The Open Championship
The Original Major — Where Golf Meets Its Roots
Origins & History
The Open Championship is not merely golf’s oldest major—it is the game’s ancestral heartbeat. First played on October 17, 1860, at Prestwick Golf Club on Scotland’s rugged Ayrshire coast, the inaugural tournament was conceived as a challenge to determine the world’s finest player following the death of Allan Robertson, widely regarded as the era’s greatest golfer. A field of eight professionals competed over three rounds of Prestwick’s 12-hole layout, with Willie Park Sr. emerging victorious to claim the Challenge Belt.
In its earliest decades, Young Tom Morris dominated this early era, winning four times and becoming one of the game’s first icons. After he won three consecutive championships, the Challenge Belt was retired, leading to the creation of the Claret Jug in 1872—today the most iconic trophy in golf. As the championship expanded, it evolved into a global event while remaining deeply rooted in tradition. Organized by the R&A, The Open stands apart from all other majors by preserving links golf in its purest form – courses shaped not by machinery, but by centuries of wind, sand, and sea.
“The Open is not played against a course—it is played against the elements.”
Locations
The Open Championship is contested across a prestigious rotation of historic links courses known simply as the Open Rota. In its earliest decades—covering the first 32 editions from 1860 to 1891—the Championship rotated exclusively between Prestwick Golf Club, St Andrews (Old Course), and Musselburgh Links. Throughout its history, a total of 14 venues have hosted The Open. Five of these courses – Prestwick, Prince’s, Royal Cinque Ports, Musselburgh, and Turnberry – are no longer part of the active rota.
All 14 coastal venues represent the purest and oldest form of golf course design. Unlike inland parkland layouts, links courses feature natural, windswept terrains shaped over centuries by the sea and sand dunes.
At the heart of the rotation is the Old Course at St Andrews, widely revered as the spiritual home of golf. Its iconic wide fairways, massive double greens, and infamous pot bunkers (such as the Road Hole bunker) create a strategic test of skill that has crowned champions for generations.
The Open is always played in the United Kingdom—primarily across Scotland and England, alongside Northern Ireland’s Royal Portrush. Coastal weather—unpredictable wind, sudden rain, and cold sea air—is not merely a background condition but a defining feature of the tournament, capable of shifting the leaderboards in minutes and demanding ultimate shot-making adaptability
“At The Open, the course is ancient—but the challenge is timeless.”
Defining Characteristics
The Open Championship is defined by its complete exposure to nature. Unlike modern target-style golf courses designed to insulate players from unpredictable turf, links golf offers no attempt to control the environment—only to endure it. Competitors must navigate heavily undulating, un-sculpted fairways, treacherous pot bunkers with near-vertical turf faces, and rock-hard greens, all while adapting to coastal winds that can shift direction and velocity in a matter of holes.
On these coastal layouts, shot-making creativity and tactical imagination completely eclipse raw distance and high-launch power. Players are forced to rediscover the traditional ground game: utilizing low-running “stingers” off the tee, precise bump-and-run approach shots, and calculating how the contours of the terrain will funnel a bounding ball toward the pin. Success at The Open requires absolute patience, psychological resilience, and a willingness to embrace the sheer unpredictability of the elements.
Traditions
- The winner is not simply referred to as “The Open Champion”. During the presentation ceremony, the Chief Executive of the R&A officially announces the winner as the”Champion Golfer of the Year”—a historic title dating back to 1860.
- Despite being a high-tech modern sporting event, the giant yellow main scoreboard sitting behind the 18th green is manually operated by staff and volunteers climbing scaffolding inside the board to physically swap out black-and-red metal numbers by hand as the action unfolds on the course.
- The first tee shot on Thursday morning—often as early as 6:30 AM—is traditionally awarded to a respected veteran, past champion, or local club hero. The opening tee shot marks the official start of the championship.
“To win The Open is to solve golf in its most natural form.”
Memorable Championships
1977 — Duel in the Sun: At Turnberry’s sun-drenched Ailsa Course, Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus separated themselves entirely from the field, turning the championship into a two-man exhibition of brilliance. Over four days, the pair combined for 65 birdies, trading momentum in a relentless back-and-forth duel. On the final day, they played side-by-side in near-perfect conditions, with Watson ultimately pulling away over the closing holes to win by a single stroke, securing one of the most iconic victories in the history of the sport.
2000 — Tiger at St Andrews: At the Home of Golf, Tiger Woods delivered one of the most clinical performances ever witnessed, dismantling the Old Course with precision and control. Navigating swirling winds and firm fairways with remarkable discipline, he avoided every bunker over all four rounds—an almost unthinkable feat. Finishing at a record-breaking 19-under-par, Woods didn’t just win; he dominated the field by eight strokes, completing the career Grand Slam at just 24 years old and redefining what was possible at The Open.
2009 — Watson’s Miracle Run: Nearly six decades after his first Open appearance, 59-year-old Tom Watson returned to Turnberry and produced one of the most emotional performances in golf history. Battling cold winds and mounting pressure, Watson held the outright lead on the 72nd tee and stood one good swing away from completing an unimaginable victory. A cruel bounce and a missed par putt forced a playoff, where he ultimately fell short—yet his run remains one of the most celebrated displays of resilience and timeless skill the championship has ever seen.
2016 — Stenson vs Mickelson: Royal Troon set the stage for a historic final-round duel between Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson, who distanced themselves dramatically from the rest of the field. In near-perfect scoring conditions, Mickelson fired a brilliant 65, only to be outmatched by Stenson’s extraordinary 63—a round that tied the lowest in major championship history. Finishing at 20-under-par, the lowest score ever recorded in a major at the time, Stenson secured victory in a head-to-head battle widely regarded as one of the greatest championship duels ever contested.
