McIlroy in spotlight at British Open

SANDWICH, England, July 13 (UPI) -- Golf's oldest major championship begins in the south of England Thursday, with Rory McIlroy attempting to add to his status as the sport's newest superstar.

The British Open, which was first played a year before the American Civil War began, will be contested at the Royal St. George's Golf Club -- a course that is quirky even by the standards of the links layouts that take turns hosting this event.

Without mentioning Royal St. George's, Jack Nicklaus once remarked that British Open courses became weaker the further south one traveled. This week's test is the southernmost of the nine current British Open venues.

McIlroy won the U.S. Open by eight shots last month and has become the clear favorite to win his second major title in a row. No player has won consecutive major titles since Padraig Harrington captured the British Open and PGA Championship in 2008.

The last 11 major titles have been won by 11 different players and the last five have been claimed by players who live somewhere other than the United States -- Graeme McDowell, Louis Oosthuizen, Martin Kaymer, Charl Schwartzel and McIlroy.

There will be 30 former major championship winners in the field this week, but Tiger Woods will again be missing. Woods has not played since he struggled through nine holes at the Players Championship in May, eventually withdrawing due to ankle and knee problems.

McIlroy will be paired with Ernie Els and Rickie Fowler for the opening two rounds while Oosthuizen, the defending champion, will play in the company of Kaymer and Phil Mickelson.

Of the players currently ranked in the world's top 10, only Kaymer (No. 3), McIlroy (No. 4), Mickelson (No. 6) and McDowell (No. 9) have won major titles.

The top two in the rankings, Luke Donald and Lee Westwood, are without a major crown. So is the top-ranked American in the world, No. 5 Steve Stricker, who is coming off a victory last week at the John Deere Classic.