainly be bad news for Lytham and perhaps also Turnberry, which has been overlooked since 2009 and is presently considered toxic for another reason, since it is owned by controversial US President, Donald Trump.

This year the event will return to Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland for the first time since 1951, with a guarantee of two more visits in the foreseeable future. It would make economic sense for the R&A to pour financial resources into the venues that meet all the criteria and shed a couple.

Lytham, though, would be a massive loss, having hosted some of the great Opens over the years, including an emotional triumph half a century ago for Tony Jacklin and two victories for Seve Ballesteros in 1979 and 1988.

In the last four years alone, the majestic Lancashire links has hosted a Walker Cup won by the home side, a women’s Open won last year by england’s Georgia hall and in July will host the Senior Open.

But has it now fallen from favour when it comes to the biggest event of all? A lot to ponder, therefore, for the powers that be. We should learn more from the R&A in the next fortnight or so.