Open Championship 2014: A Brief History of Royal Liverpool

Royal Liverpool Golf Club will host its 12th Open Championship on July 17 with Phil Mickelson returning as the defending champion.

Wirral's Royal Liverpool Golf Club will this year host the Open Championship, golf's oldest Major, for the 12th time.

As well as hosting the Open Championship, 2012 saw Hoylake host the Women's British Open for the first time.  In 2013 the club hosted the Boys Amateur Championship, won by Ewan Ferguson with a 10&9 victory over Germany's Michael Hirmer.

Golf Monthly takes a look at a brief history of the course as well as some of the prestigious events that took place on this stellar course.

1869- Hoylake is built by Robert Chambers and George Morris, in 1871 the pair were commissioned to extend the course to 18 holes.

For the first 7 years of its inauguration Hoylake doubled as both a golf course and a racing track.

1871- The Club is granted its Royal status thanks to the patronage of The Duke of Connaught.

1885- Royal Liverpool hosted the first Amateur Championship which saw England's Allan MacFie claim the first spot.

To date, Royal Liverpool is renowned for its association with the amateur golf game setting it apart from all other clubs in England.

1892- This year marked the first time that the Open was played over 72 holes. The Open Championship also saw amateur Harold Hilton claim the top spot, making him the only amateur except for John Ball and Bobby Jones to win the title.

1930- Amateur Bobby Jones of America won the 65th Open Championship at Royal Liverpool, two strokes ahead of runners-up Leo Diegel and Macdonald Smith.

1967- Roberto De Vicenzo won his only Major Championship at the Open Championship two strokes ahead of defending champion Jack Nicklaus.

2006- The Open Championship returned to Royal Liverpool in 2006, seeing Tiger Woods emerge as one of the best golfer's in history.

2006 saw Woods win his second Open Championship with 18 under par beating America's Chris DiMarco and South Africa's Ernie Els. The total attendance of the weekend was the second highest in Open Championship history.

2012- The first time the Women's British Open was played at Hoylake was in 2012. Jiyai Shin took the victory title and defeated the field by 9 clear shots.

The 2014 Open Championship will see the tournament return to Hoylake and will also see Tiger Woods return to the course as its defending champion.

2019- Royal Liverpool will host the Walker Cup to mark its 150th year since its inauguration.

The tournament will pay tribute not only to the club but also to the club's status as a beacon for the development of the Amateur game.