The Open Championship Logo
The Open Championship (often referred to as The Open or the British Open) was established in 1860 and is the oldest major championship in professional golf. The Open Championship is played over the weekend of the third Friday in July and is the only major tournament in the PGA calendar that isn’t played in the USA.
The Venue
The Open Championship is played after The Masters and US Open and is the third major of the PGA Tour season. The tournament is traditionally played on a links course in Scotland or England, of which there are nine. It has been played in Northern Ireland at the Royal Portrush but the venue is no longer part of the tournament rotation.
The Tournament Format
The format of The Open Championship is a four round (72 hole) stroke play tournament with a cut after the first two rounds (36 holes) limited to the top 70 players including any tied players. Unlike other majors on the PGA and European Tour The Open, should there be a tie a four-hole playoff is played at the end of the regulation 72 holes. If the four-hole playoff fails to seperate the players those still tied in the lead after the four holes go into a sudden death playoff.
