The 2023 Open Championship is taking place this week at Royal Liverpool and golf fans everywhere are buzzing for one of golf’s most historic events.
As usual, apparel and footwear brands are putting their best foot forward at the fourth and final men’s major of the year.
This is the 151st Open Championship and golf style has come a long way. Players will trade the traditional high socks and Ben Hogan caps for modern apparel pieces from your favorite brands such as TravisMathew, Adidas, Puma, Stitch and more.
See below to shop the looks of your favorite players competing this week to become a major champion.
For the first time in nine years, all eyes are on Royal Liverpool for the 2023 Open Championship.
The last time we were in Hoylake, Rory McIlroy became the 2014 Champion Golfer of the Year after outlasting Rickie Fowler and Sergio Garcia. McIlroy, who finished third at St. Andrews last year, is coming off a stellar win at the Genesis Scottish Open, battling tough conditions down the stretch and birdieing the final two holes.
Cam Smith enters the week as the reigning champion thanks to his come-from-behind victory over McIlroy at the Old Course.
Before the action gets underway Thursday morning, here are Golfweek‘s picks to win and a few sleepers to keep an eye on.
HOYLAKE, England — As Rory McIlroy arrived on the scene at the 151st British Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Club on Monday, the memories of his victory here in 2014 came flooding back.
“Maybe not as much as you would think,” he said. “Over the past nine years a lot has happened in my life and I’ve played a lot of golf tournaments. But yeah, there’s a few things that I remember, and it’s nice to get back on to the golf course and sort of refamiliarize myself with it.”
Perhaps he remembered the goose bumps he felt during Saturday’s third round as he walked to the 18th green before rolling in a 10-foot eagle putt, his second in three holes. Ninety minutes earlier, McIlroy had been tied for the lead before his hot streak broke the championship wide open as he built a commanding six-stroke 54-hole lead.
“It wasn’t quite the championship, but it put one hand on the Claret Jug,” McIlroy said. “I just needed to go out Sunday and not do anything stupid. That Saturday afternoon was huge.”
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland celebrates with the Claret Jug after his two-stroke victory after the final round of The 143rd Open Championship at Royal Liverpool on July 20, 2014 in Hoylake, England. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/R&A/R&A via Getty Images)
He claimed his third major championship a day later and the third leg of the career Grand Slam at age 25. He would go on to win the WGC Bridgestone Invitational and PGA Championship in back-to-back weeks a month later, yet, improbably, 33 major starts since that PGA at Valhalla, he’s still stuck at four Grand Slam titles.
The script seemed written for him to end his major drought at last year’s Open at St. Andrews but his putter cooled off on Sunday and Cameron Smith dashed past him to claim the Claret Jug. After his media obligations were over, McIlroy drove off in a golf cart crying on his wife’s shoulders. Just last month, at the U.S. Open, in what seemed like a bad case of déjà vu, McIlroy played another solid round but was unable to make a birdie after the opening hole, losing by a stroke to Wyndham Clark. More heartbreak for McIlroy, who has six top-10 finishes in his last seven major starts, including two seconds and a third. Yet he’s proven time and again that he’s willing to get off the proverbial mat and come back swinging.
“I would go through 100 Sundays like this to get my hands on another major championship,” he said after the U.S. Open disappointment.
When McIlroy etched his name on the Claret Jug in 2014, he was at the peak of his powers.
“When you know you’re in control of your swing, it makes everything a little bit easier,” he said back in 2014.
He’s been chasing that form ever since, and just might be on the verge of a similar run. McIlroy has finished in the top 10 in each of his last six starts, his longest such stretch since he had a streak of seven straight before the 2019-2020 season was suspended due to COVID-19. He made birdie on the final two holes Sunday to nip Robert MacIntyre and win the Genesis Scottish Open, his 24th PGA Tour title, and improved to No. 2 in the world.
“I don’t feel like it really proves anything,” McIlroy said on Sunday. “I don’t feel like I need to prove anything in my career, but it’s satisfying to know that for me that I can still do it.”
NBC’s Brad Faxon, who doubles as McIlroy’s putting coach, argued that there can be no better preparation for competing in a major than to duel in the heat of battle for a title ahead of one of the four weeks that matter most.
“I don’t buy that you can practice better for a major by staying home. I think this is the best thing he could have done. Is it better to finish fourth place than first? I don’t think so,” Faxon said.
But it is winning majors that McIlroy knows will determine how he is remembered in the game. Whenever someone asks him to reflect on his career to date, he always circles back to his 18-year-old self at Carnoustie making his Open debut in 2007.
“If you were to tell him in 15-16 years’ time, this is where you would be in your career I would’ve thought, oh my goodness, I’ve hit the lottery and all my dreams have come true,” McIlroy said in an interview with The Open’s website. “I’m really happy with what I’ve done, I’m proud of my achievements. Are there tournaments that I could have won that have slipped through my fingers? Yes. But I feel like I’ve won my fair share and I’ve become a much more consistent golfer and that will only give me more opportunities to win big tournaments and big championships.”
“When I look at the big picture, I’m really happy with my body of work,” he added, but putting his name on the Claret Jug in 2014 “feels a long time ago…Happy to have it on once but would love to put it on again.”
The Champion Golfer of the Year earns a big paycheck and of course the Claret Jug.
The Champion Golfer of the Year, aka the winner of the British Open, earns a large sum of money, many accolades and the historic Claret Jug. OK, not the Claret Jug. We can explain.
There have been 150 Opens contested over the years but the trophy wasn’t yet created for the first nearly dozen tournaments.
And did you know that the Claret Jug has a lesser-known formal name of The Golf Champion Trophy?
Harry Vardon has the most Open Championship titles with six. Old Tom Morris is the oldest winner of the Open, doing so at age 46 years. The youngest champ was his son, Young Tom Morris, who was but 17 years old when he claimed the title.
The sides of the shoes say Play to Live and Live to Play.
Royal Liverpool Golf Club takes center stage this week as host venue for the 2023 Open Championship, the final major on the 2023 men’s professional calendar.
The golf course is often referred to as Hoylake, the small town it’s located in. Liverpool is about 23 miles – or perhaps that should be 37 kilometers – to the east.
Liverpool is, of course, famous for being where the Beatles formed in 1960, thus commencing their takeover of the music world.
The Nike golf shoes displaying the words ‘Play to Live’ worn by Rory McIlroy during a practice round ahead of the 151st Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, England. (Photo: Warren Little/Getty Images)
On one side of the shoe it reads Live to Play, with Play to Live on the other. The shoes pay homage to the Beatles’ psychedelic era, with wavy letters and bright rainbow colors.
The Nike Air Zoom Infinity Tour NXT NRG shoes that McIlroy is wearing are one of four special release kicks being put into play this week as part of the Open Championship collection.
McIlroy, the 2014 British Open champ, is coming into the week hot off his thrilling win at the Genesis Scottish Open.
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The final men’s major championship of the year is here, as the best players in the world have descended upon Royal Liverpool for the 2023 Open Championship.
The last time the world of golf was at Hoylake was nine years ago when Rory McIlroy earned the title of 2014 Champion Golfer of the Year. McIlroy enters the week in great form with six straight top-10 finishes including a win at last week’s Genesis Scottish Open.
The reigning Open champion, however, is Cam Smith, who chased down McIlroy at the Old Course last season. Smith also won in his last start at LIV Golf London.
Here are eight of the best groupings for the first two rounds of the Open Championship. All tee times listed are Eastern Standard Time (Hoylake is five hours ahead).
