FACTS & amp; FIGURES | British Open

Dates: Thursday through Sunday.
Site: Royal Troon.
Length: 7,175 yards.
Par: 71.
Format: 72 holes, stroke play.
Playoff: Four holes, stroke play.
Defending champion: Ben Curtis.
Last year: Ben Curtis shocked the world when he closed with a 2-under 69 for a one-shot victory over Thomas Bjorn and Vijay Singh, with Tiger Woods and Davis Love III another shot behind. Curtis, No. 396 in the world ranking, became the first player since Francis Ouimet in the 1913 U.S. Open to win the first major he ever entered. He only qualified by his tie for 15th in the Western Open, his best finish yet in his rookie year. Curtis was the only player to break par at Royal St. George's, finishing at 1-under 283.
Open champions at Royal Troon: Arthur Havers (1923), Bobby Locke (1950), Arnold Palmer (1962), Tom Weiskopf (1973), Tom Watson (1982), Mark Calcavecchia (1989), Justin Leonard (1997).
Anniversary: Seve Ballesteros won the first of his five majors 25 years ago in the British Open, playing one shot out of the parking lot at Royal Lytham & amp; St. Annes to beat Jack Nicklaus and Ben Crenshaw by three shots.
Noteworthy: Americans have won the last five British Opens held at Royal Troon, the longest streak at any of the links in the rotation.
Quoteworthy: "More people probably dream of going to the Masters, but I think more people have grown up around the world seeing the Open Championship as the biggest tournament in the world." -- Davis Love III.
-- Associated Press
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