|
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.
|
|
Hole 1 - “Cup”
- 401 Yards - Par 4
A reasonably gentle introduction to Carnoustie Championship
golf course. The drive is played to a wide fairway with
slopes which tend to take the ball to the right hand side,
and should pose no real problems although the burn meandering
in front of the 1st tee can intimidate the nervous golfer. |
|
|
Hole 2 - “Gulley”
- 435 Yards - Par 4
A long and straight drive is required to avoid the bunkers
which will catch even the slightly miss-hit shot. Once
the fairway has been found the 2nd shot is straightforward,
but with a green measuring 60 yards from front to back
the choice of the right club is crucial. |
|
|
Hole 3 - “Jockies
Burn” - 337 Yards - Par 4
A short but very deceptive par 4, this hole does not place
too many pressures upon the drive although the fairway
bunkers will catch anything pulled slightly left. Jockie’s
Burn, after which the hole is named, sits immediately
in front of the green and awaits any approach shot that
is under-hit. |
|
|
Hole 4 - “Hillocks”
- 375 Yards - Par 4
The hole dog legs slightly to the right and players must
be cautious not to hook the ball as a ditch awaits just
over the back of the fairway bunker. The green, the only
double green on the golf course, is well protected by
bunkers and the approach should be long if anything. |
|
|
Hole 5 - “Brae”
- 387 Yards - Par 4
A hole which dog legs to the right and which has a two
tiered green. If the pin is placed on the top tier it
can add as much as 4 clubs to the approach shot. Longer
hitters must be careful not to run out of fairway as a
narrow ditch stretches the entire width of the fairway
at around 280 yards. |
|
|
Hole 6 - “Hogan’s
Alley” - 520 Yards - Par 5
The 6th hole on the Championship Course was officially
renamed on Wednesday 24th September 2003 as Hogan’s
Alley by our 1999 Open Champion, Paul Lawrie. Picture
below is Paul Lawrie with Vice Chairman of CGLMC, Willie
Gardner having unveiled the aforementioned plaque. |
|
|
Hole 7 - “Plantation”
- 394 Yards - Par 4
Again the out of bounds threatens on the left hand side
and the fairway bunkers are cleverly placed to catch the
drive pushed only slightly to the right. Care must be
taken not to over hit the 2nd shot and run through the
green where a difficult up and down awaits. |
|
|
Hole 8 - “Short”
- 167 Yards - Par 3
Carnoustie’s first par 3 and well worth the wait.
On par with the great par 3’s in world golf with
out of bounds left and bunkers surrounding an elevated
green. Normally played into a cross wind it requires a
good swing and no little courage to find the heart of
this green. |
|
|
Hole 9 - “Railway”
- 413 Yards - Par 4
The drive is paramount on this hole with out of bounds
left, a ditch on the right and numerous fairway bunkers.
Finding the fairway always comes as a welcome relief to
any player but then a long difficult approach to a well-protected
green awaits. |
|
|
Hole 10 - “South
America” - 446 Yards - Par 4
In order to reach the green in 2 a long and straight drive
is required with particular care required to avoid 3 bunkers
on the right hand side. Once the player has found the
fairway, a decision is then required as to whether the
Barry Burn which runs some 40 yards in front of the green
can be carried with a 2nd shot or not. Unless the player
is confident of his ability to fly the ball all the way
onto the putting surface, it is often best to lay up and
accept a 5, which is never a bad score on this hole. |
|
|
Hole 11 - “Dyke”
- 362 Yards - Par 4
The decision must be made on the tee as to whether to
take on the fairway bunkers with the driver and try to
guide the ball through a narrow neck of fairway or to
lay up and thereby leave a longer shot into the green.
The green is well bunkered and slopes quite significantly
from back to front which can make putting tricky. |
|
|
Hole 12 - “Southward
Ho” - 479 Yards - Par 5
Played as a par 5 from the back tees and a par 4 from
the other tees, this hole again challenges the player
with an intimidating drive, whins and gorse must be carried
and there are ditches on both the right and left hand
sides. Two massive fairway bunkers on the right hand side
eat into the heart of the fairway and will catch any shot
that cuts slightly to the right. The approach must be
played between 2 sets of bunkers positioned on the right
and left hand side about 30 yards short of the green and
it is often wise to lay up and rely upon a pitch and a
putt. |
|
|
Hole 13 - “Whins”
- 161 Yards - Par 3
A deceptively difficult short hole, particularly if it
is played down wind when it becomes extremely difficult
to stop the ball from running through the green. Bunkers
surround the green and will catch anything which is not
straight. Once in the bunker the high lips will test any
players ability to get up and down. |
|
|
Hole 14 - “Spectacles”
- 483 Yards - Par 5
The drive is tough enough with out of bounds left and
bunkers well in play. However the hole is made by the
2nd shot, where the player must decide whether he is going
to carry the massive Spectacle bunkers or not. If a player
goes for the green and lands in the Spectacles he can
expect to be there for some time as these bunkers are
huge and intimidating. |
|
|
Hole 15 - “Lucky
Slap” - 459 Yards - Par 4
As hard a par 4 as can be found anywhere in golf, this
hole requires a long and accurate drive and then a powerful
approach to the very well protected green. Into the wind
the majority of golfers will not be able to get home in
2 and if a lay up is required it must be kept well away
from the bunkers some 25 yards short of the green as getting
out of these in one stroke is extremely difficult. |
|
|
Hole 16 - “Barry
Burn” - 245 Yards - Par 3
A 245 yard par 3 often played into the wind. Tom Watson
had 5 attempts to get a par 3 here during the 1975 Open
Championship and was not successful in doing so. In 1968
Jack Nicklaus was the only player to get past the pin
during the final round. This hole is really a 3.5 and
a par is an outstanding achievement. |
|
|
Hole 17 - “Island”
- 433 Yards - Par 4
Continuing with Carnoustie’s fearsome finish, the
Barry Burn winds and twists it’s way down this hole.
The drive must be placed between the island part of the
hole and then the player is left with a long difficult
approach to a green protected by whins and bunkers. |
|
|
Hole 18 - “Home”
- 444 Yards - Par 4
No more difficult finishing hole will be found anywhere.
The burn is in play for the drive to the right and left
of the hole and also short. Fairway bunkers edge in to
the right hand side and it was here that Johnny Miller
lost the 1975 Championship when he took 2 to get out of
the bunker. The Barry Burn crosses right in front of the
green and it poses a huge obstacle for the 2nd shot. It
was here that the hopes of Jean Van De Velde sunk in 1999
when Paul Lawrie went on to take the title. |
|
Florida Golf's City of the Month
