THE Open Golf Championship will be returning to Kent after Royal St George’s was announced on Tuesday as the venue for the 2011 event.

It will be the 14th time that The Open has been staged at Sandwich, the southern-most venue on The Open rota.

Royal St George’s last hosted the championship in 2003 when Ben Curtis, from the United States, won after a final round 69 that was good enough to hold off Thomas Bjorn - who led for most of the final day - and Vijay Singh by one stroke.

On the two previous occasions when the championship was played there, the champions were Greg Norman in 1993 and Sandy Lyle in 1985, a victory that catalysed the most successful period in European golf.

Open Championships at Royal St George’s are steeped in the history of the game with previous winners including J H Taylor, Harry Vardon, Walter Hagen, Henry Cotton and Bobby Locke.

It was also announced that Royal St Lytham & St Annes would host the 2012 event and David Hill, director of championships for the R&A, said: "We are delighted that The Open is returning to Sandwich and Lytham.

"They are both outstanding championship courses that have produced a succession of worthy champions.

"The Open is a huge undertaking for any club and the R&A would therefore like to thank both clubs for their co-operation, which has enabled the Championship to return to these two fine venues."