Contents

1 Introduction 2 History 3 Host courses 4 Exemptions and qualifying events 5 Records 6 Winners of The Open Championship 7 Multiple winners 8 External Links:

Introduction

The Open Championship, typically referred to in North America as the British Open, is the oldest of the four major championships in men's golf. Each year the event is hosted by one of several prestigious golf clubs in Britain; however, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A) administers The Open regardless of its site. It is always played on a links course.

The Open Championship is played in July, and is the third major to take place each year, after The Masters Tournament and the U.S. Open, but before the PGA Championship. It has been an official event on the PGA TOUR since 1995, which means that the prize money won in the Open by PGA Tour members is included on the official money list. In addition, all Open Championships before that date have been retrospectively classified as PGA Tour wins, and the list of leading winners on the PGA Tour has been adjusted to reflect this. The PGA European Tour has always recognized The Open as an official event.

History

The Open Championship was first played on 17 October 1860 at Prestwick Golf Club. The inaugural tournament was restricted to professionals, and attracted a field of eight, who played three rounds of Prestwick's then twelve hole course in a single day. Willie Park Senior won with a score of 174, beating the favourite, Old Tom Morris, by two strokes. The following year the tournament was opened to amateurs and eight of them entered, as well as ten professionals.

Originally, the trophy presented to the event's winner was the Champion's Belt, a red leather belt with a silver buckle. There was no prize money in the first three Opens. In 1863 a prize fund of £10 (then $50) was introduced, which was shared between the second third and fourth placed professionals, with the Champion still just getting to keep the belt for a year. In 1863 Old Tom Morris won the first Champion's cash prize of £6. By 2004 the winners cheque had increased one hundred and twenty thousand fold to £720,000, or perhaps two thousand fold after allowing for inflation. The Champions Belt was retired in 1870, when Tom Morris, Jr was allowed to keep it for winning the tournament three consecutive times. It was then replaced by the present trophy, the Claret Jug.

Prestwick Golf Club administered The Open from 1860 to 1870. In 1871, it agreed to organise it jointly with The Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews and The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers. In 1892 the event was doubled in length from thirty six to seventy two holes, that is four rounds of what was by then the standard complement of eighteen holes. In the same year the prize fund reached £100. Due to an increasing number of entrants, a cut was introduced after two rounds in 1898. In 1920 full responsibility for The Open Championship was handed over to The Royal and Ancient Golf Club.

The early winners were all Scottish professionals, who in those days worked as greenkeepers, clubmakers, and caddies to supplement their modest winnings from championships and challenge matches. The Open has always been dominated by professionals, amateurs only accumulating six wins, all of them between 1890 and 1930. The last of these was Bobby Jones' third Open and part of his celebrated Grand Slam. Jones was one of four Americans who won The Open between the First and Second World Wars, the first of whom had been Walter Hagen in 1922. These Americans and the French winner of the 1907 Open, Arnaud Massy, were the only winners from outside Scotland and England up to 1939.

The first post World War II winner was the American Sam Snead in 1946. In 1947 Fred Daly of Northern Ireland was victorious. While there have been many English and Scottish champions, Daly remains the only winner from either side of the Irish border, and there has never been a Welsh champion. Otherwise the early post war years The Open was dominated by golfers from the Commonwealth, with South African Bobby Locke and Australian Peter Thomson winning the Claret Jug in nine of the eleven championships from 1948 and 1958 between them.

Another South African, Gary Player was Champion in 1959. This was at the beginning of the "Big Three" era in professional golf, the three players in question being Player, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. Palmer first competed in 1960, when he came second to the little known Australian Kel Nagle, but he won the two following years. While he was far from being the first American Open Champion, he was the first of their compatriots that many Americans saw win the tournament on television, and his charismatic success is often credited with persuading leading American golfers to make the "British Open" a routine part of their schedule, rather than an optional extra. Of course, the spread of trans-Atlantic air travel also helped a great deal.

Nicklaus' Open Championship victories came in 1966, 1970 and 1978. This tally of three wins isn't very remarkable, and indeed he won all of the other three majors more often, but it greatly understates how prominent he was at the tournament throughout the 1960s and 1970s. He finished in the top five sixteen times, which is tied most in Open history with John Henry Taylor and easily the most in the post war era. This included seven second places. Nicklaus holds the records for most rounds under par (61) and most aggregates under par (14). At Turnberry in 1977 he was involved in one of the most celebrated contests in golf history, when his duel with Tom Watson went to the final shot before Watson emerged as the champion for the second time.

Watson won five Opens, more than anyone else has since the 1950s, but his final win in 1983 brought down the curtain on an era of U.S. domination. In the next eleven years there was only won American winner, with the others coming from Europe and the Commonwealth. The European winners of this era, Spaniard Seve Ballesteros, Sandy Lyle, who was the first Scottish winner for over half a century, and the Englishman Nick Faldo, were also leading lights among the group of players who began to get the better of the Americans in the Ryder Cup during this period.

In 1995, The Open became part of the PGA Tour's official schedule. John Daly's win in that year, which was a huge surprise even though he had won a major before, began another era of American domination. Tiger Woods won his first and so far his only Open in 2000. There was a dramatic television moment that year at St Andrews, as the aging Jack Nicklaus waved farewell to the crowds while the athletic young pretender to his crown as the greatest golfer of all time watched from a nearby tee. In 2002, all Open wins before 1995 were retrospectively classified as PGA Tour wins. Recent years have been notable for the number of wins by previously obscure golfers, including Paul Lawrie in 1999, Ben Curtis in 2003 and Todd Hamilton in 2004.

Host courses

From 1860-1870, The Open Championship was organised by and played at Prestwick Golf Club. Since it was revived in 1872 after a lapse of one year, it has always been played at a number of courses in rotation. Initially there were three courses in the rotation, namely Prestwick, St Andrews, and Musselburgh. In 1893 Royal St George's and Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake were invited to join the rotation. Since then a handful of further clubs have been added, and a few have been dropped.

There are eight or nine courses in the current rotation:

• St Andrews: In 1872 the "Home of Golf" became the second course to host the Open. Nowadays, it does so more often than any other course.
• Muirfield: Muirfield is a private course which was built for The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, one of the trio of clubs which ran The Open in the 1870s and 1880s. It first staged The Championship in 1892, just nine months after it had been built.
• Royal St George's: This course is in the county of Kent in Southern England. In 1894 it became the first Open venue outside Scotland.
• Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake: The home of the Royal Liverpool Golf Club, which is often referred to simply as "Hoylake", joined the rotation in 1897 and hosted ten Opens up to 1967. After a 39 year absence from the rotation, it will be hosting the 2006 Open Championship.
• Royal Troon: This Scottish course has been in the rotation since 1923.
• Royal Lytham & St Annes: An English course which first hosted The Open in 1926, and entered the rotation in 1952.
• Carnoustie: Another Scottish course, Carnoustie first hosted The Open in 1931, and it rejoined the rotation in 1999 after being excluded for several decades.
• Royal Birkdale: An English course which has been in the rotation since 1954.
• Turnberry: A course in Scotland which hosted The Open in 1977, 1986 and 1994. It will not be doing so again any earlier than 2009, so it might be considered to have been dropped.

Courses which are no longer in the rotation:

• Prestwick Golf Club: The founder club was dropped from the rotation in 1925, by which time it had hosted twenty four Opens.
• Musselburgh: Musselburgh is a public course which was used by the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers. When that club built Muirfield, Musselburgh dropped out of the rotation.
• Royal Cinque Ports: This course in Kent, England hosted the Open in 1909 and 1920.
• Prince's Golf Club: This course is also in Kent. It hosted its only Open in 1932.
• Royal Portrush: The 1951 Open was staged at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, which remains the only time it has taken place outside of Great Britain.

Exemptions and qualifying events

The field for the Open is 156, and golfers may gain a place in three ways. Around two thirds of the field is made up of leading players who are given exemptions. The rest of the field is made up of players who were successful in "Local Qualifying" and those who came through "International Qualifying".

There are almost thirty exemption categories. Among the more significant are:

• The top 50 on the Official World Golf Rankings. This key sweep up category is now used by all four majors, and it means that no member of the current elite of world golf will be excluded. Until quite recently, this was not necessarily the case at the majors.
• The top 20 in the previous season's PGA Tour money list and PGA European Tour order of merit. Most but not all of these players will also be in the World top 50.
• All previous Open Champions who will be age 65 or under on the final day of the tournament.
• All players who have won one of the other three majors in the previous five years.
• The top 10 from the previous year's Open Championship.

Among other things, the additional exemption categories ensure that all the member tours of the International Federation of PGA Tours are represented, and that there are some amateur competitors. Full details of all the exemption categories can be found here.

Local Qualifying is the traditional way for non-exempt players to win a place at The Open. It comprises 16 eighteen hole "Regional Qualifying" competitions around Britain and Ireland a week and a half before the event, with successful competitors moving on to the four thirty-six hole "Local Final Qualifying" tournaments a few days later. There are now twelve places available through Local Qualifying, though there used to be far more.

Local Qualifying is open to players from all over the world, and it used to attract some big names. In order to make it easier for professionals from outside Britain and Ireland to compete for a place, the R&A introduced International Qualifying in 2004. This comprises five 36 hole qualifying events, one each in Africa, Australasia, Asia, America and Europe. Only players who have a rating in the Official World Golf Rankings may enter, which is a more stringent standard than for Local Qualifying. Thirty six places are available in International Qualifying. Eligible players may choose whether to enter local qualifying or international qualifying, but they may not enter both. For full details on qualification see here.

Records

• Oldest winner: Tom Morris, Sr. (46 years, 99 days), 1867.
• Youngest winner: Tom Morris, Jr. (17 years, 5 months, 8 days), 1868.
• Most victories: 6, Harry Vardon (1896, 1898, 1899, 1903, 1911, 1914).
• Lowest absolute 72-hole score: 267, Greg Norman (66-68-69-64), 1993.
• Lowest 72-hole score in relation to par: -19, Tiger Woods (67-66-67-69, 269), 2000.

There is an extensive records section on the official site here.

Winners of The Open Championship

Year	Venue	Champion	Country
2008	Royal Birkdale
2007	Carnoustie
2006	Royal Liverpool GC, Hoylake
2005	St Andrews
2004	Royal Troon	Todd Hamilton	United States
2003	Royal St George's	Ben Curtis	United States
2002	Muirfield	Ernie Els	South Africa
2001	Royal Lytham & St Annes	David Duval	United States
2000	St Andrews	Tiger Woods	United States
1999	Carnoustie	Paul Lawrie	Scotland
1998	Royal Birkdale	Mark O'Meara	United States
1997	Royal Troon	Justin Leonard	United States
1996	Royal Lytham & St Annes	Tom Lehman	United States
1995	St Andrews	John Daly	United States
1994	Turnberry	Nick Price	Zimbabwe
1993	Royal St George's	Greg Norman	Australia
1992	Muirfield	Nick Faldo	England
1991	Royal Birkdale	Ian Baker-Finch	Australia
1990	St Andrews	Nick Faldo	England
1989	Royal Troon	Mark Calcavecchia	United States
1988	Royal Lytham & St Annes	Seve Ballesteros	Spain
1987	Muirfield	Nick Faldo	England
1986	Turnberry	Greg Norman	Australia
1985	Royal St George's	Sandy Lyle	Scotland
1984	St Andrews	Seve Ballesteros	Spain
1983	Royal Birkdale	Tom Watson	United States
1982	Royal Troon	Tom Watson	United States
1981	Royal St George's	Bill Rogers	United States
1980	Muirfield	Tom Watson	United States
1979	Royal Lytham & St Annes	Seve Ballesteros	Spain
1978	St Andrews	Jack Nicklaus	United States
1977	Turnberry	Tom Watson	United States
1976	Royal Birkdale	Johnny Miller	United States
1975	Carnoustie	Tom Watson	United States
1974	Royal Lytham & St Annes	Gary Player	South Africa
1973	Royal Troon	Tom Weiskopf	United States
1972	Muirfield	Lee Trevino	United States
1971	Royal Birkdale	Lee Trevino	United States
1970	St Andrews	Jack Nicklaus	United States
1969	Royal Lytham & St Annes	Tony Jacklin	England
1968	Carnoustie	Gary Player	South Africa
1967	Royal Liverpool GC, Hoylake	Roberto DeVicenzo	Argentina
1966	Muirfield	Jack Nicklaus	United States
1965	Royal Birkdale	Peter Thomson	Australia
1964	St Andrews	Tony Lema	United States
1963	Royal Lytham & St Annes	Bob Charles	New Zealand
1962	Royal Troon	Arnold Palmer	United States
1961	Royal Birkdale	Arnold Palmer	United States
1960	St Andrews	Kel Nagle	Australia
1959	Muirfield	Gary Player	South Africa
1958	Royal Lytham & St Annes	Peter Thomson	Australia
1957	St Andrews	Bobby Locke	South Africa
1956	Royal Liverpool GC, Hoylake	Peter Thomson	Australia
1955	St Andrews	Peter Thomson	Australia
1954	Royal Birkdale	Peter Thomson	Australia
1953	Carnoustie	Ben Hogan	United States
1952	Royal Lytham & St Annes	Bobby Locke	South Africa
1951	Royal Portrush	Max Faulkner	England
1950	Royal Troon	Bobby Locke	South Africa
1949	Royal St George's	Bobby Locke	South Africa
1948	Muirfield	Henry Cotton	England
1947	Royal Liverpool GC, Hoylake	Fred Daly	Northern Ireland
1946	St Andrews	Sam Snead	United States
1940-1945	No Championships	N/A	N/A
1939	St Andrews	Richard Burton	England
1938	Royal St George's	Reg Whitcombe	England
1937	Carnoustie	Henry Cotton	England
1936	Royal Liverpool GC, Hoylake	Alf Padgham	England
1935	Muirfield	Alf Perry	England
1934	Royal St George's	Henry Cotton	England
1933	St Andrews	Denny Shute	United States
1932	Prince's Golf Club	Gene Sarazen	United States
1931	Carnoustie	Tommy Armour	Scotland
1930	Royal Liverpool GC, Hoylake	Bobby Jones (Am)	United States
1929	Muirfield	Walter Hagen	United States
1928	Royal St George's	Walter Hagen	United States
1927	St Andrews	Bobby Jones (Am)	United States
1926	Royal Lytham & St Annes	Bobby Jones (Am)	United States
1925	Prestwick Golf Club	Jim Barnes	England
1924	Royal Liverpool GC, Hoylake	Walter Hagen	United States
1923	Royal Troon	Arthur Havers	England
1922	Royal St George's	Walter Hagen	United States
1921	St Andrews	Jock Hutchison	Scotland
1920	Royal Cinque Ports	George Duncan	Scotland
1915-19	No Championships	N/A	N/A
1914	Prestwick Golf Club	Harry Vardon	England
1913	Royal Liverpool GC, Hoylake	John Henry Taylor	England
1912	Scotland	Edward Ray	England
1911	Royal St George's	Harry Vardon	England
1910	St Andrews	James Braid	Scotland
1909	Royal Cinque Ports	John Henry Taylor	England
1908	Prestwick Golf Club	James Braid	Scotland
1907	Royal Liverpool GC, Hoylake	Arnaud Massy	France
1906	Scotland	James Braid	Scotland
1905	St Andrews	James Braid	Scotland
1904	Royal St George's	Jack White	Scotland
1903	Prestwick Golf Club	Harry Vardon	England
1902	Royal Liverpool GC, Hoylake	Alexander Herd	Scotland
1901	Scotland	James Braid	Scotland
1900	St Andrews	John Henry Taylor	England
1899	Royal St George's	Harry Vardon	England
1898	Prestwick Golf Club	Harry Vardon	England
1897	Royal Liverpool GC, Hoylake	Harold Hilton (Am)	England
1896	Muirfield	Harry Vardon	England
1895	St Andrews	John Henry Taylor	England
1894	Royal St George's	John Henry Taylor	England
1893	Prestwick Golf Club	William Auchterlonie	Scotland
1892	Muirfield	Harold Hilton (Am)	England
1891	St Andrews	Hugh Kirkaldy	Scotland
1890	Prestwick Golf Club	John Ball, Jnr (Am)	England
1889	Musselburgh	Willie Park, Jnr	Scotland
1888	St Andrews	Jack Burns	Scotland
1887	Prestwick Golf Club	Willie Park, Jnr	Scotland
1886	Musselburgh	David Brown	Scotland
1885	St Andrews	Bob Martin	Scotland
1884	Prestwick Golf Club	Jack Simpson	Scotland
1883	Musselburgh	Willie Ferrie	Scotland
1882	St Andrews	Robert Ferguson	Scotland
1881	Prestwick Golf Club	Robert Ferguson	Scotland
1880	Musselburgh	Robert Ferguson	Scotland
1879	St Andrews	Jamie Anderson	Scotland
1878	Prestwick Golf Club	Jamie Anderson	Scotland
1877	Musselburgh	Jamie Anderson	Scotland
1876	St Andrews	Bob Martin	Scotland
1875	Prestwick Golf Club	Willie Park, Snr	Scotland
1874	Musselburgh	Mungo Park	Scotland
1873	St Andrews	Tom Kidd	Scotland
1872	Prestwick Golf Club	Tom Morris, Jnr	Scotland
1871	No championship	N/A	N/A
1870	Prestwick Golf Club	Tom Morris, Jnr	Scotland
1869	Prestwick Golf Club	Tom Morris, Jnr	Scotland
1868	Prestwick Golf Club	Tom Morris, Jnr	Scotland
1867	Prestwick Golf Club	Tom Morris, Snr	Scotland
1866	Prestwick Golf Club	Willie Park, Snr	Scotland
1865	Prestwick Golf Club	Andrew Strath	Scotland
1864	Prestwick Golf Club	Tom Morris, Snr	Scotland
1863	Prestwick Golf Club	Willie Park, Snr	Scotland
1862	Prestwick Golf Club	Tom Morris, Snr	Scotland
1861	Prestwick Golf Club	Tom Morris, Snr	Scotland
1860	Prestwick Golf Club	Willie Park, Snr	Scotland

Am = Amateur

Multiple winners

Players with more than one Open Championship victory to 2004 inclusive:

• 6 times: Harry Vardon
• 5 times: Peter Thomson, James Braid, J.H. Taylor, Tom Watson
• 4 times: Walter Hagen, Bobby Locke,
• 3 times: Willie Park, Snr, Jamie Anderson, Robert Ferguson , Bobby Jones, Henry Cotton, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros
• 2 times: Willie Park, Jnr, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Greg Norman

External Links:

• Official web site