BRITISH OPEN EXPERIENCE:
First year played: 1860
2012 Location: Lancashire, England
2012 Course: Royal Lytham & St Annes
Formal Name: The Open Championship, The Open
British Open Notable Players: Tiger Woods, Nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros
Most wins British Open: 6 - Harry Vardon
Youngest British Open winner: Young Tom Morris (17)
Oldest British Open winner: Tom Morris (46)
Widest Margin of Victory: Tom Morris won by 13 strokes in 1862
The British Open, known officially as simply "the Open Championship", is one of the four "major" annual golf tournaments. It is also the oldest of the majors and the only to be held outside the United States. The Open is the third major played in the golf season and is held the weekend of the third Friday in July. The British Open was first held in 1860 at Prestwick Golf Club and is one of the most revered traditions in all of sports. The British Open is a unique experience for golf fans to visit the historic courses of the UK and see their golf heroes play on a style of course similar to that on which golf was founded.
The winner of the British Open receives a generous prize of more than $8 million and receives the coveted Golf Champion Trophy, also known as the Claret Jug, awarded since 1871. At the end of 72 holes, if golfers are tied, players play a four-hole playoff beginning with the 1st hole, then the 16th through 18th. If still tied, the players repeat the 18th hole until a champion emerges. Some of the most notable winners of the British Open include Bobby Jones - the last amateur to win, Harry Vardon, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and Tiger Woods just to name a few.
The Open Championship rotates host countries every year from England to Scotland, except for 2011 and 2012 when it will be held in England consecutively. Each of these countries have four courses that are on regular rotation, except Scotland’s Old Course at St Andrews, which is the course that is played every fifth year. The following are the course on rotation:
Scotland
Old Course at St Andrews
Carnoustie Golf Links
Muirfield
The Turnberry Resort
Royal Troon Golf Club
England
Royal St George's Golf Club
Royal Birkdale Golf Club
Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club
Royal Liverpool Golf Club
Attending a British Open is a dream come true for golf fans giving them the chance to see the land where golf was first played, to see their favorite golfers compete in a different setting and on a different style of course, and to experience the pageantry and traditions of golf in Great Britain. Buy British Open tickets today and don’t miss the golf experience of a lifetime!
See Also:
British Open Preview History