British Open

Home : Golf : British Open

The Open, administered by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews (R & A), is played on the weekend of the third Friday in July and is always played on a links course. The 2007 championship will be held at the Carnoustie Golf Links. It is the third major tournament of the year and follows The Masters and the U.S. Open and is before the PGA Championship.

British Open Odds - Click Here

First played in October of 1860, the Open Championship has been an official event on the PGA Tour since 1995. Since 1972 when it was formed, the European Tour has recognized The Open as an official event and it is an official money event on the Japan Golf Tour.

The Open Championship was played at Prestwick Golf Club from 1860 to 1870. The Open has been played at several different courses in rotation since 1872. Current Open sites include: St. Andrews Links (Old Course), Muirfield, Royal St. George’s Golf Club, Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Royal Troon Golf Club (Old Course), Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club, Carnoustie Golf Links, Royal Birkdale Golf Club and the Westin Turnberry Resort (Ailsa Course).

The 156 golfers in the field qualify in three ways. About two thirds of the field consists of leading players that are given exemptions. The remainder of the field qualifies through local or international tournaments.

The winner of The Open receives The Golf Champion Trophy, better known by its popular name, The Claret Jug. In addition the champion receives a sizeable portion of the purse, which totaled USD$7.43 million in 2006.

Since 1995 Americans have won 10 of the last 12 Open championships. Tiger Woods won the last two crowns, at St. Andrews Links in 2005 and at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in 2006. Other recent winners from the United States include, Todd Hamilton, 2004; Ben Curtis, 2003; David Duval, 2001; Woods, 2000; Mark O’Meara, 1998; Justin Leonard, 1997; Tom Lehman, 1996; and John Daly, 1995.

Ernie Els from South Africa won in 2002 and Paul Lawrie from Scotland captured the 1999 title.

Golfers from the United Kingdom have dominated the Claret Jug with 70 wins. Scotland follows with 42 and the United States has 41.

England’s Harry Vardon has the most Open wins, six. They came between 1896 and 1914.

» Latest British Open Odds: British Open Betting Odds

Latest Golf Betting Odds Golf Betting Odds - Available 24/7