'The Oldest Major' The Open... "162 Years of History Built Up"
[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] "The one and only Open in the world."
The Open, known as The Open Championship, reflects the pride of the British, the 'home of golf,' starting from its very name. The PGA Tour in the United States also respects this, officially listing it as The Open instead of the British Open in its tour schedule since 2013. Until 2018, it was held as the third major, but in 2019, after the PGA Tour adjusted its schedule, it secured its place as the final major. The order is the Masters in April, the PGA Championship in May, the US Open in June, and The Open in July.
The winner's trophy is affectionately called the 'Claret Jug.' Claret refers to Bordeaux wine from France, and the Claret Jug essentially means "a jug for holding wine." The fact that the trophy given to the sole Open champion is made in the form of a wine jug reveals the British people's special love for wine. It is undoubtedly the "oldest major" in golf history. Since Willie Park became the inaugural champion in 1860, 162 years have already passed.
Park won four times in 1863, 1866, and 1875. Including his younger brother Mungo Park (1874) and his son Park Junior (1887, 1889), the total is seven wins. In the early days, the Park family had fierce competition with the Morris family. The Morris family swept up an impressive eight wins. Father Morris Senior won in 1861?1862, 1864, and 1867, and his son Morris Junior won in 1868?1870 and 1872, making both father and son four-time champions.
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The tournament was skipped 12 times due to World War I and World War II, and it was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year marks the crowning of the 150th champion. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A) set the total prize money at $14 million (?18.35 billion), with the winner's prize at $2.5 million (?3.27 billion). Beyond the money, the value is immense. The Claret Jug has been auctioned for $263,000 (?350 million) in reality. Sam Snead's (USA) 1946 Claret Jug was auctioned in Chicago in August 2013.
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