The 2007 British Open

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.