The biggest names in women’s golf will descend on Royal Birkdale for 2014 Ricoh Women’s British Open on July 10-13 and BBC Sport will be screening more live coverage than ever.
It is the sixth Women’s Open to be hosted by the Merseyside course, as well as being the third major on this year’s women’s tour schedule, and American Stacy Lewis will be back to defend the title she won at St Andrews last August, the first time the event had been held at the iconic course.
After last year’s historic tournament, the Women’s Open returns this year to the venue where it was first staged, Royal Birkdale, back in 1982 when Marta Figueras-Dotti took home the coveted title.
It returned in 1986 when England’s Laura Davies triumphed. Sophie Gustafson won in 2000 and five years later Korea’s Jeong Jang claimed her first professional victory by defeating Gustafson and another Korean, Young Kim, by four shots, while in 2010, world number one Yani Tseng came out on top.
The celebrated club also has a rich heritage in hosting the most important golf tournaments in the world and, in addition to five Women’s British Opens, has also welcomed two Ryder Cups in 1965 and 1969 and nine Open championships, the last won by the popular Irishman Padraig Harrington in 2008.
The field for the 2014 Women’s British Open will be equally as strong as that assembled 11 months ago in St Andrews and will include the likes of reigning champion Stacy Lewis, fellow Americans, Paula Creamer and Lexi Thompson and world number one Inbee Park, as well as young British star Charley Hull.
Past champions Yani Tseng and Jiyai Shin, along with Solheim Cup winners Suzann Pettersen, Beatriz Recari and Catriona Matthew amongst others, will also all be in action on the fairways and greens at the famous Royal Birkdale course.
The biggest story of the week could come from women’s golfing sensation Michelle Wie, who finally delivered a performance worthy of the hype that has been heaped on her since she was a teenager by winning the recent U.S. Women’s Open at Pinehurst.
That sent the 24-year-old from Hawaii to her first major championship, winning by two-shots from last year’s British Open winner Stacy Lewis.
With all the biggest names in the sport assembled at Royal Birkdale this week, and the renewed rivalry between American trio of Wie, Lewis, Thompson, expect the 2014 Women’s British Open to be one of the most exciting ever staged.
BBC Sport will have live coverage of the 39th Women’s British Open from Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, Merseyside.
Extensive coverage of all four day’s play will be shown live on BBC Two, starting at 1.00pm on all four days and running through to at least 5.00pm across all four rounds, totaling up to around 20 hours of output, a increase on last year’s record levels of BBC coverage of the event.
Hazel Irvine introduces BBC TV’s output throughout the four days from Royal Birkdale, with commentary being led by the veteran Peter Alliss, Ken Brown, and Maureen Madill, with US-based Golf Channel commentator Tom Abbott joining the team this year.
BBC TV’s live coverage will also be available to watch via the BBC Sport website and mobile app, while each programme can be seen on-demand via BBC iPlayer shortly after transmission, plus there will be live reports, videos, interviews and analysis on the BBC golf website.
In addition to the Women’s British Open, BBC Sport will also be screening highlights of the final two rounds of the Scottish Open on July 12-13, which comes a week ahead of its exclusive live coverage of the Open Championship at Hoylake.
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OFFICIAL WEBSITE LIVE LEADERBOARD COURSE GUIDE
Thursday 10th July ROUND 1 LIVE: 1.00pm-5.00pm BBC Two Friday 11th July ROUND 2 LIVE: 1.00pm-5.00pm BBC Two Saturday 12th July ROUND 3 LIVE: 1.00pm-5.00pm BBC Two Sunday 13th July ROUND 4 LIVE: 1.00pm-5.20pm BBC Two.
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