About The Open Golf Championship

The Open Golf Championship, or simply The Open (often referred to overseas as the British Open), is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It's the only Major Golfing event to be held outside the USA and is always played on the weekend of the third Friday in July. It's the third major to take place each year, following The Masters and the U.S. Open, but preceding the PGA Championship.

The players will be fighting to win one of the most coveted trophies in the game and of the most iconic in all of sport, The Claret Jug, or to use its proper name, The Golf Champion Trophy. The Claret Jug is presented to each year's winner of The Open Championship. Although it's not the original prize, as when the Championship began at Prestwick in 1860, the winner was presented with the Challenge Belt, made of rich morocco leather, embellished with a silver buckle and emblems.

The Open Golf Championship takes place every year on one of nine links courses in Scotland or England (the event has been held once in Northern Ireland, but Royal Portrush is no longer on the rotation, much to Graeme McDowell's disapointment). Prize money will be increased for the 2011 Open Championship. In 2011, the prize fund will rise to £5 million, with the Champion receiving £900,000. Historically, The Open Championship's prize money was consistently the least of the four majors, but from 2002 to 2008 it was the highest. Uniquely among the four major championships, the Open Championship features a four-hole playoff for all golfers tied at the end of regulation, with the playoff continuing into sudden death holes if players remain tied after four holes. (The PGA uses a similar three-hole playoff.)

The field for the Open Championship is 156, and golfers can 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 a combination of players who were successful in "Local Qualifying" and those who came through "International Qualifying".

In recent years of The Open Championships, European golfers have finally broke a dominant period of American golf and an eight-year drought in the majors when P·draig Harrington of the Republic of Ireland defeated Sergio Garcia in 2007 by one stroke in a four-hole playoff. In 2008 at Royal Birkdale, Harrington retained the Claret Jug with a final round of 69 to win the tournament by four shots from Ian Poulter, with a total of 283 after 72 holes. In 2009, 59-year-old Tom Watson turned in one of the most memorable performances ever seen at The Open. Leading the tournament through 71 holes and needing just a par on the last hole to win, Watson bogeyed, setting up a four-hole playoff, which he lost by six shots to Stewart Cink. In 2010, current golden boy of Golf, Rory McIlroy demonstrated his potential by setting a new record for best opening round of an Open Championship, shooting a 9-under-par 63 at St Andrews. However McIlroy fell away and the current champion is Louis Oosthuizen who won the 2010 Open Championship with a score of 16 under par.

• Royal St George's Golf Club possesses the deepest bunker in championship golf, located on its fourth hole.
• Author Ian Fleming used the Royal St. George's course under the name "Royal St. Marks" in his 1959 novel Goldfinger.
• Oldest winner of the Open Championship is Old Tom Morris (46 years, 99 days), 1867.
• Youngest winner of the Open Championship is Young Tom Morris (17 years, 181 days), 1868.[18]
• Most victories in the Open Championship is 6, Harry Vardon (1896, 1898, 1899, 1903, 1911, 1914).
• Most consecutive victories in the Open Championship is 4, Young Tom Morris (1868, 1869, 1870, 1872 - there was no championship in 1871).
• Lowest absolute 72-hole score in the Open Championship is 267, Greg Norman (66-68-69-64), 1993.
• Lowest 72-hole score in relation to par in the Open Championship is -19, Tiger Woods (67-66-67-69, 269), 2000 (a record for all major championships).
• Greatest victory margin in the Open Championship is 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. However, Old Tom's 13-stroke margin was achieved over just 36 holes.
• Lowest 18-hole score in the Open Championship is 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 in the Open Championship is -9, Paul Broadhurst, 3rd, 1990; Rory McIlroy, 1st, 2010.