How the championship organisers would love Tiger to roll back the years over the next four days - having attracted a record crowd for the event in England in Hoylake in 2006.

230,000 watched the action, just 9,000 short of the record set by St Andrews in 2000.

Not bad for the first Open championship at Royal Liverpool for 39 years.

Tiger Woods' policy of playing conservatively from the tee has backfired a little bit on the first as he finds a bunker with his second shot. These sand traps at Hoylake are beasts to get out of but Woods will still believe he can get up and down for his par.

Image source, Reuters

Luke Donald still chases that elusive first major and it is not the start he wants in Merseyside. A bogey five on the opening drag of the week.

James:, external Golf needs Tiger to do well. When he goes it could easily regress into the minority sport it was before he came along.

Who will win the Open, tweet us on #bbcgolf.

Tiger Woods is standing over his opening tee shot and strikes it nonchalantly with an iron onto the middle of the fairway to warm applause. An in-form Woods can only be good news for the championship.

Playing partner Angel Cabrera opts for a driver and belts it a long way down the fairway while Henrik Stenson is also safely off the first tee.

HVP:, external Poulter, because I love him. Rory, because he needs it. Justin, because he deserves it. Tiger, because he is Tiger.

Adam Turpin:, external Each way bets on Scott, Rose, Kaymer and Illonen. None of them should mind the rain which is coming and solid iron players.

Who will win the Open, tweet us on #bbcgolf or text on 81111.

Age: 38. Country: United States.

World ranking: 7.

Majors: Masters 4, US Open 3, the Open 3, PGA Championship 4.

The man everyone wants to see. Three of Woods's 14 majors have been Open wins and his 19 under par at St Andrews in 2000 remains a major record. The American won the last time the championship was in Hoylake, in 2006. The 38-year-old underwent back surgery in March and hasn't won a major since 2008.

Don't forget live coverage of the Open across the BBC gets underway at 09:00 BST. You can listen to BBC Radio 5 live or watch on BBC Two, as well as following our live text commentary.

You can view and listen to the live coverage by clicking on the Live Coverage tab at the top of this page.

Image source, Getty Images

Tom Watson is already one under and who could forget that stunning display by the then 59-year-old in 2009? He was a whisker away from becoming the oldest winner of a major in history but a bogey on the final hole of the week resulted in a play-off, eventually won by Stewart Cink.

You can watch a look-back with him on BBC Sport's 10 great Open moments video.

What is your favourite Open moment? Tell us on #openmoments.

Just the start Spain's Sergio Garcia wanted as he birdies the first hole. Garcia has come close to winning a major before and will believe this could be his time.

Age: 36 Country: England

World ranking: 87

Majors: None

Casey, 36, finished 71st at Hoylake in 2006 but was seventh at Birkdale two years later and third at St Andrews in 2010, while his Irish Open victory in June last year was not enough to earn him a trip to Muirfield. The Englishman is the only player to ever finish a Ryder Cup with a hole-in-one.

A six-way share of the lead now as American Brooks Koepka makes a third birdie in a row on the sixth and Matteo Manassero birdies the third to move onto two under.

A great start for Kiradech Aphibarnrat as he birdies the fifth to take a share of the lead at two under.

Meanwhile, five-time former Open champion Tom Watson birdies the first to great cheers from the galleries. Can the 64-year-old roll back the years?

Image source, Getty Images

He is sometimes referred to as 'the Asian John Daly' given his rotund physique and in his second Open Championship, Kiradech Aphibarnrat is off to a solid start. Red numbers for the Bangok born man after a birdie on three. He is one behind the leaders.

Age: 34. Country: Spain.

World ranking: 9

Majors: None.

Finished in the top 10 in all four majors in 2002 but the closest he has come to winning one was when he lost a play-off to Padraig Harrington in the Open at Carnoustie in 2007 - after leading by four. The Spaniard has played in six Ryder Cups and is likely to qualify again this year.

Age: 25 Country: USA

World ranking: 25

Majors: None

The 25-year-old American certainly catches the eye with an array of colourful clothes worn out on the course. He is yet to win a Major but came second in the US Open and fifth in the Masters earlier this year. Fowler's best Open finish is fifth in 2011.

Age: 36 Country: England

World ranking: 20

Majors: None

Donald is regarded as one of the best players never to have won a Major. He has done pretty much everything else, including reaching world number one, topping the money lists on both sides of the Atlantic and winning a World Cup and four Ryder Cups. Known for his expertise at links golf, could this be the year Donald finally breaks his Major hoodoo.

Not a bad group to follow as Spain's Sergio Garcia, England's Luke Donald and and America's Ricke Fowler get under way. All three will have hopes of lifting the Claret Jug come Sunday evening.

Winner: Adam Scott

"The world number one and probably the most complete and consistent player around. His season has been decent with a win at Colonial and solid finishes in the majors.

"His Open form of late is tremendous (give or take the odd calamitous collapse at Lytham). He was runner-up there and then third last year. He also had a very good finish here in 2006."

Big week for: Rickie Fowler

You can see more predictions from our golf team and journalists from around the world on the BBC Sport website.

Image source, Getty Images

Age: 45 Country: Northern Ireland

World ranking: 394

Majors: The Open

The Northern Irishman became the oldest player to lift the Claret Jug since Roberto de Vicenzo in 1967 when he won at Royal St George's in 2011, aged 42. Clarke will be a vice captain in the Ryder Cup later this year.