Royal Birkdale's Toughest Test

Located on the western shores of England is the Royal Birkdale Golf Club, arguably the best course in England, and host to the Open Championship ten times.  With the PGA Tour stopping at the Arnold Palmer Invitational this week, it seems fitting that we look into the course where 'The King' won his first Open Championship in 1961, and the course that hosted last year’s Open Championship, where Jordan Spieth won his first Claret Jug. 

Jordan Spieth victorious at the 2017 Open Championship

The back nine on Sunday is where golf tournaments are won and lost, so sometimes we forget certain holes on the front nine that drastically impact the final score. When examining the past three Open Championships at Royal Birkdale, The 6th hole pops out as a pinnacle of frustration. A member's par 5 converted into a par 4 for the pros, this 499 yard behemoth tests every ounce of power, finesse, and concentration.  The dogleg right hole is well protected by bunkers on each side of the fairway, most notably a large bunker protecting the inside of the dogleg that essentially amounts to a one shot penalty if it’s not avoided. 

Mark O'Meara at the 1998 Open Championship

Padraig Harrington coming up 18 in the 2008 Open

So how did some past champions handle this hole, the #1 stroke index hole on the course?  Well, the 1998 Open Champion Mark O'Meara had some difficulty on the 6th to say the least. He lost his ball for nearly five minutes to the right of the green. He eventually found it, luckily avoided a lost ball penalty, and proceeded to get up and down for a bogey 5 on his way to victory. The scoring average on the 6th that year was 4.62 for the tournament, more than a half a shot over par for the field.  

​The 2008 Open Champion Padraig Harrington also had some trouble on the 6th. He played the hole +2 for the week, and with an average score of 4.77, it was the hardest hole ever at Royal Birkdale in Open Championship play. In the 2017 Open Championship, Justin Thomas, currently 3rd in the world rankings, took a quintuple bogey nine on the 6th.  Needless to say he did not make the weekend. With the scoring average again sitting a half shot over par at 4.58, Jordan Spieth was even par on the 6th for the week, which was instrumental in his success in winning his first Open Championship.

How do you think you would do at Royal Birkdale's toughest hole, or any other Open Championship courses? Contact us today for custom golf vacations throughout the UK and play the most famous golf links in the world!

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