British Open at a glance

Site: Southport, England

Course: Royal Birkdale Golf Club. Yardage: 7,156. Par: 70

Purse: $10.25 million (First prize: $2,160,000)

Schedule (TV): Thursday-Friday, 12:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 3:30-6 a.m. (Golf Channel), 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Ch. 11); Sunday, 3-6 a.m. (Golf Channel), 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Ch. 11).

Defending champion: Henrik Stenson

Last week: Rafa Cabrera Bello won the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open.

Notes: The last time a player won back to back at the British Open was also at Royal Birkdale when Padraig Harrington successfully defended his title. … The Open is paying out prize money in American dollars for the first time. … Royal Birkdale is the newest of the English links in the British Open rotation, dating to only 1954, but this is the 10th time it has hosted the Open. … Brandt Snedeker withdrew from the tournament because of a rib injury.