2019 British Open
Course: Royal Portrush, Northern Ireland. Yardage: 7,344. Par: 71.
Playoff (if necessary): 3 holes, aggregate score.
Purse: $10.75 million. Winner's share: $1,935,000.
Television: Thursday-Friday, 12:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 4-6 a.m. (Golf Channel), 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Ch. 11); Sunday, 4-7 a.m. (Golf Channel), 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Ch. 11).
Defending champion: Francesco Molinari.
Local connections: Alexandria's Tom Lehman, the 1996 champion, and European Tour regular Erik van Rooyen, a former Gophers' men's golfer, are both in the field.
Notes: This is the first British Open held at Royal Portrush since Max Faulkner won in 1951. ... Rory McIlroy set the course record of 61 when he was 16 playing the North of Ireland Amateur. ... Graeme McDowell is the only Ulsterman in the field who grew up at Portush. He was a member at the adjacent Rathmore Golf Club's Valley Links, which Royal Portrush owns. ... If an American wins, it will be the first time since 1982 that Americans won all four majors.
Next year: Royal St. George's in England.
