SOUTHPORT, England (AP) -- Tiger Woods missing his first major as a pro didn't keep the fans away from Royal Birkdale. More than 200,000 attended the Open Championship, which Royal & Ancient officials said was among the top six in history.

Three of the largest crowds were at St. Andrews, and two others that were larger than last week were at Royal Liverpool in 2006 and Royal Lytham & St. Annes.

The Birkdale attendance was particularly impressive because there was a steady rain and 30-mph wind for most of the first round, which officials said probably kept as many as 5,000 people at home that day.

"When you think of the weather, people talking about a possible economic recession, Tiger Woods not here ... I think it was a wonderful crowd," R&A Chief Executive Peter Dawson said.

Perhaps a better measure than attendance was the sale of 280,000 cups of coffee and 30,000 servings of fish and chips.

VIEW FROM ABOVE: Fans were startled Friday morning at Royal Birkdale when a large corporate jet flew over the golf course early in the second round, banked sharply and continued south down the coast.

It was a Gulfstream V bringing a special guest to the Open -- three-time champion Jack Nicklaus. And the Golden Bear wasn't quite sure where he was.

Looking out from his window, Nicklaus told his assistants, "Wow, what a beautiful piece of property." That's when they informed him that links land was Royal Birkdale.

Nicklaus' best finish on this links was a tie for second -- six shots behind Johnny Miller -- in 1976.

HARRINGTON DIVOTS: Padraig Harrington opened with a 74, the highest start by an Open Championship champion since Greg Norman had the same score at Turnberry in 1986. ... He is the seventh player to win consecutive Opens since World War II. All but two of them recorded one of those victories at Royal Birkdale. The exceptions were Tiger Woods (St. Andrews, Royal Liverpool) and Bobby Locke (Royal St. George's, Royal Troon). ... Only two players from Dublin have won the Open -- Harrington and Ben Hogan, who was born in Dublin, Texas.

DIVOTS: Woody Austin received more Ryder Cup points from his tie for 39th at the Open than Kenny Perry received from his tie for sixth in the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee. ... Arron Oberholser was to have surgery Tuesday on his left hand to remove a bone spur and was expected to miss two months.

STAT OF THE WEEK: Americans have finished among the top three in 32 of the 35 majors this decade. The exceptions are the Open in 2002, 2007 and 2008.

FINAL WORD: "It wasn't the disaster it was built up to be." -- R&A Chief Executive Peter Dawson on criticism of the 17th green at Royal Birkdale, where Padraig Harrington hit 5-wood to 4 feet for eagle that clinched victory in the Open.

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