Why it's Called The Open Championship

[Grndslmhttr3]

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

Yeah haha I didn't think that one through very thoroughly...

[FarawayFairways]

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

It's a ceremonial title really based on tradition, and since we all see millions of tourists every year hanging outside Buckingham Palace we all know how much you love that kind of thing really

I don't actually have too much of a problem with it as a title though, as it follows on naturally, even though its rendered meaningless by other tournaments, but more importantly, world rankings. Do college golf champions refer to their winners as Champion golfer of the year (or form words very close to it)?. I'd be very surprised if there weren't plenty of them doing so, as the champion title is confined by the context of the championship they've won

The title of the tournament in this case don't forget, is "The Open Championship of Golf" - if you're going to insert your own name into the equation however, then of course it loses its natural flow, precisely because it isn't called the British Open (never has been) that's exclusively an American invention. So it follows that the winner of the 'Open Championship of Golf' begats the, 'Champion golfer'. It's not as if we've tried proclaiming them the world champions is it? We tend to leave that giant piece of presumption to other countries, although I can easily see how the original eight entrants back in 1860 could very easily have been seduced into calling it the World Golf Championship in an attempt to drum up wider interest. I actually suspect that had this tournament been conceived about 30-40 years later, when some new communication technologies were in place, they might very well have done so

I actually feel that Wimbledon is more guilty of reflected elitist hierarchies, as it happens. I'm trying to think what the title for that is actually. I'm sure it has a traditional title. Something like the 'All England Club Gentlemens Single Tennis Champion'. But whereas all other tournaments are known as 'Opens' somehow or other Wimbledon, is known purely as Wimbledon (it thinks its too good to be an Open, and has some separation etc). In effect its saying that there's Opens, then there's Wimbledon.

For all that though, I actually do think it's right that you call it what you like, it's not as if the R&A; can impose Newspeak on us after all. It might irritate the purist and those who value the games traditions, but it doesn't annoy on anything like the scale of shouting "in the hole" as soon as anyone strikes a ball from 600yds. That's just crass, and not a little bit vulgar, albeit its really tantamount to shouting 'look at me', given that last time I checked it wasn't possible to encourage a golf ball in flight by shouting at it, nor a player who's just hit one, to get it in the hole. So why do it?

If you're ever over in the UK however, and keep referring to the Open as the 'British' most people will regard you as being nicely ignorant, which is why you tend to invite a paternalistic response. If however you make them aware that you know the origins, then you'll just be regarded as being deliberately rude to your hosts - or Bubbas. I don't believe American's have a reputation for being rude however, so you will stand out a little bit.

I suspect what's happening increasingly (unless you're Bubba) is that golfers use different language dependent on the media they're talking to. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to discover those American golfers who give interviews to the BBC and refer to the event as 'the Open' immediately switch back to 'British' when speaking to an American audience. It makes sense. No right minded golfer (unless they're called Poulter) would want to antagonise a crowd who are in turn capable of getting on their back. I do wonder if Azinger lost his own Open chance at Kiawah in 1991. He got targetted in RC's after that and never won a full single point again

I'm also half reminded of a slightly cringeworthy interview given by Laura Robson after beating Kim Clijsters in New York where she slipped into the use of the phrase "getting my butt kicked" (Laura's never used that phrase in her life until then - its just not a phrase we use) she went a little bit giggly with embarrassment as she said it. It was probably one of the least subtle attempts I've ever seen to ingratiate oneself to a home ground by trying to get onto their 'suck ass' language base. Still it worked for her, but it was phoney, and not a little bit deceitful.

So there is a bit of me thinking whether all of sudden I've got the likes of honest Bubba Watson all wrong, and its he who best embodies the true spirit and integrity of America, and not these insincere platitude serving merchants?

[misty_mountainhop]

Especially when the US Open seems to be a much tougher test of golf

Anyone can trick up a course in order to make it stupidly penal. If the R&A; wanted to do likewise, it'd be very easy but make for somewhat duller Opens I would imagine.

[CraiginKSA]

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.

It's got nothing to do with the US winning it every year for a hundred years or so (the NY Yacht club pretty much made sure of that).  The cup was named after the yacht America.

[luu5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FarawayFairways

I suspect what's happening increasingly (unless you're Bubba) is that golfers use different language dependent on the media they're talking to. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to discover those American golfers who give interviews to the BBC and refer to the event as 'the Open' immediately switch back to 'British' when speaking to an American audience. It makes sense. No right minded golfer (unless they're called Poulter) would want to antagonise a crowd who are in turn capable of getting on their back. I do wonder if Azinger lost his own Open chance at Kiawah in 1991. He got targetted in RC's after that and never won a full single point again

I agree, whatever worth it is Wikipedia has this (with some references):

Quote:

In Britain the tournament is best known by its official title, The Open Championship. The tournament's website uses only this name, while British media generally refer to it as the Open (with "the" in lower case). ^{[15] [16] [17]}

Outside the UK, the tournament is generally called the British Open, in part to distinguish the tournament from another of the four majors that has an 'open' format, the U.S. Open , but mainly because other nations with similar 'open' format golf events refer to their own nation's open event as "the Open". Until 2014, the PGA Tour referred to the tournament as the British Open, ^[18] and many American media outlets continue to do so. ^{[19] [20]} However, in 2014, with the new Open Qualifying Series that selects players for the Open through finishes earned in various PGA Tour events, the PGA Tour has taken to referring to the event as The Open Championship for the first time. U.S. television rights-holder ESPN / ABC referred to the event as the British Open until 2004. For the 2005 event at St Andrews, both then-cable rightsholder Turner Sports and ESPN/ABC began referring to the tournament as The Open Championship, and have ever since.

I did my extensive research (two clicks on ESPN), and found out that they 99.99999% use only The Open (Championship). Only in one "link hint popup", I saw British Open.

[FarawayFairways]

It's got nothing to do with the US winning it every year for a hundred years or so (the NY Yacht club pretty much made sure of that).  The cup was named after the yacht America.

But the year aftreward they argued over what the cup would now be called. I remember it. Half the media kept referring to it as the Americas Cup, whereas the other half had installed the Australian name. In the end the Americas name stuck, as the departure was just too damaging to the brand as confusion reigned

[CraiginKSA]

But the year aftreward they argued over what the cup would now be called. I remember it. Half the media kept referring to it as the Americas Cup, whereas the other half had installed the Australian name. In the end the Americas name stuck, as the departure was just too damaging to the brand as confusion reigned

Who are "they?" Australian Name?  The name stuck because that's what the cup has been called since 1851.

The competition was orignally a race around the Isle of Wight.  It was won by the Yacht America. The cup was named after the Yacht period. There is no confusion except for your strange version of history.  Everyone that follows the race knows that it was named after the yacht, not the United States of America.

[luu5]

Who are "they?" Australian Name?  The name stuck because that's what the cup has been called since 1851.

The competition was orignally a race around the Isle of Wight.  It was won by the Yacht America. The cup was named after the Yacht period. There is no confusion except for your strange version of history.  Everyone that follows the race knows that it was named after the yacht, not the United States of America.

Thank you for this. I got interested in this and read the First Deed (1857), the Second Deed of Gift (1882) and the final Deed of Gift (1887). They just talk about the Cup. I do not deny that it could have been referred to as America's Cup from very early stage. And later amendments (since 1956) to the Deed use America's Cup as a name of the Cup.

There is no mention in the "rules" as far as could find, about calling it Finland´s Cup if we won it, unfortunately....

[FarawayFairways]

Who are "they?"

"They" would be the two camps who argued during the period 1983/84. As I recall it would regularly appear in the press as the Australias Cup, and then a week later it would be referred to again as the Americas Cup, the following week it would be back to Australia again. I don't recall there being an obvious battle line as such in so far as sponsors and media wanted the America name retaining, as did the US, whereas there was another lobby that said the original rules/ agreement/ whatever it was they felt they were operating under, should revert to the new name until such time as Australia were defeated. I remember it dragging on for about a year until it was resolved and the Americas name was retained. The media certainly went through a spell of calling it the Australias Cup, but it never really worked. It didn't scan as well, as people were getting very confused

[ChrisP]

A couple things have helped recognize this as "The Open" and they're all media related:

The main website and phone app that people download and go to always refers to it as "The Open". In a day and age when people can't watch the tournament and have to go to the main website and app, this stands out.

ESPN. They are a marketing machine and have the power to sway a lot of things and they have not once referred to it as "The British Open" in the last, say, 5 years or so. Everywhere you turn, there's ESPN calling it "The Open Championship."

Also you have reporters and writers picking up on "The Open Championship" title. You don't see them calling it The British Open, either, anymore.

Personally, I don't care. I still call it The British. Just old habit. The US Open to me is "The Open".

[Reval14]

Shouldn't the US Open be called the World Open? :-P

[jamo]

Also you have reporters and writers picking up on "The Open Championship" title. You don't see them calling it The British Open, either, anymore. Personally, I don't care. I still call it The British. Just old habit. The US Open to me is "The Open".

I probably call it "the British" 10 months out of the year. About a month or so before and after I'll sometimes call it "the Open" because people will get it.

[turtleback]

To me the question is not why they call it The Open Championship, it is why some people get their panties in a bunch when people call it the British Open as they have outside the UK for a long long time.  This whole PC sanitizing* has been going on for the last 10-20 years and I'm sure that in the end the media will have their way.  But I am not going to change just because some people take  what is, for me, a provincial attitude that it is more important to uphold some notion of their own significance than to communicate in an unambiguous manner.

* I am talking about this side of the pond.  I'm sure in the UK they have always called it The Open.

[skydog]

I don't care what they want to call it on the other side of the Atlantic but what annoys me here is the concerted push by the media  to call it the Open Championship when, like others have pointed out, that 's not what we've called it since the advent of our Open. To me it's a condescending way to try and establish supremacy over the US Open, which is anything but the case. They're both great tournaments, but let's not act on any continent like the British Open is superior to ours. And let's not forget that the British Open was a fledgling event for several decades until Arnie came along in '61 and returned it to relevancy.

[ScouseJohnny]

I don't care what they want to call it on the other side of the Atlantic but what annoys me here is the concerted push by the media  to call it the Open Championship when, like others have pointed out, that 's not what we've called it since the advent of our Open. To me it's a condescending way to try and establish supremacy over the US Open, which is anything but the case. They're both great tournaments, but let's not act on any continent like the British Open is superior to ours. And let's not forget that the British Open was a fledgling event for several decades until Arnie came along in '61 and returned it to relevancy.

As an expat Englishman in the States (living pretty close to Macon, GA, co-incidentally enough, given your avatar), I tend to refer to them as the British Open and the US Open. The pomposity of referring to one as "the Open" and removing the obvious geographical distinction between the two tournaments irks me.

The argument that the US media tended to insert the word "British" in front of the "Open Championship" after the rise of the US Open is certainly valid. I looked in the index to the New York Times from 1960 onwards. The sports writers at the old grey lady used "British Open Championship" and "United States Open Championship" respectively.

What does annoy me, though, is this new orthodoxy that implies the British Open Championship was completely dying on its arse until Arnie the great saviour from the United States showed up and saved the day by making the tournament relevant again. Look at some of the British Open Champions in the 1940s and 1950s. The likes of Peter Thomsen and Bobby Locke were not hacks picking up an easy title in an also-ran competition, and the fact that both of them won PGA tour events and were strong competitors in the US Open, too, speaks to the fact that they were the peers of the leading American golfers of their day. Certainly, the fact that Arnie and Jack took the British Open so seriously was wonderful for ensuring the popularity of that competition for a US audience, but it doesn't mean the tournament was irrelevant before they showed up to play in it.

[skydog]

As an expat Englishman in the States (living pretty close to Macon, GA, co-incidentally enough, given your avatar), I tend to refer to them as the British Open and the US Open. The pomposity of referring to one as "the Open" and removing the obvious geographical distinction between the two tournaments irks me.

The argument that the US media tended to insert the word "British" in front of the "Open Championship" after the rise of the US Open is certainly valid. I looked in the index to the New York Times from 1960 onwards. The sports writers at the old grey lady used "British Open Championship" and "United States Open Championship" respectively.

What does annoy me, though, is this new orthodoxy that implies the British Open Championship was completely dying on its arse until Arnie the great saviour from the United States showed up and saved the day by making the tournament relevant again. Look at some of the British Open Champions in the 1940s and 1950s. The likes of Peter Thomsen and Bobby Locke were not hacks picking up an easy title in an also-ran competition, and the fact that both of them won PGA tour events and were strong competitors in the US Open, too, speaks to the fact that they were the peers of the leading American golfers of their day. Certainly, the fact that Arnie and Jack took the British Open so seriously was wonderful for ensuring the popularity of that competition for a US audience, but it doesn't mean the tournament was irrelevant before they showed up to play in it.

Very much agree with you on the pomposity of the media et. al dubbing one strictly as "the Open."

As for the pre-Arnie British, I wasn't trying to diminish the event or its champions in that era...a return to "relevancy" was too strong of a word to use. I think there was enough history and greatness in the 100 year history of the championship up to that point that even without Arnie, it would have returned to its proper place in the game ultimately, probably would have just taken a bit longer.

[Fourputt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by luu5

Quote:

Originally Posted by FarawayFairways

I suspect what's happening increasingly (unless you're Bubba) is that golfers use different language dependent on the media they're talking to. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to discover those American golfers who give interviews to the BBC and refer to the event as 'the Open' immediately switch back to 'British' when speaking to an American audience. It makes sense. No right minded golfer (unless they're called Poulter) would want to antagonise a crowd who are in turn capable of getting on their back. I do wonder if Azinger lost his own Open chance at Kiawah in 1991. He got targetted in RC's after that and never won a full single point again

I agree, whatever worth it is Wikipedia has this (with some references):

Quote:

In Britain the tournament is best known by its official title, The Open Championship. The tournament's website uses only this name, while British media generally refer to it as the Open (with "the" in lower case). ^{[15] [16] [17]}

Outside the UK, the tournament is generally called the British Open, in part to distinguish the tournament from another of the four majors that has an 'open' format, the U.S. Open , but mainly because other nations with similar 'open' format golf events refer to their own nation's open event as "the Open". Until 2014, the PGA Tour referred to the tournament as the British Open, ^[18] and many American media outlets continue to do so. ^{[19] [20]} However, in 2014, with the new Open Qualifying Series that selects players for the Open through finishes earned in various PGA Tour events, the PGA Tour has taken to referring to the event as The Open Championship for the first time. U.S. television rights-holder ESPN / ABC referred to the event as the British Open until 2004. For the 2005 event at St Andrews, both then-cable rightsholder Turner Sports and ESPN/ABC began referring to the tournament as The Open Championship, and have ever since.

I did my extensive research (two clicks on ESPN), and found out that they 99.99999% use only The Open (Championship). Only in one "link hint popup", I saw British Open.

You have to consider the fact that the US media is nothing if not politically correct.  The modern media will take just about any steps deemed necessary to avoid anything  resembling controversy.  The mere thought of being criticized for using the appellation "British Open" would make the modern sports media cringe.  Now that they have started to use the title, it will probably spread, but such changes don't happen overnight.  Too many of us uncouth Americans grew up with the US Open and the British Open, and we see nothing incorrect, politically or otherwise, about calling them that.  I will continue to make that distinction until I die.  I do it solely for clarity of language.  Others may do as they like.

To those who got confused and thought that we were discussing other sports, the NFL has actually had serious thoughts toward expanding to Europe, Great Britain in particular.  The main block in such a plan is simple geography.  It would be extremely difficult for a team to travel from London to San Francisco (or the reverse) and be in any condition to play a game with the intensity required for an NFL game.  It seems to me that the only reasonable solution to such a dilemma would be to build an "International" stadium on the east coast, where such games would be played on more or less neutral ground, with both teams facing similar travel issues.  In any event, until they find a workable solution to that problem, any such expansion is going to be on hold.

As long as the professional sports leagues in the US (NBA, MLB, NFL) pay the highest salaries, they will continue to siphon off the best talent from around the world, and they will continue to crown the best teams in the world each year.  It's the same reason that the best golfers from around the world play on the PGA Tour, despite often having to live most of the year away from home and family.  The talent goes where the money is.

[turtleback]

What does annoy me, though, is this new orthodoxy that implies the British Open Championship was completely dying on its arse until Arnie the great saviour from the United States showed up and saved the day by making the tournament relevant again. Look at some of the British Open Champions in the 1940s and 1950s. The likes of Peter Thomsen and Bobby Locke were not hacks picking up an easy title in an also-ran competition, and the fact that both of them won PGA tour events and were strong competitors in the US Open, too, speaks to the fact that they were the peers of the leading American golfers of their day. Certainly, the fact that Arnie and Jack took the British Open so seriously was wonderful for ensuring the popularity of that competition for a US audience, but it doesn't mean the tournament was irrelevant before they showed up to play in it.

Surely you would not argue that the British Open in those years had anything like the percentage of the world's best players that the other majors had in those years and which the British Open gets now.  Before Arnie most American pros might go over once or twice to say they had played there.  And like it or not, the best players in the world in the post-WW2 era were Americans.  And most players, no matter which side of the pond, did not find it economically feasible to play many events on the other side.  And on those occasions when top US pros went over and played they usually did very well.  Hogan played it once and won.  Snead played twice (not counting his post-age-50 tires) and win it once and finished t6 the other.  Nelson went once (plus another after he had essentially retired from competitive golf) and finished 5th.

When you look at how few British Opens were played by the top American pros and how few US majors were played by the top non-American pros it just makes clear how Jack's claim that the "only fair way" to compare players of different eras is majors is exactly backwards - not only is it NOT the most fair way, it would be hard to find a less fair way given the vast difference in the number of opportunities players of different eras had to play in majors.

Personal OT PS:   catch any of the Liverpool-Roma friendly at Fenway Park on TV?  I'm looking forward to the season.  Lots of changes.