(Reuters) – This year’s Open will feature the longest hole in the tournament’s history after Royal Troon’s sixth was extended as part of moderations for the 152nd edition of the major.
The sixth was already a whopping 601 yards when the tournament was last played on the Ayrshire links in 2016 but this year it will measure 623 yards.
Overall the course will play 195 yards longer than in 2016 when Sweden’s Henrik Stenson held off Phil Mickelson in one of the greatest duels in Open history.
After facing one of the longest holes in world golf, this year’s field could then be faced with one of the shortest with the iconic par-three Postage Stamp eighth potentially coming in at 99 yards with a forward tee and pin positioned close to the front of the green for one of the four rounds.
The Postage Stamp might be a short hole but in terms of spectators it will be huge with an L-shaped grandstand being built that will house 1,500 fans.
This year’s total attendance is expected to be 250,000 — the third highest for an Open, behind only the 150th Open at St Andrews in 2022 and the 261,180 who attended Royal Liverpool last year.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
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