2013 - Old Course, St Andrews
The much anticipated return to the Old Course, St Andrews Links will take place in 2013 after the phenomenal success of the first visit of the Ricoh Women’s British Open to the Home of Golf in 2007. It was the first women’s professional event to be held on the famous Links but crowned a long history of top class women’s amateur golf in St Andrews. Following in the footsteps of her opposite number in the men’s game, Tiger Woods, who has won two Open Championships there, world number one Lorena Ochoa captured her first major in fine style.
The Old Course is the Home of Golf where golf was first played 600 years ago. It remains a real test of golf for today's champions. The fabled original links course is synonymous with The Open Championship which it has hosted more times than any other venue and hosted for a 28th time in 2010. Despite its reputation and status, it is a public course and is one of seven public courses at St Andrews Links.
One of the unique features of the Old Course are the huge double greens. Seven greens are shared by two holes each, with hole numbers adding up to 18 (2nd paired with 16th, 3rd with 15th, all the way up to 8th and 10th). The Swilcan Bridge, spanning the first and 18th holes, has become a famous icon for golf in the world. The Road Hole, the 17th, is one of the world's most famous golf holes.
Click here to visit the St Andrews Links website.
2014 - Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Southport
The Royal Birkdale Golf Club will host its sixth Women’s British Open when the Championship is staged there in 2014, continuing a strong association with the event that goes back to 1982 when Marta Figueras-Dotti took home the coveted title. The Championship returned in 1986 when England’s Laura Davies triumphed. Sophie Gustafson won in 2000 and five years later Korea’s Jeong Jang claimed her first professional victory by defeating Gustafson and another Korean, Young Kim, by four shots on 16-under par 272. In 2010 Yani Tseng, Number One on the Rolex Rankings, came out on top.
This celebrated club has a rich heritage in hosting the most important golf tournaments in the world and, in addition to five Women’s British Opens, has also welcomed two Ryder Cups in 1965 and 1969 and nine Open championships, the last won by the popular Irishman, Padraig Harrington in 2008.
Click here to visit the Royal Birkdale website.