Royal Birkdale return

Fifteen years after winning the British Open at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England, Mark O’Meara will be making a return to the course for the Senior British Open. O’Meara won the British Open in 1998, and on Tuesday he was extended an “honorary membership” to the club in recognition of his achievement. “The Open here in 1998 was a dream come true for me. To hold the claret jug here on the 18th green was the icing on the cake of my career,” O’Meara said Wednesday, a day before the tournament starts ( 9 a.m., ESPN2). O’Meara will be playing alongside defending champion Fred Couples and Colin Montgomerie for the first two rounds. – AP