Everything You Need To Know About The British Open, Even How To Attend

The British Open

The British Open, or “The Open Championship” as it is referred to officially, is the oldest of all four major championships in professional golf – The Masters, The US Open, The Open, and The PGA Championship.  The Open Championship was first played on October 17, 1860 at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland.  While the other three majors are played in the United States, The Open is played outside the U.S. as it is administered by the R&A – the governing body of golf outside the U.S. and Mexico.

The tournament is held every year on one of nine links courses amidst Scotland and England.  While it was played once at Northern Ireland’s Royal Portrush in 1951, The Open has not returned since.  While The Open Championship has been played 60 times in Scotland, 48 times in England, and once in Ireland, there is no strict rule.  The R&A appoints the host of the championship typically five years in advance.

The Open is always played on the weekend of the third Friday in July.  It is a 72-hole stroke play tournament with a cut at the end of the first two rounds, limiting the field to the top 70 players and ties.  In the event of a tie after 72 holes, The Open features a four-hole playoff and continues to sudden-death if a winner has still not emerged.

Over the years of The Open Championship, several awards have been given out for various achievements.  Some of these include the Challenge Belt, The Gold Medal, The Silver Medal, and the Bronze Medal.  Today perhaps the most prized award is The Claret Jug.  Also known as the Golf Champion Trophy, it replaced the Challenge Belt and has been awarded to the winner each year since 1873.

British Open Courses in Scotland

Old Course at St Andrews:

The ”Home of Golf”. The Old Course has played host to the greatest golfers in the world and produced many of golf’s dramatic moments. Wide double fairways, seven extensive double greens, and a multitude of intimidating bunkers are just some of the unique features you will encounter.
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Carnoustie Golf Links, Championship Course:

Host to the British Open on seven occasions and considered by many to be the most challenging of all Open venues. While the links is relatively flat it is exposed to the elements. A combination of length and accuracy are required from the tee and approach shots demand precision to the greens heavily guarded by steep bunkers and burns. Arguably the toughest finishing holes in championship golf, the course gained much praise following a testing but fair set up for the 2007 Open Championship.
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Muirfield:

Home to Honorable Company of Edinburgh Golfers since 1744, Muirfield has a distinctive design with the front nine wrapping along the outside of the links and the back nine circling the interior.  Over the winters of 2010 and 2011, changes at 15 holes were made, including the introduction of new bunkers in selected drive areas; the relocation of green-side bunkers to tighten the entrances to greens; the extension of greens to provide more championship pin positions, and the introduction of six new championship tees taking the course to 7245 yards in length.
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The Turnberry Resort, Ailsa Course:

Lying on a spectacular curve of rockbound coast in the southern reaches of Ayrshire. The coastal scenery is magnificent especially from the 4th through the 11th passing the famous landmark lighthouse at the turn. This is a demanding links, and an ever present wind will make for a tough examination of your golfing skills. In 2009, the Ailsa Course hosted the Open Championship for the 4th time when golfing legend Tom Watson lost out to Stewart Cink in a playoff for the Claret Jug.
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Royal Troon Golf Club, Old Course:

Eight time venue of the British Open, the course is scheduled to host the 2016 Championship. It is consistently praised for its testing but fair set up. A long and demanding links, Troon unusually boasts both the longest and the shortest holes in Open Championship golf, being the Postage Stamp 8th at 126 yards, and the 6th at 577 yards 6th named Turnberry.
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British Open Courses in England

Royal St George’s Golf Club:

Located on the Kent Coast of England. The first course in England to host the Open Championship in 1894, it has been a host venue on twelve occasions since that day. A links course full of awkward twists and turns each designed to derail an overconfident approach. The Open returned to Royal St. George’s in 2003 when Ben Curtis came out on top. The course is scheduled to once again host the Open Championship in 2011.

The Course

Royal Birkdale Golf Club:

A course that provides a formidable test of links golf and fully deserves its recognition as a true venue for the Open Championship. Each hole runs in valleys between towering sand hills. The problems are clearly stated, if you stray from the fairway the buckthorn and scrub can be demanding. The Open was last played at Birkdale in 2008 when Padraig Harrington lifted the Claret Jug for back to back Open Championships.

The Course

Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club:

Arguably the toughest of England’s championship links courses. Unusual for a British links it does not sit beside the sea. Its main defense is the vast numbers of deep bunkers guarding both the fairways as well as the greens. It enjoys a very special atmosphere. It was here in 1926 that Bobby Jones won the British Open Championship; his legendary shot to the 17th green is commemorated by a plaque.

The Course

Royal Liverpool Golf Club:

Despite its somewhat flat and benign appearance, Royal Liverpool is among the toughest and most demanding of the great seaside championship links of Britain. Hoylake, as it is more commonly known, lies at the very heart of the history and development of golf in Britain. Built in 1869, on what was then the racecourse of the Liverpool Hunt Club, Hoylake is one of the oldest English seaside courses.

The Course

Future Open Championship Venues

When: July 17-20,  2014

    • Edition: 143rd

    • Course: Royal Liverpool Golf Club

    • Town: Hoylake

    • County: Merseyside

    • Country: England

When: July 16-19, 2015

    • Edition: 144th

    • Course: Old Course at St Andrews

    • Town: St Andrews

    • County: Fife

    • Country: Scotland

When: July 21-24, 2016

    • Edition: 145th

    • Course: Royal Troon Golf Club

    • Town: Troon

    • County: Ayrshire

    • Country: Scotland

2015 British Open at St Andrews by Sea
England, Ireland & Scotland on board Azamara Quest

14 Nights | 7 Rounds | Attend the Open at St Andrews
Southampton – Edinburgh | 4 – 18 July 2015

 

Join PerryGolf in July of 2015 for what will surely be our finest British Open Golf Cruise yet!

Our 14 night voyage will begin in Southampton, England for its journey through the British Isles including eleven ports-of-call en route to St Andrews for attendance to the 144th Open Championship at the legendary Old Course. The itinerary is beautifully balanced with famous city experiences such as Liverpool, Dublin and Edinburgh along with visits to the charming island of Guernsey and the Isle of Man. We’ll explore the great beauty of the Scotland’s Hebridean archipelago with visits to the isles of Skye and Lewis before sailing on to the Scottish Highlands and to Edinburgh and The Open at St Andrews.

The golf arrangements are exceptional. Your biggest decision may well be whether to join the Tom Morris flight or the Arnold Palmer flight. Either way, you are assured of seven fabulous rounds including Royal Clubs, Open Championship and Ryder Cup venues. The PerryGolf staff will oversee all aspects of your golf experience from daily pairings and scoring to caddie arrangements and the handling of your golf clubs, which will be set up at each club awaiting your arrival from the ship.

The on board experience with Azamara is to want for nothing. Our companies partnered in 2013 for our British Open golf cruise to Muirfield and found an ideal match of form and function. The 694 passenger Quest is large enough to provide every comfort and amenity, yet nimble enough to navigate smaller harbours. Azamara is recognized as a specialist for “destination immersion” by providing more time in port than other major cruise lines. You’ll find an impressive selection of Land Discoveries® that you can enjoy to their fullest. PerryGolf also offers accompanying non-golfing spouses the option to attend Friday’s play of the 144th British Open Golf Championship. It really is the perfect vacation for golfers and non-golfers alike!

Forty-two suites are available on Quest, each attended by English-style butler service. Dining, wine, beer, spirits, coffees and sodas plus shuttle service to and from port communities, and more is inclusive along with all gratuities. Better yet, three half days at sea are scheduled for you to unwind with the help of this outstanding vessel.

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VIDEO Ship Tour

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Client Comments ~2013 British Open Golf Cruise to Muirfield

The Open Championship Records

  • Oldest winner: Old Tom Morris (46 years, 99 days), 1867.

  • Youngest winner: Young Tom Morris (17 years, 156 days), 1868.[20]

  • Most victories: 6, Harry Vardon (1896, 1898, 1899, 1903, 1911, 1914).

  • Most consecutive victories: 4, Young Tom Morris (1868, 1869, 1870, 1872 – there was no championship in 1871).

  • Lowest 36-hole score: 130, Nick Faldo (66-64), 1992; Brandt Snedeker (66-64), 2012.

  • Lowest 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 (a record for all major championships).

  • Greatest victory margin: 13 strokes, Old Tom Morris, 1862. This remained a record for all majors until 2000, when Woods won the U.S. Open by 15 strokes at Pebble Beach. Old Tom’s 13-stroke margin was achieved over just 36 holes.

  • Lowest 18-hole score: 63 – Mark Hayes, 2nd round, 1977; Isao Aoki, 3rd, 1980; Greg Norman, 2nd, 1986; Paul Broadhurst, 3rd, 1990; Jodie Mudd, 4th, 1991; Nick Faldo, 2nd, 1993; Payne Stewart, 4th, 1993; Rory McIlroy, 1st, 2010.

  • Lowest 18-hole score in relation to par: –9, Paul Broadhurst, 3rd, 1990; Rory McIlroy, 1st, 2010.

Past Open Championship Winners

Year Venue Champion Country Winning Score 1st Prize
2013 Muirfield Phil Mickelson  United States 281 (–3) £ 945 000
2012 Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club Ernie Els (2)  South Africa 273 (−7) £ 900 000
2011 Royal St George’s Golf Club Darren Clarke  Northern Ireland 275 (−5) £ 900 000
2010 St Andrews Louis Oosthuizen  South Africa 272 (−16) £ 850 000
2009 Turnberry Stewart Cink  United States 278 (−2)PO £ 750 000
2008 Royal Birkdale Golf Club Pádraig Harrington (2)  Ireland 283 (+3) £ 750 000
2007 Carnoustie Golf Links Pádraig Harrington  Ireland 277 (−7)PO £ 750 000
2006 Royal Liverpool Golf Club Tiger Woods (3)  United States 270 (−18) £ 720 000
2005 St Andrews Tiger Woods (2)  United States 274 (−14) £ 720 000
2004 Royal Troon Golf Club Todd Hamilton  United States 274 (−10)PO £ 720 000
2003 Royal St George’s Golf Club Ben Curtis  United States 283 (−1) £ 700 000
2002 Muirfield Ernie Els  South Africa 278 (−6)PO £ 700 000
2001 Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club David Duval  United States 274 (−10) £ 600 000
2000 St Andrews Tiger Woods  United States 269 (−19) £ 500 000
1999 Carnoustie Golf Links Paul Lawrie  Scotland 290 (+6)PO £ 350 000
1998 Royal Birkdale Golf Club Mark O’Meara  United States 280 (E)PO £ 300 000
1997 Royal Troon Golf Club Justin Leonard  United States 272 (−12) £ 250 000
1996 Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club Tom Lehman  United States 271 (−13) £ 200 000
1995 St Andrews John Daly  United States 282 (−6)PO £ 125 000
1994 Turnberry Nick Price  Zimbabwe 268 (−12) £ 110 000
1993 Royal St George’s Golf Club Greg Norman (2)  Australia 267 (−13) £ 100 000
1992 Muirfield Nick Faldo (3)  England 272 (−12) £ 95 000
1991 Royal Birkdale Golf Club Ian Baker-Finch  Australia 272 (−8) £ 90 000
1990 St Andrews Nick Faldo (2)  England 270 (−18) £ 85 000
1989 Royal Troon Golf Club Mark Calcavecchia  United States 275 (−13)PO £ 80 000
1988 Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club Seve Ballesteros (3)  Spain 273 (−11) £ 80 000
1987 Muirfield Nick Faldo  England 279 (−5) £ 75 000
1986 Turnberry Greg Norman  Australia 280 (E) £ 70 000
1985 Royal St George’s Golf Club Sandy Lyle  Scotland 282 (+2) £ 65 000
1984 St Andrews Seve Ballesteros (2)  Spain 276 (−12) £ 55 000
1983 Royal Birkdale Golf Club Tom Watson (5)  United States 275 (−9) £ 40 000
1982 Royal Troon Golf Club Tom Watson (4)  United States 284 (−4) £ 32 000
1981 Royal St George’s Golf Club Bill Rogers  United States 276 (−4) £ 25 000
1980 Muirfield Tom Watson (3)  United States 271 (−13) £ 25 000
1979 Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club Seve Ballesteros  Spain 283 (−1) £ 15 000
1978 St Andrews Jack Nicklaus (3)  United States 281 (−7) £ 12 500
1977 Turnberry Tom Watson (2)  United States 268 (−12) £ 10 000
1976 Royal Birkdale Golf Club Johnny Miller  United States 279 (−9) £ 7 500
1975 Carnoustie Golf Links Tom Watson  United States 279 (−5)PO £ 7 500
1974 Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club Gary Player (3)  South Africa 282 (−2) £ 5 500
1973 Troon Golf Club Tom Weiskopf  United States 276 (−12) £ 5 500
1972 Muirfield Lee Trevino (2)  United States 278 (−6) £ 5 500
1971 Royal Birkdale Golf Club Lee Trevino  United States 278 (−10) £ 5 500
1970 St Andrews Jack Nicklaus (2)  United States 283 (−5)PO £ 5 250
1969 Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club Tony Jacklin  England 280 (−4) £ 4 250
1968 Carnoustie Golf Links Gary Player (2)  South Africa 289 (+1) £ 3 000
1967 Royal Liverpool Golf Club Roberto De Vicenzo  Argentina 278 (−10) £ 2 100
1966 Muirfield Jack Nicklaus  United States 282 (−2) £ 2 100
1965 Royal Birkdale Golf Club Peter Thomson (5)  Australia 285 (−3) £ 1 750
1964 St Andrews Tony Lema  United States 279 (−9) £ 1 500
1963 Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club Bob Charles  New Zealand 277 (−7)PO £ 1 500
1962 Troon Golf Club Arnold Palmer (2)  United States 276 (−12) £ 1 400
1961 Royal Birkdale Golf Club Arnold Palmer  United States 284 (−4) £ 1 400
1960 St Andrews Kel Nagle  Australia 278 (−10) £ 1 250
1959 Muirfield Gary Player  South Africa 284 (E) £ 1 000
1958 Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club Peter Thomson (4)  Australia 278 (−10)PO £ 1 000
1957 St Andrews Bobby Locke (4)  South Africa 279 (−9) £ 1 000
1956 Royal Liverpool Golf Club Peter Thomson (3)  Australia 286 (−2) £ 1 000
1955 St Andrews Peter Thomson (2)  Australia 281 (−7) £ 1 000
1954 Royal Birkdale Golf Club Peter Thomson  Australia 283 (−5) £750
1953 Carnoustie Golf Links Ben Hogan  United States 282 (−6) £500
1952 Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club Bobby Locke (3)  South Africa 287 (−1) £300
1951 Royal Portrush Golf Club Max Faulkner  England 285 (−3) £300
1950 Troon Golf Club Bobby Locke (2)  South Africa 279 (−9) £300
1949 Royal St George’s Golf Club Bobby Locke  South Africa 283 (−5) £300
1948 Muirfield Henry Cotton (3)  England 288 (E) £150
1947 Royal Liverpool Golf Club Fred Daly  Northern Ireland 293 (+5) £150
1946 St Andrews Sam Snead  United States 290 (+2) £150
1940–1945: No Championships because of World War II
1939 St Andrews Dick Burton  England 290 (+2) £100
1938 Royal St George’s Golf Club Reg Whitcombe  England 295 (+7) £100
1937 Carnoustie Golf Links Henry Cotton (2)  England 290 £100
1936 Royal Liverpool Golf Club Alf Padgham  England 287 £100
1935 Muirfield Alf Perry  England 283 £100
1934 Royal St George’s Golf Club Henry Cotton  England 283 £100
1933 St Andrews Denny Shute  United States 292PO £100
1932 Prince’s Golf Club Gene Sarazen  United States 283 £100
1931 Carnoustie Golf Links Tommy Armour  Scotland
 United States
296 £100
1930 Royal Liverpool Golf Club Bobby Jones (a) (3)  United States 291 Am – £100
1929 Muirfield Walter Hagen (4)  United States 292 £75
1928 Royal St George’s Golf Club Walter Hagen (3)  United States 292 £75
1927 St Andrews Bobby Jones (a) (2)  United States 285 Am – £75
1926 Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club Bobby Jones (a)  United States 291 Am – £75
1925 Prestwick Golf Club Jim Barnes  England 300 £75
1924 Royal Liverpool Golf Club Walter Hagen (2)  United States 301 £75
1923 Troon Golf Club Arthur Havers  England 295 £75
1922 Royal St George’s Golf Club Walter Hagen  United States 300 £75
1921 St Andrews Jock Hutchison  Scotland
 United States
296PO £75
1920 Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club George Duncan  Scotland 303 £75
1915–1919: No Championships because of World War I
1914 Prestwick Golf Club Harry Vardon (6)  Jersey 306 £50
1913 Royal Liverpool Golf Club John Henry Taylor (5)  England 304 £50
1912 Muirfield Ted Ray  Jersey 295 £50
1911 Royal St George’s Golf Club Harry Vardon (5)  Jersey 303PO £50
1910 St Andrews James Braid (5)  Scotland 299 £50
1909 Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club John Henry Taylor (4)  England 291 £50
1908 Prestwick Golf Club James Braid (4)  Scotland 291 £50
1907 Royal Liverpool Golf Club Arnaud Massy  France 312 £50
1906 Muirfield James Braid (3)  Scotland 300 £50
1905 St Andrews James Braid (2)  Scotland 318 £50
1904 Royal St George’s Golf Club Jack White  Scotland 296 £50
1903 Prestwick Golf Club Harry Vardon (4)  Jersey 300 £50
1902 Royal Liverpool Golf Club Sandy Herd  Scotland 307 £50
1901 Muirfield James Braid  Scotland 309 £50
1900 St Andrews John Henry Taylor (3)  England 309 £50
1899 St George’s Golf Club Harry Vardon (3)  Jersey 310 £30
1898 Prestwick Golf Club Harry Vardon (2)  Jersey 307 £30
1897 Royal Liverpool Golf Club Harold Hilton (a) (2)  England 314 Am – £30
1896 Muirfield Harry Vardon  Jersey 316 PO £30
1895 St Andrews John Henry Taylor (2)  England 322 £30
1894 St George’s Golf Club John Henry Taylor  England 326 £30
1893 Prestwick Golf Club William Auchterlonie  Scotland 322 £30
1892 Muirfield Harold Hilton (a)  England 305 Am – £35
1891 St Andrews Hugh Kirkaldy  Scotland 166 £10
1890 Prestwick Golf Club John Ball (a)  England 164 Am – £13
1889 Musselburgh Links Willie Park, Jnr (2)  Scotland 155PO £8
1888 St Andrews Jack Burns  Scotland 171 £8
1887 Prestwick Golf Club Willie Park, Jnr  Scotland 161 £8
1886 Musselburgh Links David Brown  Scotland 157 £8
1885 St Andrews Bob Martin (2)  Scotland 171 £10
1884 Prestwick Golf Club Jack Simpson  Scotland 160 £8
1883 Musselburgh Links Willie Fernie  Scotland 159PO £8
1882 St Andrews Bob Ferguson (3)  Scotland 171 £12
1881 Prestwick Golf Club Bob Ferguson (2)  Scotland 170 £8
1880 Musselburgh Links Bob Ferguson  Scotland 162 £8
1879 St Andrews Jamie Anderson (3)  Scotland 169 £10
1878 Prestwick Golf Club Jamie Anderson (2)  Scotland 157 £8
1877 Musselburgh Links Jamie Anderson  Scotland 160 £8
1876 St Andrews Bob Martin  Scotland 176 £10
1875 Prestwick Golf Club Willie Park, Snr (4)  Scotland 166 £8
1874 Musselburgh Links Mungo Park  Scotland 159 £8
1873 St Andrews Tom Kidd  Scotland 179 £11
1872 Prestwick Golf Club Tom Morris, Jnr (4)  Scotland 166 £8
1871 No Championship
1870 Prestwick Golf Club Tom Morris, Jnr (3)  Scotland 149 £6
1869 Prestwick Golf Club Tom Morris, Jnr (2)  Scotland 157 £6
1868 Prestwick Golf Club Tom Morris, Jnr  Scotland 154 £6
1867 Prestwick Golf Club Tom Morris, Snr (4)  Scotland 170 £7
1866 Prestwick Golf Club Willie Park, Snr (3)  Scotland 169 £6
1865 Prestwick Golf Club Andrew Strath  Scotland 162 £8
1864 Prestwick Golf Club Tom Morris, Snr (3)  Scotland 167 £6
1863 Prestwick Golf Club Willie Park, Snr (2)  Scotland 168
1862 Prestwick Golf Club Tom Morris, Snr (2)  Scotland 163
1861 Prestwick Golf Club Tom Morris, Snr  Scotland 163
1860 Prestwick Golf Club Willie Park, Snr  Scotland 174

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Open

http://perrygolf.com/britishopen/
 

About the Author: Harrison Gould is the Social Media Marketing Manager of PerryGolf, the leading provider of international golf vacations. You can find him on Google+

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