British Open vs. The Open Championship?

[RickK]

Depends upon where I am and who is in the company I am with.  All Americans, I call it the British Open.  Otherwise, generally refer to it as the Open Championship...don't need someone correcting me.

[iacas]

Poll added.

[RickK]

I voted "Either" but I do care.  As I explained above, it depends upon whose company I am in.  I learn to adapt.  And, I go to the UK often enough I don't need some bloke correcting me.

[Fourputt]

If I'm talking to a Brit, then I'd probably call it the Open.  However, I can't really remember the last time I was talking to a Brit about golf, if ever.

To the guy who said it's always been called "The Open Championship" - it hasn't always been called that over here.  It's only recently that some weird form of political correctness has made that popular.  For most of my life it was the British Open (sometimes even just called "The British") on TV and in the press and anytime it came up on the course.  So as far as I'm concerned, since I'm not British, and I'm almost never talking to someone from the UK, I'll call it the British Open.

And ours will still be the US Open.  I don't think that any of the "opens" are special enough to be left without a descriptive modifier.

[Perfect Slicer]

I didn't grow up with golf. Nobody in my family or extended family played it. I picked it up when I was 39. I did watch it now and then, and the only references I remember growing up was as the British Open, as opposed o the US Open, so that is how I think of it. It all had to come from any advertising or references for casual American fans. It just came from not knowing any better. However, thinking about it, it seems that my golfing group refers to it as the British Open when talking about i.

[dkolo]

In my mind, there's The Open and The British, and they are not played on the same continent.

[Hardballs]

Actually, thats kind of silly to me too.  I would be all for a name change if somebody could think of a good one. :) I like that soccer (sorry) is becoming so much more popular here these days, and that its not at all uncommon to hear somebody without an accent say football, and not be talking about American football. By the way ... I'm so excited for the World Cup!!!  (shhh, don't tell wisguy ;))

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

Actually, thats kind of silly to me too.  I would be all for a name change if somebody could think of a good one. :)

I like that soccer (sorry) is becoming so much more popular here these days, and that its not at all uncommon to hear somebody without an accent say football, and not be talking about American football.

By the way ... I'm so excited for the World Cup!!!  (shhh, don't tell wisguy ;))

In China they called it "Olive Ball" when the NFL did some demonstration games there less than a decade ago. . .

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2007-01-13/news/0701130064_1_nfl-international-shanghai-based-zou-marketing-talent-search

Didn't work out very well, apparently the kickers were not all that talented, which is also probably why China still does not have a world class football (soccer) team.

[Rulesman]

Yep.  In the UK it's "The Open".  In the US, it's the British Open, since we have our own Open, and it's necessary to differentiate them.  If I don't have any problem calling ours the US Open, then he should be bothered by me calling his the British Open.  It also differentiates it from the French Open, the Scottish Open, the Irish Open, etc.  It was only "The Open Championship" when it was still the only one.  To continue to call it in the modern age that is the utmost in "homerism".

When it started, it didn't need to differentiate. It was the first and only Open Championship. The USGA, deliberately called theirs the USGA Open Championship, recognising that the R&A; already had the title. To this day the USGA only use the title 'The Open Championship' for the original. Apart from common courtesy, if it's good enough for them .......

[ColinL]

I love the way in which the historical uniqueness of The Open is reflected in the traditional announcement of the  winner as   "The champion golfer of the year".

[rogolf]

I love the way in which the historical uniqueness of The Open is reflected in the traditional announcement of the  winner as   "The champion golfer of the year".

Yes, it carries on the tradition of The Open Championship, as it should be!

[NJpatbee]

I have always called it the British Open, with the "Open" being the US Open.  I can also understand how the Brits feel just the opposite.

[MSDOGS1976]

When I was growing up all I ever heard was 'the British Open'. So that is how I refer to it today. But if I were in Scotland going to see the championship, you can bet I would refer to it as 'The Open'. As they say......when in Rome, do as the Romans do.

[irishmike27]

I usually call it the British, but I voted for either. I don't get why people get worked up over referring to it as such.

[jbishop15]

I call it the British Open, but it didn't really matter to me.

[SavvySwede]

I usually call it the British Open, just less confusing that way.

[cubdog]

The Open Championship. That's what my dad called it so that's what I call it.

cubdog

[colin007]

People who call it "The Open" are the same types of douchenozzles that say "The Ohio State University"... :-)