Ireland’s Rory McIlroy took home the trophy at the 2014 Open Championship, better known as the British Open hosted by the Royal Liverpool Golf Club from July 17- 20.
As the oldest of golf’s four major championships, the tournament takes place annually at a course in Great Britain, the birthplace of golf.
Watch the video above to see CNN’s interview with McIlroy at Royal Liverpool after he won his third Major Championship.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. This Year’s Open Was at Royal Liverpool Golf Club
The Royal Liverpool Golf Club is located in Hoylake, England in the northwest corner of the Wirral Peninsula across the River of Mersey from Liverpool. Watch the video above to see a tour of the venue.
The historical course opened in 1869 and has hosted the British Open nine other times to make this the 2014 the 10th, including 2006, 1967, 1956, 1947, 1930, 1924, 1913, 1907 and 1897.
Harry Colt, one of the best golf course architects in history, was behind the renovation and redesign of the club in the early 1900s.
Click here to view a map of the course.
The golf club has a single 18-hole course next to the sea and is famous for its beauty and level of difficulty.
Like many courses in Britain, the wind is a huge factor, taking the ball with it wherever it goes while drying out the ground to create glass-like green speeds and a ton of roll. It’s the kind of course where a player can have a 200-yard difference from hole to hole with the same club depending on the direction of the wind.
RLGC has also hosted a number of other major tournaments. Click here to see the full timeline and events.
2. Tiger Woods was Favored to Win
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Although Tiger Woods is ranked No. 7 in the world, he’s predicted to win over the top names on tour. Woods won the Open in 2006, and there’s no doubt that he’s gunning for the win again.
GolfDigest.com Editor Sam Weinman said:
Oddsmakers will insult players who have played well all season by giving Woods a better chance of winning.”
These were the odds for the tournament via BOVADA:
Tiger Woods: 7/1
Rory McIlroy: 10/1
Adam Scott: 12/1
Martin Kaymer: 16/1
Phil Mickelson: 18/1
Henrik Stenson: 20/1
Justin Rose: 20/1
Jason Day: 25/1
Jordan Speith: 25/1
Lee Westwood: 25/1
Sergio Garcia: 25/1
Graeme McDowell: 28/1
Bubba Watson: 33/1
Click here to see profiles of all players in the field for The Open Championship.
3. McIlroy Took Home $1.67 Million
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The three-time major champion took home $1.67 million which is $51,000 from the British Open’s prize money in 2013.
In total, the tournament is worth $9.25 million, which rose $257,000 from last year’s purse, according to a declaration made by The Royal and Ancient (R&A) organizers.
4. The British Open is the Oldest of the 4 Majors
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This year will be the 143rd Open Championship. The first ever British Open was played on a 12-hole course. The event was held on October 17, 1860 at Scotland’s Prestwick Golf Club where 8 competitors completed 3 rounds in one day to total 36 holes.
The Open is scheduled for the third weekend of July every year since 1979. It’s the third major of the calendar year after The Masters and the U.S. Open. Last year’s venue was at Muirfield in Gullane, East Lothian Scotland where Phil Mickelson took the first place trophy.
Click here to see a list of the past winners.
5. McIlroy’s Father Placed a Bet on Rory 10 Years Ago That He’d Win It
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Gerry McIlroy, a bartender in Belfast, Ireland, placed a $270 bet on his son that he would win the Open Championship before he turned 26 years old. His instincts were right, and now he will cash in about $171,000, reports the Guardian, after Rory won his third Major Championship.
McIlroy made the bet back in 2004 when Rory was just 15 years old. His vote of confidence has paid off big time as he collects a bigger check after The Open Championship than Tiger Woods did this year.
Two of McIlroy’s good friends also placed their bets on Rory a decade ago. His friends each threw in $135 into the pool and are now taking away $105,000 of their own thanks to McIlroy’s Prophecy.