Why it's Called The Open Championship

[Chilli Dipper]

There's more than a bit of residue from imperial Britain in the name. There are a lot of British organizations that don't feel the need to identify as such in their names, because they were products of an age when the sun never set on the Union Jack. For example, the national soccer federation of England is simply the FA (Football Association).

[Shorty]

There's more than a bit of residue from imperial Britain in the name. There are a lot of British organizations that don't feel the need to identify as such in their names, because they were products of an age when the sun never set on the Union Jack. For example, the national soccer federation of England is simply the FA (Football Association).

Yes. True.

But it still has a bit of self conscious understatement which makes it the opposite.

One of the funniest things is when Americans say "We went to London, England." Or "Paris, France".

One would assume that others know they aren't talking about places in Texas, or wherever.

Still.....I don't call it "The Open", and nor will I refer to Rory as "the Champion Golfer of the Year".

[boogielicious]

All of you are missing the point of this thread.  It is not about The Open Championship.  It is about whether we should call them "potato fries" or not.

[FarawayFairways]

I'm trying to imagine the scene from 1860. A group of people sit around in a room at Prestwick to organise a golf tournament, which at the time was a pretty private affair based on the death of the then leading player, leaving a vacuum. Naturally enough, there was debate about who was the best player now, and how they might settle it. A competition is the obvious way of settling this, is it not?

So what do they call it? What would you call it?

Well does it seem so unreasonable that perhaps the word "golf" might appear in it? and it is a self-styled tournament to find a champion. I'm not sure there's much grandiose therefore about calling it a 'Golf Championship' ? I mean you aren't going to slip the words 'window cleaning' in there are you, if there's no windows being cleaned in this competition

Somehow you have to finance this venture (through entry fees) you want as many people as possible, as it's not exactly going to be easy to let people know that the damn thing is taking place (the patent on a telephone yet to be registered). So the championship takes on the appearance of an open invitation.  And so was born the Open Championship of Golf (there was nothing to stop America doing it first if they wanted to).

Do any of you seriously think for one second that someone should have raised a hand in the corner and suggested that the word 'British' be inserted just in case in half a century's time other counties decided to copy them? This tournament was marginal at best (I seem to think it didn't take place in 1871 whilst they tried to raise the money for a new prize - a claret jug). That they were thinking in terms of starting a global sport would have been very far removed from their thoughts. Whether it could run next year would have been the extent of their temporal horizon. In any event, in 1860 Germany, and Italy didn't exist, and America was a few months away from plunging themselves into civil war

The denigrading of golf heritage does seem to be a uniquely American issue though in the main. Why? Other countries don't really do it, and certainly on nothing like the same scale. Just about every major sport in the world is a British export or derivative there of, which gives you some naming rights

In 1983 America lost the Americas Cup. Under the rules of that competition, the name should have switched to that of the new defending champions (Australia). I'd be more convinced by the American approach if they'd embraced this with good grace, at least shown consistancy - did they heck - but the rest of the world were happy to recognise their long time hold of the trophy and the name continued to be used. It's a shame America can't extend the same level graciousness, and so far as I can see, the only real argument it puts up is money (no surprise there). I'm inclined to invoke the words of Wilde.

If you seriosuly think its arrogance, then frankly one of the most remarkable examples of that has to come from naming a domestic competiton "the world series". Please, someone tell me how many countries are recognised by the UN, and how many countries send representative teams to compete in this world series?

But there's another take on this. Is it uniquely the American golfer that has this issue? Tennis fits the same profile. Wimbledon pre-dates all the other immitators whom we invited to share our sports (or garrisoned and imposed on them!). Do we ever hear American tennis fans trying to denigrade their sports heritage? No we don't. They refer to the US Open, and Wimbledon, separately, and very happily. Come to think of it, we don't hear their race fans prefix with the English Derby either (Irish race fans will occasionally use the Epsom prefix). So perhaps it isn't quite as uniquely an American thing after all, perhaps its more unique to the the golf fans of America (minus Rickie Fowler who does give interviews to the BBC and happily calls it the Open, as does Tom Watson). Mind you, Bubba doesn't, and with that, you could almost rest your case, given the reputational damage that particularly ignorant indvidual does for the United States.

[FarawayFairways]

I've had a rethink on the issue of 'the Masters'

I have, heard that prefixed with 'US'. I've also heard it enough times too, and from mainstream broadcasters, for me to think that it isn't a slip of the tongue

More common is the title 'Masters Golf' though

I think what probably determines how its described is the time of year. Closer to April, the media are happy to use the word 'Masters' in isolation, but other times of year it can cause confusion. For instance, if you talked about 'The Masters' in the winter, most sports fans would think you were referring to a snooker tournament

Come to think of it, I've also heard "American" used to prefix Super-Bowl too, albeit I tend to put that down ignorance

[Grndslmhttr3]

All of you are missing the point of this thread.  It is not about The Open Championship.  It is about whether we should call them "potato fries" or not.

They're freedom fries, duh

[ditchparrot19]

Who really cares what the official name is? That nearly gets into the realm of title-sponsored events like the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, et al. Nobody uses those.

Since I don't write the title or say it verbally in any official capacity, I use the words that will most clearly convey which event I'm referring to for the person(s) I'm conversing with: British Open.

[Aguirre]

It doesn't really matter to me but I roll my eyes when commentators say "It's open to anybody."  Sure, if your handicap is extremely low.

I'd love to see several more rounds to US Open qualifying with a bunch of 20 handicappers taking their shot at local munis.

[Grndslmhttr3]

It doesn't really matter to me but I roll my eyes when commentators say "It's open to anybody."  Sure, if your handicap is extremely low.

I'd love to see several more rounds to US Open qualifying with a bunch of 20 handicappers taking their shot at local munis.

If you were a 20-handicapper would you even want to participate in the US Open? Sure it'd be an awesome experience if you forget that you just topped/sliced the crap out of/four-putted/whatever in front of millions of people. That goes for 10- and maybe even 5-handicappers, as well.

[Reval14]

If you seriosuly think its arrogance, then frankly one of the most remarkable examples of that has to come from naming a domestic competiton "the world series". Please, someone tell me how many countries are recognised by the UN, and how many countries send representative teams to compete in this world series?

In the award ceremony of this years Superbowl the winner team was called "champion of the world". Didn't know the whole world played in the NFL. Strange attitude, a bit arrogant.

[jamo]

In the award ceremony of this years Superbowl the winner team was called "champion of the world". Didn't know the whole world played in the NFL. Strange attitude, a bit arrogant.

If the rest of the world can field a team that could beat the Seahawks, let's see it. :-P

[Golfingdad]

In the award ceremony of this years Superbowl the winner team was called "champion of the world". Didn't know the whole world played in the NFL. Strange attitude, a bit arrogant.

If the rest of the world can field a team that could beat the Seahawks, let's see it.

Yeah.  I agree that it's a bit silly that they use the term "World Champions" for national leagues, however, unlike the British and US Opens, there is no competition.  There are no other football teams out there, so there isn't a question that the winner of the Super is the best in the entire world.  Basketball and baseball, OTOH, do have several leagues in several countries, so it is a tad presumptuous of them to use the term World Champs.

[Grndslmhttr3]

Yeah.  I agree that it's a bit silly that they use the term "World Champions" for national leagues, however, unlike the British and US Opens, there is no competition.  There are no other football teams out there, so there isn't a question that the winner of the Super is the best in the entire world.  Basketball and baseball, OTOH, do have several leagues in several countries, so it is a tad presumptuous of them to use the term World Champs.

The MLB and NBA are the top baseball and basketball leagues in the world (NBA much more so, I think), respectively, so one could argue that the best team in the best league in the world would be the best team in the world.

I don't think the top NBA team would have much competition against any team from any international league, so I have no problem with the "world champions" label there. With respect to baseball, however, I think it's a bit closer, with the MLB still having the edge. According to this article , the NPB seems to have a decent amount of major-league-caliber players, but it isn't as densely packed with them as the MLB.

[Golfingdad]

The MLB and NBA are the top baseball and basketball leagues in the world (NBA much more so, I think), respectively, so one could argue that the best team in the best league in the world would be the best team in the world.

I don't think the top NBA team would have much competition against any team from any international league, so I have no problem with the "world champions" label there. With respect to baseball, however, I think it's a bit closer, with the MLB still having the edge. According to this article, the NPB seems to have a decent amount of major-league-caliber players, but it isn't as densely packed with them as the MLB.

I agree with respect to basketball.  Look at the Olympics; the only teams that even give the Americans a game are the ones like Spain and Argentina that happen to have a handful of NBA stars on their teams.

I disagree with respect to baseball though.  Consider the WBC; the teams from Japan, Korea and Cuba are really good and they have a lot of home grown talent on those teams.  And when you consider that any team can beat any team on any day, there is no way that anybody could guarantee with any amount of certainty that the A's or Dodgers would beat the champions of those other countries in a seven game series.

Baseball should not use the term "World Champions."

Oh, and that reminds me:  Maybe instead of complaining about the British Open calling itself THE Open, we should talk about how they dub the winner "THE Champion golfer of the year."

[Grndslmhttr3]

I disagree with respect to baseball though.  Consider the WBC; the teams from Japan, Korea and Cuba are really good and they have a lot of home grown talent on those teams.  And when you consider that any team can beat any team on any day, there is no way that anybody could guarantee with any amount of certainty that the A's or Dodgers would beat the champions of those other countries in a seven game series.

Baseball should not use the term "World Champions."

Oh, and that reminds me:  Maybe instead of complaining about the British Open calling itself THE Open, we should talk about how they dub the winner "THE Champion golfer of the year."

Yeah I'm not totally sold on "world champions" with respect to the MLB. I don't know how good of an indicator WBC results are, though, because a lot of players from countries like the DR, Japan and Cuba play in the MLB. I do think it would be pretty neat to see a series between the best MLB team and best team from another league such as the NPB.

[ditchparrot19]

I do think it would be pretty neat to see a series between the best MLB team and best team from another league such as the NPB.

No Japanese team will stack up. They can produce world-class pitching, but they can't hit it, and even those top-quality pitchers would be spread out among their teams. Ichiro Suzuki and Hideki Matsui are the only position players who've ever made a real impact in MLB, and Matsui wasn't anywhere close to the monster masher he was in his homeland.

There's an enormous gap between MLB and the NPB in regard to hitting. That's why a guy like Wladamir Balentien, an MLB reject, can go over there and set an all-time record with 60 home runs in a season.

[Golfingdad]

Yeah I'm not totally sold on "world champions" with respect to the MLB. I don't know how good of an indicator WBC results are, though, because a lot of players from countries like the DR, Japan and Cuba play in the MLB. I do think it would be pretty neat to see a series between the best MLB team and best team from another league such as the NPB.

Anybody from Cuba who plays in the MLB won't ever be playing for Cuba again. Or going back there. Or seeing their family.

[turtleback]

Oh, and that reminds me:  Maybe instead of complaining about the British Open calling itself THE Open, we should talk about how they dub the winner "THE Champion golfer of the year."

But the winner of the British Open IS the Champion golfer of the year.  Champion of what?  Why, the British Open, of course.