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63-541: In 2019, the event was added to the Open Qualifying Series, giving up to three non-exempt players entry into The Open Championship . The 2022 event was the final edition of the tournament to be held at Valderrama due to LIV Golf acquiring it as a venue for the 2023 LIV Golf League . Having signed a five-year deal with LIV Golf, Valderrama was removed by the European Tour as one of their venues. In July 2023, it

126-420: A caddie . He later ran a golf equipment manufacturing business. On the course, he made his money from "challenge matches" against rivals such as Old Tom Morris , Willie Dunn and Allan Robertson , which were the most popular form of spectator golf in his era. Park, a tall, strong man, was a very long hitter and an excellent putter, but sometimes got into trouble through overly aggressive play. He had surpassed

189-510: A "respectable caddie" to represent each of the clubs. The winner received the Challenge Belt, made from red leather with a silver buckle and worth £25, which came about thanks to being donated by the Earl of Eglinton , a man with a keen interest in medieval pageantry (belts were the type of trophy that might have been competed for in archery or jousting). The first rule of the new golf competition

252-712: A cut after 36 holes, or a qualifying event, and the largest field was 226 in 1911. The large field meant sometimes the tournament was spread across up to four days. In 1907 Arnaud Massy from France became the first non-British winner. Royal Cinque Ports in England became the 6th different Open host course in 1909. The pre-war period is most famous for the Great Triumvirate of Harry Vardon (Jersey), John Henry Taylor (England), and James Braid (Scotland). The trio combined to win The Open Championship 16 times in

315-571: A day over four days, weather permitting. Date of Tournament : starts on the day before the third Friday in July. Willie Park, Sr. William Park Sr. (30 June 1833 – 25 July 1903) was a Scottish professional golfer. He was a 4-time winner of the Open Championship . Park was born in Wallyford , East Lothian , Scotland. Like some of the other early professional golfers, Park started out as

378-545: A fifth title in 1965. After flooding prevented Royal Cinque Ports from hosting, both in 1938 and 1949, it was removed from the rota. The Open was played outside of England and Scotland for the first time in 1951 at Royal Portrush , Northern Ireland . The period saw fewer American entrants, as the PGA Tour had grown to be quite lucrative, and the PGA Championship was often played at the same or similar time paying triple

441-500: A first-time winner. In 1999, the Open at Carnoustie was famously difficult, and Frenchman Jean van de Velde had a three-shot lead teeing off on the final hole. He ended up triple bogeying after finding the Barry Burn , and Scotman Paul Lawrie , ranked 241st in the world, ended up winning in a playoff. He was 10 strokes behind the leader going into the final round, a record for all majors. He

504-452: A fourth title in 1957. Having already won the Masters and the U.S. Open earlier in the year, Ben Hogan won in his one and only Open appearance in 1953 to win the "Triple Crown". His achievement was so well regarded he returned to New York City to a ticker-tape parade. Peter Thomson became the first Australian winner, winning four times in five years between 1954 and 1958, and later winning

567-735: A high position in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). Five amateurs are also exempt from qualifying by winning various global amateur titles provided they maintain their amateur status prior to The Open. Another way of qualifying is to finish in a high position in the Open Qualifying Series of global events, which are about twelve tour events across the globe, run by various local golfing organisations. Any male professional golfer, male amateur golfer whose playing handicap does not exceed 0.4 (i.e. scratch) or has been within World Amateur Golf Ranking listing 1–2,000 during

630-462: A prevailing onshore breeze, changes in the wind direction and strength over the course of the tournament can mean each round of golf has to be played slightly differently. The courses are also famous for deep pot bunkers, and gorse bushes that make up the "rough". A golfer playing on a links course will often adapt his game so the flight of the ball is lower and so is less impacted by the wind, but this will make distance control more difficult. Also due to

693-559: A record only bettered by Harry Vardon , and he became regarded as one of the greatest links golf players of all time. In 1976, 19-year-old Spaniard Seve Ballesteros gained attention in the golfing world when he finished second. He would go on to win three Opens (1979, 1984, 1988), and was the first continental European to win since Arnaud Massy in 1907. Other multiple winners in this period were Englishman Nick Faldo with three (1987, 1990, 1992), and Australian Greg Norman with two (1986, 1993). Every year between 1994 and 2004 had

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756-452: A representative of the R&;A openly stated that it is a priority to "eradicate the term British Open" and have a single identity and brand of "The Open" in all countries. Tournament partners, such as the PGA Tour , now refer to it without "British" in the title, media rightsholders are contractually required to refer to the event as The Open Championship, and the official website has released

819-455: A single year. Although he finished second to Kel Nagle , he returned and won the Open in 1961 and 1962. Palmer was hugely popular in America, and his victories are likely to have been the first time many Americans would have seen the Open on television. This, along with the growth of trans-Atlantic jet travel, inspired many more Americans to travel in the future. The period is primarily defined by

882-490: A statement titled "Why it's called 'The Open' and not the 'British Open'" stating that "The Open is the correct name for the Championship. It is also the most appropriate". The R&A's stance has attracted criticism from some commentators. The R&A also run The Senior Open , the over 50s equivalent of the Open, which was officially known as the "Senior British Open" from its inception in 1987 until 2007, when "British"

945-502: A year. It used to be the responsibility of the winner to get his name engraved on the trophy, but 1967 winner Roberto De Vicenzo returned the trophy without having done so. Subsequently, the winner's name is already engraved on it when presented, which often results in television commentators speculating as to when it is safe for the engraver to start. "You know to have dreams, to have things that you think are unattainable, if you give up on them, what’s left? I am immensely proud my name

1008-475: Is also an official event on the Japan Golf Tour . Qualifying was introduced in 1907, and for much of its history, all players had to go through the qualification process. In the modern era, the majority of players get an exemption from qualification which is awarded for previous performance in the Open, performance in high-profile global tournaments (such as other majors ), performance in top golf tours , or

1071-573: Is on that Claret Jug." The winner of the Open is announced as "The Champion Golfer of the Year", a title which has been used since the first Open in 1860. He will nearly always pose for photos with the trophy sitting on one of the distinctive pot bunkers. Three-time winner Jack Nicklaus said holding the Claret Jug was like holding "a newborn baby", and on other players putting champagne or other drinks inside it to celebrate their Open win, he said "I never used

1134-432: Is recognised as one of the four major championships in golf, and is an official event on the PGA Tour , European Tour , and the Japan Golf Tour . The Open began in 1860, and for many years it was not the most-followed event in golf, as challenge matches between top golfers were more keenly followed and drew larger crowds. The Great Triumvirate dominated the Open between 1894 and 1914 and were primarily responsible for

1197-516: The 2024 Open at Royal Troon Golf Club with a score of 275. The first Open Championship was played on 17 October 1860 at Prestwick Golf Club in Ayrshire , Scotland , over three rounds of the twelve-hole links course. In the mid-19th century golf was played mainly by well-off gentlemen, as hand-crafted clubs and balls were expensive. Professionals made a living from playing for bets, caddying, ball and club making, and instruction. Allan Robertson

1260-568: The British Open , is the oldest golf tournament in the world, and one of the most prestigious. Founded in 1860, it was originally held annually at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland . Later the venue rotated between a select group of coastal links golf courses in the United Kingdom . It is organised by The R&A . The Open is one of the four men's major golf championships , the others being

1323-565: The Claret Jug , known officially as The Golf Champion Trophy, and hosting of the Open would be rotated between the three clubs. These decisions were taken too late for the trophy to be presented to the 1872 Open champion, who was once again Young Tom Morris. Instead, he was awarded with a medal inscribed 'The Golf Champion Trophy', although he is the first to be engraved on the Claret Jug as the 1872 winner. Medals have been given to, and kept by

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1386-404: The Claret Jug , which has been presented to the champion since 1873 (it was first awarded to Young Tom Morris in 1872, however the trophy was not ready in time—his name is the first to be engraved on it). The original trophy permanently resides on display in the R&A's Clubhouse at St Andrews. Therefore, the trophy that is presented at each Open is a replica which is retained by the winner for

1449-535: The Masters Tournament , the PGA Championship and the U.S. Open . Since the PGA Championship moved to May in 2019, the Open has been chronologically the fourth and final major tournament of the year. It is held in mid-July. It is called The Open because it is in theory "open" to all, i.e. professional and amateur golfers. In practice, the current event is a professional tournament in which a small number of

1512-505: The U.S. Open , and later many others. To distinguish it from their own national open, it became common in many countries to refer to the tournament as the "British Open". The R&A (the tournament's organiser) continued to refer to it as The Open Championship. During the interwar years , a period with many U.S.-based winners, the term British Open would occasionally be used during the trophy presentation and in British newspapers. In 2017,

1575-560: The "British Open Championship Fund", after a campaign by the American magazine Golf Illustrated . Five of these players were actually British born, and had emigrated to America to take advantage of the high demand for club professionals as the popularity of golf grew. A match was played between the Americans and a team of British professionals, which is seen as a forerunner of the Ryder Cup . When

1638-588: The 2017 Open at Royal Birkdale . American Phil Mickelson won his first Open, and fifth major, in 2013. In 2016, he was involved in an epic duel with Sweden's Henrik Stenson , which many people compared to the 1977 Duel in the Sun between Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson. Stenson emerged the winner, and the first Scandinavian winner of a male professional major championship, with a record Open (and major) score of 264 (−20), three shots ahead of Mickelson, and 14 shots ahead of third place. Jack Nicklaus shared his thoughts on

1701-512: The 21 tournaments held between 1894 and 1914; Vardon won six times (a record that still stands today) with Braid and Taylor winning five apiece. In the five tournaments in this span the Triumvirate did not win, one or more of them finished runner-up. These rivalries enormously increased the public's interest in golf, but the First World War meant another Open was not held until 1920, and none of

1764-525: The Challenge Belt). From 1864 onwards a cash prize was also paid to the winner. Before this the only financial incentive was scheduling Prestwick's own domestic tournament the same week, this allowed professionals to earn a few days' work caddying for the wealthier gentlemen. Willie Park, Sr. went on to win two more tournaments, and Old Tom Morris three more, before Young Tom Morris won three consecutive titles between 1868 and 1870. The rules stated that he

1827-646: The Claret Jug for anything other than what it symbolized – Champion Golfer of the Year." The first event was held as an invitational tournament, but the next year Prestwick Golf Club declared that "the belt... on all future occasions, shall be open to all the world". In its early years it was often referred to as The Championship but with the advent of the Amateur Championship in 1885, it became more common to refer to it as The Open Championship or simply The Open. The tournament inspired other national bodies to introduce open golf tournaments of their own, such as

1890-403: The Open in the same year. His bid came to a halt on Saturday with the worst round of his career up to that time, an 81 (+10) in cold, gusty rain. He went on to win again back-to-back in 2005 and 2006 to bring his total to three wins. Other multiple winners in this era are South African Ernie Els (2002, 2012) and Irishman Pádraig Harrington (2007, 2008). In 2009, 59-year-old Tom Watson led

1953-427: The Open is now one of the four majors in golf, along with the U.S. Open , PGA Championship , and Masters Tournament . The term "major" is a universally-acknowledged unofficial term used by players, the media, and golf followers to define the most important tournaments, and performance in them is often used to define the careers of the best golfers. There is often discussion amongst the golfing community as to whether

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2016-523: The Open was held two weeks later, one of these visitors, Jock Hutchison , a naturalised American citizen, won in St Andrews , the town of his birth. In 1922 Walter Hagen won the first of his four Opens, and become the first American-born winner. The period between 1923 and 1933 saw an American-based player win every year (two were British-born), and included three wins by amateur Bobby Jones , and one by Gene Sarazen , who had already won top tournaments in

2079-478: The Open, U.S. Open , or the Masters Tournament is the most prestigious major, but opinion varies (often linked to nationality). The PGA Championship is usually seen as the least prestigious of the four. In terms of official recognition, the tournament has been an event on the European Tour since its formation in 1972. In 1995, prize money won in the Open was included in the PGA Tour official money list for

2142-468: The United States. English players won every year between 1934 and 1939, including two wins by Henry Cotton (he would go on to win a third in 1948). After overcrowding issues at the 1925 Open at Prestwick, it was decided it was no longer suitable for the growing size of the event, being too short, having too many blind shots, and it could not cope with the volume of spectators. The Open's original venue

2205-415: The championship by 2 shots from Old Tom Morris , and he was declared "The Champion Golfer of the Year". A year later, it became "open" to amateurs as well as professionals. Ten professionals and eight amateurs contested the event, with Old Tom Morris winning the championship by 4 shots from Willie Park, Sr. A prize fund (£10) was introduced in 1863 split between 2nd, 3rd and 4th (the winner only received

2268-456: The competition between Player, Palmer, and Jack Nicklaus . Nicklaus won three times (1966, 1970, 1978) and had a record seven runner-ups. American Lee Trevino also made his mark winning his two Opens back to back in 1971 and 1972, the latter denying Nicklaus a calendar year Grand Slam. The only British champion in this period was Tony Jacklin , and it is also notable for having the first winner from Argentina , Roberto De Vicenzo . By 1975,

2331-406: The concept of the modern majors had been firmly established, and the PGA Championship had been moved to August since 1969, so no longer clashed with the Open. This meant the Open had a feel similar to the current tournament, with the leaders after 36 holes going off last (1957 onwards), all players having to use the "bigger ball" (1974 onwards), play spread over four days (1966 onwards, although

2394-457: The current calendar year, and any female golfer who finished in the top 5 and ties in the latest edition of any of the five women's majors is eligible to enter local qualifying. If they perform well they will go on to Final Qualifying, which is four simultaneous 36-hole one-day events held across the UK, with 12 players qualifying for the Open. If there are any spots left, then alternates are made up from

2457-464: The days were Wednesday to Saturday until 1980), and a field containing all the world's best players. American Tom Watson won in 1975. Turnberry hosted for the first time in 1977, and Watson won the Open for the second time, after one of the most celebrated contests in golf history, when his duel with Jack Nicklaus went to the final shot before Watson emerged as the champion. He would go on to win again in 1980, 1982 and 1983, to win 5 times overall,

2520-420: The final round, saying: "Phil Mickelson played one of the best rounds I have ever seen played in the Open and Henrik Stenson just played better—he played one of the greatest rounds I have ever seen". Francesco Molinari won the 2018 Open at Carnoustie by two shots, to become the first Italian major winner. Shane Lowry won the 2019 Open when the tournament returned to Royal Portrush Golf Club , to become

2583-478: The first time, a change that caused an increase in the number of American entries. In addition all previous PGA Tour seasons have been retroactively adjusted to include the Open in official money and win statistics. Currently the Open, along with the other three majors and The Players Championship , are the top-tier tournaments in the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup , offering more points than any other non-playoff event. The Open

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2646-515: The formation of the PGA in 1901 which had a big impact in promoting interest in professional golf (and therefore The Open) and increasing playing standards. Between the World Wars, the first wins by Americans were widely celebrated when they broke the dominance previously held by British players. After World War II , although the profile of the tournament remained high in the UK and Commonwealth countries,

2709-526: The highest ranked players in the OWGR who are not already qualified, which brings the total field up to 156 players. In 2018, the OWGR gave the Open a strength of field rating of 902 (the maximum possible is 1000 if the top 200 players in the world were all in a tournament). This was only bettered by the PGA Championship , a tournament which actively targets a high strength of field rating. Field : 156 players Basic Format : 72 hole stroke play . Play 18 holes

2772-447: The low prize money compared to the US events and the cost of travel meant fewer Americans participated. High-profile visits and wins by Ben Hogan and Arnold Palmer , the growth of cheaper and faster transatlantic flights , and the introduction of television coverage recovered its prestige. When the modern concept of the majors was cemented, the Open was included as one of those four. Thus,

2835-457: The modern era, much more frequently than the other courses used for the Open. Previous champions will often choose St Andrews as their final Open tournament. It has become traditional to come down the 18th fairway to huge applause from the amphitheatre crowds, and to pose for final pictures on the Swilken Bridge with the picturesque clubhouse and town in the background. The Open trophy is

2898-485: The newly built Muirfield , which replaced Musselburgh as the host venue used by the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers. A few years later St George's and Royal Liverpool in England were added to the rotation. From 1892 the tournament was increased in duration to four 18-hole rounds over two days (Prestwick had been extended to an 18-hole course by then ). Between 1898 and 1925 the tournament either had

2961-547: The older Willie Dunn by age 20, and travelled to St Andrews Links to play and learn that course. He issued a public challenge in 1853 to Robertson, generally recognised as the best player, which was, however, not taken up. Custom of the time allowed the best player to refuse a challenge of this sort without damage to his reputation. Park further fuelled controversy through his aggressive self-promotion, but this did lead to increased interest in golf rivalries, more press coverage, and more matches and tournaments being set up, developing

3024-403: The prize money. A larger golf ball was also used in America, which meant they had to adjust for the Open. In 1959, Gary Player , a young South African , won the first of his three Opens. Only four Americans had entered, but in 1960 Arnold Palmer travelled to Scotland after winning the Masters and U.S. Open , in an attempt to emulate Hogan's 1953 feat of winning all three tournaments in

3087-515: The professional game and increasing the incomes of players such as Park, Morris, and Robertson. He married Susanna Law in Inveresk , Scotland , on 29 March 1860. The couple would have ten children. Park's brother Mungo and his son Willie Jr. both also won the Open Championship. Mungo's victory came in 1874 and Willie Jr. had two wins, in 1887 and 1889 . Park died on 25 July 1903. He

3150-557: The second champion from the Republic of Ireland . In 2020, the Open Championship was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic . It was the first time the championship had been cancelled since World War II. The R&A also confirmed that Royal St George's , which would have hosted the championship in 2020, would be the host venue in 2021, effectively retaining the Old Course at St Andrews as

3213-467: The tournament through 71 holes and needed just a par on the last hole to become the oldest ever winner of a major championship, and also match Harry Vardon 's six Opens. Watson bogeyed, setting up a four-hole playoff, which he lost to Stewart Cink . In 2015, Jordan Spieth became another American to arrive having already won the year's Masters and U.S. Open tournaments. He finished tied for fourth as Zach Johnson became champion. Spieth would go on to win

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3276-409: The trio won another Open. In 1920 the Open returned, and The Royal and Ancient Golf Club became the sole organiser of the Open Championship. In 1926 they standardised the format of the tournament to spread over three days (18 holes on day 1 and 2, and 36 on day 3), and include both qualifying and a cut. In 1921 eleven U.S.-based players travelled to Scotland financed by a popular subscription called

3339-545: The venue for the 150th Open. The Open is always played on a coastal links golf course. Links golf is often described as the "purest" form of golf and keeps a connection with the way the game originated in Scotland in the 15th century. The terrain is open, often without any trees, and will generally be undulating with a sandy base. The golf courses are often primarily shaped by nature, rather than 'built'. Weather, particularly wind, plays an important role, and although there will be

3402-496: The windy conditions the speed of the greens are often slower than a golfer might be used to on the PGA Tour , to avoid the ball being moved by a gust. The Old Course at St Andrews is regarded as the oldest golf course in the world, and winning the Open there is widely considered to be one of the pinnacles of achievement in golf. Given the special status of the Old Course, the Open is generally played there once every five years in

3465-409: The winner ever since. Young Tom Morris died in 1875, aged 24. The tournament continued to be dominated and won by Scottish professionals, to be rotated between the three Scottish golf courses, and played over 36 holes in a single day until 1889. In the 1890s, the tournament was won four times by three Englishman (two of whom were amateurs). In 1892 the tournament was played for the first time at

3528-471: The world's leading amateurs also play, by invitation or qualification. The success of the tournament has led to many other open golf tournaments to be introduced around the world. The winner is named "the Champion Golfer of the Year", a title that dates to the first Open in 1860, and receives the Claret Jug , a trophy first awarded in 1872. The reigning champion is American Xander Schauffele , who won

3591-411: Was "The party winning the belt shall always leave the belt with the treasurer of the club until he produces a guarantee to the satisfaction of the above committee that the belt shall be safely kept and laid on the table at the next meeting to compete for it until it becomes the property of the winner by being won three times in succession". Eight golfers contested the event, with Willie Park, Sr. winning

3654-459: Was allowed to keep the belt for achieving this feat. Because no trophy was available, the tournament was not held in 1871. On 11 September 1872 agreement was reached between Prestwick, the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers and The Royal and Ancient Golf Club . They decided that each of the three clubs would contribute £10 towards the cost of a new silver trophy, which became known as

3717-460: Was announced that Real Club de Golf Sotogrande would be the new host venue for the Andalucía Masters. 41°34′16″N 2°03′18″E  /  41.571°N 2.055°E  / 41.571; 2.055 This article on a golf tournament is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . The Open Championship The Open Championship , often referred to as The Open or

3780-404: Was dropped from the name. The Women's Open , seen by some as the women's equivalent to the Open (although unlike the Open it is not always held on a links course, and was not run by the R&A until 2017) was officially known as the "Women's British Open" from its inception in 1976 until 2020, when the word "British" was dropped from the name as part of a sponsorship deal with AIG . The Open

3843-445: Was not the only unheralded champion during this span, as 396th-ranked Ben Curtis and 56th-ranked Todd Hamilton won in 2003 and 2004, respectively. In 2000, Tiger Woods , having just won the U.S. Open, became champion by a post-war record 8 strokes to become the youngest player to win the career Grand Slam at age 24. After winning the 2002 Masters and U.S. Open, he became the latest American to try to emulate Ben Hogan and win

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3906-557: Was replaced on the rota with Carnoustie , which hosted for the first time in 1931. Troon hosted for the first time in 1923, and Royal Lytham & St Annes was also added, hosting for the first time in 1926. Prince's hosted its one and only Open in 1932. The Open returned after the Second World War to St Andrews, with a victory for American Sam Snead . Bobby Locke became the first South African winner, winning three times in four years between 1949 and 1952, and later winning

3969-486: Was the most famous of these pros, and was regarded as the undisputed best golfer between 1843 and his death in 1859. James Ogilvie Fairlie of Prestwick Golf Club decided to form a competition in 1860, "to be played for by professional golfers", and to decide who would succeed Robertson as the "Champion Golfer". Blackheath (England), Perth , Bruntsfield (Edinburgh), Musselburgh and St Andrews golf clubs were invited to send up to three of their best players known as

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