Tiger Woods is not the only big name missing from the action at Royal Birkdale this week. Six-time Major-winner Nick Faldo will not be teeing off either. It will be the first Open Championship that the Englishman, who celebrates his 51th birthday during the tournament, has missed since Harold Wilson was prime minister.

Interviewed on the eve of the tournament, Faldo attributes the decision to break this 32-year sequence chiefly to the approaching Ryder Cup. The biennial showdown between the US and European teams takes place in Kentucky between September 16-21. “I want to assess who is in the team and how I will add to that with my two picks,” says Faldo, who will captain Europe.