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ROYAL LIVERPOOL TO HOST OPEN 2006
The Royal and Ancient Golf Club has announced that Royal Liverpool Golf Club will host the 2006 Open Championship from 20th to 23rd July.
The Open was last played at Hoylake in 1967 when Roberto de Vicenzo of Argentina won his first and only major title.
In the years since that historic championship, the demands of the Open in terms of infrastructure, space and traffic management ruled Royal Liverpool out as an Open venue. Now, however, with plans in place as a result of the three-way agreement signed by The Royal and Ancient Golf Club, Royal Liverpool Golf Club and the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, the Open will make a welcome and long-overdue return after a break of 39 years.
The agreement covers areas of mutual responsibility and obligation and sets out the major criteria of accessibility, travel, accommodation, traffic, car parking, spectator access and infrastructure. One essential catalyst in the return to Wirral was the purchase by the club of 10 acres of land adjacent to the course plus the commitment to build a new practice ground close to Meols Drive on the municipal course owned by Wirral Council.
Peter Dawson, Secretary of the R&A said: "Royal Liverpool is a club with a long and distinguished history and we are delighted that we are now able to bring the Open back to this wonderful course at Hoylake.
Many people have contributed to the agreements that underpin today's announcement and it is right that Royal Liverpool, which is justly regarded as one of Britain's outstanding links, will again be put to the test by the world's top golfers.
Thursday 01 April 2004
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