Arron Oberholser was born in 1975, about five years after the Beatles split up. Still, the Fab Four are on his list of “things to do’’ next week, when the Scottsdale pro makes his debut in the British Open.

“This being my first British, and playing it at Royal Liverpool, I’m excited,’’ said Oberholser, who joined the tour in 1998. “I’m taking my dad with me – we leave on Saturday -- so if they have a Beatles museum, we’re going to be there.’’

Actually, there are three such institutions honoring John, Paul, George and Ringo in Liverpool, the home of the Beatles. And, yes, Oberholser is a big fan even if the songs like “I Wanna Hold Your Hand’’ and “Let It Be’’ were from another generation.

“I love ‘Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds’ and ‘A Little Help From My Friends,’ ’’ he said. “Any song from the Sgt. Pepper album is great, although I really like the White album a lot, too.’’

As for the British, Oberholser doesn’t know what to expect after excellent finishes in the Masters (tie for 14 th) and U.S. Open (tie for 16 th). Then again, who can blame him after a freakish accident in his kitchen three weeks ago lopped off the tip of his middle finger.

“Food slicer. Chopped it off like a guillotine,’’ reported Oberholser, who was making a salad at the time. “Fortunately, it was all flesh and no bone, and even though it will grow back eventually, it’s still a little painful when I grip the club.’’

The accident caused him to pull out of his last two tournaments, but it’s not all bad, he added. “I tend to slow down my swing a little bit to reduce the pressure, and that takes the (snap) hook out of play.’’

Oberholser, who broke through earlier this year by winning the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, has been a rock this season, making 14 of 14 cuts with eight top-20s behind a 69.66 scoring average. Along the way he has amassed $1.95 million to rank 19 th on the tour’s money list – a little over $150,000 short of $5 million in career earnings.

Such play, which included a season’s best 60 during the second round of the EDS Bryon Nelson Championship, has moved him from 90 th to 37 th in the world rankings over the past year.

Still, his limited action lately has dropped him from a high of 10 th to 15 th on the Ryder Cup points list. What’s weird is that, had all of Oberholser’s finishes factored in among just the top 10 Americans – international players bump Americans down and keep them from earning additional points – he would still be 10 th on that list.

“I think (the PGA) is going to change that rule (to the top 10 Americans getting points weekly), but it hasn’t happened yet,’’ he said. “Tom (Lehman) knows I can play well in the big events. But if he gets five rookies on the team, which he’s got now, he’s not going to select another rookie (with a captain’s pick) and I don’t blame him.’’

Even though a good finish at the British might loom large, Oberholser said he hopes of making the U.S. Ryder Cup team “have dwindled a little bit.’’

“I put so much pressure on myself early, I just want to get away from that,’’ he said. “And this being my first trip across the pond to play in the British, you can’t expect too much.’’

Then again, the tournament has not been played at Royal Liverpool since 1967, when the late Roberto de Vicenzo won at Hoylake, it’s previous name. But it has a storied history, serving as one of sites for the four majors – the Grand Slam -- won by Bobby Jones in 1930.

“Yeah, I guess it’s all square going to the first tee at Royal Liverpool,’’ Oberholser noted. “Nobody really has an advantage on that course because nobody has played it in competition. Shoot, over half the guys in the tournament weren’t alive the last time they played it there.’’

Kind of like the same deal with young golf pros and their knowledge of the Beatles. Chances are Oberholser won’t be the only one player facing a “Hard Day’s Night.”