Nick Faldo will line up at Turnberry in July to compete in his 33rd Open and 96th Major championship, after missing Royal Birkdale last year.

The Ryder Cup captaincy meant the six-time Major winner opted out of the 2008 Open and it was the first time Faldo had missed the event since 1975.

Faldo finished fifth at Turnberry in 1986 and eighth in 1994, the last time the Open was held on the famous Scottish links.

With three Open titles to his name, the 51-year-old no longer competes regularly on tour and he turned down a Masters return in April because of television commentary commitments.

Tom Watson and Greg Norman have also entered this year’s Open, the Australian finishing in a tie for third ten months ago when he rolled back the years at Royal Birkdale.

Padraig Harrington is setting his sights on a hat-trick of Open titles, although the Irishman, who is not in the best of form after missing the cut at last week’s Irish Open, will be tackling an Ailsa course 247 yards longer than when it last staged the
tournament.  

The 138th Open Championship takes place on the Turnberry Ailsa Course from July 16-19.

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