The likes of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy are always sure to pull in huge crowds, but one player is likely to prove an even more popular figure at Royal Liverpool if he is able to earn a spot in the 151st Open.
DP World Tour professional Matthew Jordan, who made his Open debut at St Andrews this year after coming through Final Qualifying, has been a member at Hoylake since age 7.
And the amiable 26-year-old is understandably receiving extra attention from his fellow Royal Liverpool members as the iconic venue prepares to stage golf’s original championship for the 13th time next July.
Asked about the prospect of playing an Open at his home club, Jordan told TheOpen.com: “Every member is going on about it. It will certainly be one of my top priorities next year.
“The support of this club has always been great to me. Throughout my junior years, I had quite a few people really support me and even a couple of guys fund some events through my amateur career.
“I get on with everyone, everyone knows me and everyone seems to know my results. It’s brilliant. Everyone’s here for me, and they want me to qualify. It would be amazing to experience.”
Although he acknowledges qualifying for a second Open in succession will not be easy, Jordan has allowed himself to imagine what it would be like if he were to book his place in the field.
“Yeah. You can't stop yourself dreaming, can you? It would be brilliant,” he said.
“I've pictured a couple of times maybe standing on the 17th or 18th tee, leading. What would that feel like? That's what you strive to achieve, really.
“So, yes, of course I've thought about it. But I probably can't imagine the support, to be honest. I can try to but I think that would only hit me once I ended up qualifying.”
To read more from Matthew Jordan and his thoughts on the 151st Open, click HERE.
The R&A