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The Open Championship, known as the British Open outside
the United Kingdom - is the oldest of the four major championships
in men's golf. The event is hosted annually by one of
several prestigious golf clubs in the United Kingdom and is
administered by The R&A regardless of its location. The
British open is always played on a links style course. In
2006, it had a prize fund of USD $7.43 million), the largest
of the four majors.
The Open Championship is the third major to take place
each year following The Masters
and the U.S. Open
and before the PGA Championship.
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 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.
In 1861 The British Open was opened to amateurs, with eight
of them joining ten pros in the field.
Prestwick Golf Club held The Open Championship from 1860
to 1870. In 1871, it agreed to partner with The Royal &
Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews and The Honourable Company
of Edinburgh Golfers. In 1892 the event was taken to 72 holes
from 36 which was by then the standard complement of 18 holes.
The early Open 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. An American by the name of Bobby Jones's
won three British Opens, and 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 one Frenchman were the only winners from outside Scotland
and England up to 1939.
The Open became part of the PGA Tour's official schedule
in 1995 with John Daly winning that year. Tiger Woods has
won three Championships to date, two at St Andrews in
2000 and 2005, and one at Hoylake in 2006.
There was a dramatic moment at St Andrews in 2000 when Jack
Nicklaus waved farewell to the many fans while Tiger Woods,
his successor watched from a nearby tee; Nicklaus afterwards
decided to play in the 2005 Open when the R&A announced
St. Andrews as the venue, giving his final farewell to the
fans at the Home of Golf.
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".
Local Qualifying comprises sixteen 18-hole "Regional
Qualifying" competitions around Britain and Ireland a
week and a half before the event, with successful competitors
moving on to the four 36-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.
International Qualifying 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.
Royal Birkdale
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HOLE 1
The opening hole is a left-hand dog-leg. The drive must
be placed between a mound on the left with a bunker in
the face, known locally as "Jutland", and Out
of Bounds to the right. If the drive is good then the
flag can be clearly seen over an intervening mound on
the right. But is still a very demanding second shot. |
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Hole 2
A straight hole played into the prevailing wind with two
new bunkers on the right of the fairway. The green is
well protected by bunkers and rough banks. |
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Hole 3
The drive needs to favour the left side of the fairway
to give a clear second shot to the green but with two
new bunkers on the left this has made this demand the
most accurate of drives. The green is protected by bunkers
and the re-contoured surround will leave a challenging
recovery from any wayward approach.
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Hole 4
The first of the splendid short holes. The tee is elevated
and the green has been generously endowed with bunkers
so that the tee-shot must not be off-line if the green
is to be reached. A bold stroke is absolutely essential.A
well-bunkered green does not gather the ball on this,
the longest of the par threes on the course.
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Hole 5
This hole is a dog-leg right. No bunkers to worry you
with your drive but deep rough on either side awaits those
who fail to hit the fairway. The second shot must be firmly
hit.The long narrow green is well protected almost surrounded
by strategically placed bunkers and sloping from back
to front with difficult borrows.
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Hole 6
The drive must avoid the bunkers on each side of the fairway.
The hole requires a long second shot to an elevated green
protected by bunkers to the front and surrounded by dunes.
The green is large and well contoured with various difficult
pin positions.
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Hole 7
This hole requires a firm shot over some rough country
to an up turned saucer-shaped green closely protected
by pot bunkers.
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Hole 8
The new and remodelled bunker flanking the fairway demand
a very accurate drive, then the second shot is played
to quite a large green protected by deep bunkers. The
putting surface possessive some very deceptive borrows.
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Hole 9
The blind tee shot needs to be placed correctly to find
the fairway which has been moved 25 yards left. The green
is slightly elevated making club selection important,
anything short will be gathered by the bunkers at the
front and there is lots of trouble over the back
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Hole 10
The move of the left hand bunkers and the introduction
of a new bunker on the far right of the fairway requires
a well placed drive to open up the green to this relatively
short par four.
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Hole 11
This relatively straightforward hole has been made more
demanding by tightening the fairway and introducing a
new bunker on the left. Pin position makes the landing
area on the green quite small and club selection is vital. |
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Hole 12
A great short hole once again played to a plateau green.
There is little margin for error as there are bunkers
on either side of the green and sand-hills covered in
scrub tower over either side.A very attractive short hole,
long enough to make the green look quite tiny. Deep bunkers
and banks of rough grass protect the target.
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Hole 13
This is a testing hole made more difficult by the changes
to the bunkering at a drive length. It requires a long
and accurate tee shot to allow a second shot to reach
a beautiful green with its background of tall sand hills.
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Hole 14
This is the last of the par 3’s played from an elevated
tee which is protected from the prevailing wind. The green
surround has be re-shaped and several deep greenside bunkers
wait to collect a misdirected shot.
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Hole 15
This is the longest hole on the course and one that is
difficult to attack. There are now 15 bunkers to be negotiated
on this long narrow hole. Any play-off would start here
and continue over 16, 17 and 18.
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Hole 16
The members’ medal tee is now in line with the Championship
tee and both demand a long carry over some very rough
ground. The second shot is played to an elevated green
that is well protected by very deep bunkers and hollows.
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Hole 17
Drives have to be hit between two large sand dunes avoiding
the two new bunkers on the right of the fairway. With
the ground here firm the correct drive will normall get
some run shortening the hole. The new and re-modelled
two tier green has been pushed back some 30 yards and
is well protected by some severe bunkers and dramatic
contouring. |
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Hole 18
One of the most famous finishing holes in the country.
There is a tendency to push the ball out to the right
here and that makes the shot to the green very difficult.
There are three bunkers guarding the green, affording
a narrow entrance to the putting surface. An excellent
birdie opportunity to finish the round on this demanding
links.
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