HOYLAKE, England — As a 10-year-old, Matthew Jordan watched Tiger Woods put on a clinic to win the 2006 British Open at Royal Liverpool.
Nine years ago, he watched Rory McIlroy win the claret jug at the same golf course on which he grew up playing as a member with his family.
On Thursday morning, the 27-year-old Brit will strike the first tee shot to begin the 151st Open on his home course.
“It’s an amazing honor,’’ Jordan, who got into the field through qualifying, said Monday. “I’m sure the first tee, no matter what was going to be special, but obviously to have this as a kid growing up, I used to wake up early, 6:30, and that was The Open commencing. I’ve got fond memories, so to have this honor is brilliant.’’
He has fond memories of those past two Opens played at Hoylake, recalling getting an Adam Scott ball and autographs from Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia, who he beat in the Open qualifier to get into the field this week.
“In ’06, I think I was more bothered about getting signatures than anything else and kind of starstruck,’’ Jordan recalled. “I remember seeing Tiger in ’06 on the putting green, and I just could not approach him. He was on the putting green and I don’t think I moved for 20 minutes. He was my kind of hero, and being able to see him in the flesh and watching him do what he did, especially around your home course, was immense.
“I think I saw him actually when it was in ’14, as well, and I still couldn’t approach him then. I have those memories. When I was 18, I was kind of getting a bit better myself and had memories of Rory walking down the last. There are things that just keep coming back to me.’’
Jordan said, when he was 16, he shot 69 off the back tees, calling it, “one of my first amazing rounds.’’
His lowest score was a 62 and said he won three club championships in a row before he began playing big-time amateur events and stopped playing in the club championship.
“People like my dad were playing in that, so it wasn’t too tough to win,’’ he said.
After he made it through qualifying two weeks ago, finishing second at West Lancashire Golf club, about 20 miles north of Liverpool, Jordan told reporters: “I’ve qualified, but I don’t want this experience to go to waste. I will just probably play [the course] how I know to play it.
“I know every pin position. I’ve seen it when it’s soft, I’ve seen it firm, I’ve seen it with rough up and down. So, I will just play it exactly how I know to get the best score out of each hole.
“And if I feel like I can do that, then I know that I can do well around here.’’
McIlroy on Monday informed tournament officials that he was canceling his scheduled Tuesday pre-tournament press conference.
No reason was given.
McIlroy, who won the Scottish Open on Sunday, won the British Open the last time it was played at Hoylake.
Surely, his win in Scotland amped up the pressure for the week, and perhaps McIlroy simply wanted to avoid answering those questions.
He did the same thing at last month’s U.S. Open, presumably because he wanted to avoid questions about LIV Golf.
McIlroy finished runner-up at Los Angeles Country Club.