Hoylake to host Women's British Open in 2012

Royal Liverpool Golf Club at Hoylake in Wirral has been announced as the host venue for the 2012 Ricoh Women's British Open, the first time that the club will host the prestigious championship.   The Royal Liverpool Golf Club, also known as Hoylake, is the second oldest seaside links golf course in England. Built on a racecourse in 1869, Hoylake has played host to some of golf's most historical moments, including the first international match between Great Britain and the United States, later known as the Walker Cup.   Between 1897 and 2006, Hoylake has hosted the men's Open Championship 11 times - most recently Tiger Woods' triumph in 2006.   The Championship Committee has also announced a new date for 2012 ensuring the tournament does not clash with the London Olympics. It will now take place at the later date of September 13-16.    The staging of the 2012 event has been made possible not only by the strong support of Royal Liverpool Golf Club and its members, but also by Wirral Council which has committed to providing significant infrastucture and operational support together with funding from the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA).   This announcement comes on the back of another major announcement made during the 2009 Championship, won by Scotland's Catriona Matthew, that Ricoh will continue as title sponsors until at least 2013.   The Ricoh Women's British Open was founded by the Ladies' Golf Union in 1976 and is staged in conjunction with IMG. The event has been co-sanctioned by the LPGA and LET since 1994 and gained Major status in 2001.

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