Playing The Open numbers game

6.3

The average winning score under par across the nine previous Opens at Royal Birkdale.

63

The lowest score at Royal Birkdale was by Jodie Mudd in the final round in 1991. The American tied for fifth place.

34

The cumulative number of Majors won by the Open Champions at Royal Birkdale.

45

The distance in yards from where an amateur Justin Rose chipped in on the 18th in 1998. It remains one of the most-famous shots in Open history.

4.765

The average score in 2008 at the par-four 6th at Royal Birkdale, the hardest hole on the course, and one of the hardest on the Open rota.

19

A 19-year-old Spaniard called Seve Ballesteros (above) charmed the Birkdale crowds with his performance in 1976, where he led by two after three rounds but eventually finished joint runner-up to Johnny Miller.

1

Unknown American Brian Watts lost in a play-off to Mark O’Meara at Birkdale in 1998 and only ever played in one more Open after that.

2

The finishing position of Taiwanese golfer Lu LiangHuan – or “Mr Lu” – at Royal Birkdale in 1971, the best ever by an Asian player in Open history.

32.2

The average age of a Birkdale Open Champion.