Lee Westwood

Will be playing his 25th successive Open, having secured his place at Royal Portrush in spectacular style through the European Tour rankings with a closing 64 to win the Nedbank Challenge in South Africa in November. 

It was the ten-time Ryder Cup star’s first victory on the circuit for more than 4 ½ years and came two months after he was one of Thomas Bjorn’s vice-captains in the Ryder Cup and after he had dropped to 125th in the world. 

Westwood ended Tiger Woods's five-year reign at the top of the rankings in 2010, the season in which he was runner-up to both Phil Mickelson at the Masters and Louis Oosthuizen in The Open at St Andrews. 

He also finished second to fellow Englishman Danny Willett at Augusta National in 2016, was only a shot away from play-offs in the 2008 US Open and 2009 Open and in total has had nine top-three major finishes – a record for someone who has never won one. 

Twice the European Tour's leading money-winner, he has 43 professional victories worldwide. Began his Ryder Cup career in 1997 and was a member of no fewer than seven winning sides.