British Open vs. The Open Championship?

[Rogin]

The defense has just lost its case, humiliatingly.

The very reason the others are called the French Open, the Scottish Open, the Canadian Open, the Australian Open, the US Open ...

is to recognize the fact that none of them are THE Open championship. The original. The one and only.

As for American golfers not participating in the 1940s and 1950s, well more fool them. Bobby Locke beat the crap out of the lot of them on the PGA tour from 1947 to 1950 until they found a way to ban him, then came back and shared the next 8 Open titles with Peter Thomson (and Hogan). And Thomson's 5th Open title in 1965 saw him beating Nicklaus, Palmer, Player and Lema so who's to say any of the Americans would have beaten him in the 1950s.

GB&I; lost the 1953 Ryder Cup on the final green and won the 1957 one against the best the Americans had to offer.

[turtleback]

The defense has just lost its case, humiliatingly.

The very reason the others are called the French Open, the Scottish Open, the Canadian Open, the Australian Open, the US Open ...

is to recognize the fact that none of them are THE Open championship. The original. The one and only.

Logic must work differently in the UK because this makes no sense.

[DaveP043]

I'll join in, just for fun.  I voted for The Open Championship.  To my knowledge, this was the first championship open to anyone who could travel to the site, from anywhere in the golfing world.  Similarly, I find the title Champion Golfer of the Year quite appropriate, given the tradition and history.  On the other hand, if Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, among others, have called it the British Open, and perhaps still do, I'm not going to say that they're wrong.  Its all good to me, not worth getting upset about.

I will say that the very recent decision by the PR flacks to rename it simply "The Open" smack of just that, a PR gambit.  Next they'll be calling it by some unpronouncible symbol, and we'll have to refer to it as the Golf Tournament formerly known as the Open Championship.

[Spiethismyhero]

What do you call it and why? Is it a Europe vs. North America thing?

Although I know its official name is The Open Championship, most people I know refer to it as the British Open. Must be to differentiate it from the US Open.

Well, they're wrong because there is NO such tournament as the "British Open." Not referring to any event by the name it is actually called is, I think, very rude. Every time I hear it I cringe. The naysayers will say it distinguishes it from the US Open. No it doesn't. "US" is all the difference one needs. It's called simply "The Open Championship." I've never understood why it's so difficult for some to call it that.

What if someone just wanted to willy-nilly start calling The Super Bowl something else? Or the World Series something else? Especially considering that the "world" isn't even invited to participate in the "World Series." Sorry, if I'm ranting but this one has always pissed me off.

[Spiethismyhero]

How about something this simple. It's called The Open Championship. Why would you call something anything other than the name it is called?

That's like saying my name is "John" and you start calling them Jack when they don't wish to be called that.

What could be more simple than that?

[DaveP043]

How about something this simple. It's called The Open Championship. Why would you call something anything other than the name it is called?

Apparently the powers that be have decided they NOW want to be called simply "The Open", not the Open Championship.  Are those who call it the Open Championship from this point forward also to be considered "rude"?

[Spiethismyhero]

Apparently the powers that be have decided they NOW want to be called simply "The Open", not the Open Championship.  Are those who call it the Open Championship from this point forward also to be considered "rude"?

I think you'd certainly be called incorrect if you choose to refer to any event or person by anything other than the name it wishes to be called by. If someone insisted on being called "African American" would you call them "black?"

I mean this whole topic is just too ridiculous for words.

[DaveP043]

I mean this whole topic is just too ridiculous for words.

On this, we agree, its just not important enough for me to get excited about what anyone calls it.  Its still one of the most important golf tournaments of every year.

[Avalanche]

Either/don't care.  Depends on who I'm talking to.  Non-golfers know what the British Open is, but aren't as likely to know what the Open Championship is.  Golfers are more likely to appreciate the correct name, which is The Open Championship.

[Gunther]

I call it The British.

[Calvin]

I didn't see the "Wind and Rain Golf Tournament" option....

I call it the British Open because that's what it was called when I was younger, and the PGA Tour did not adopt the "Open" nomenclature until 2014. If we're going to seek to impart an historic veneer, then shouldn't the title "The Open" go to the Scottish Open, which may be newer but at least is where the game was invented?  And the first 30 years of the British event were won by Scots, and even then most of the first great English-speaking winners (Vardon and Ray) were from Jersey, which is not technically part of the UK and lies closer to France.

[dkolo]

The folks behind the British Open can certainly call their tournament whatever they wish, just like how the folks at Augusta can call their rough whatever it is they feel like calling it. But by the same token, it's my mouth and my keyboard, and I'll call them whatever it is I like.

[Rogin]

Logic must work differently in the UK because this makes no sense.

er, "logic" must work differently in your head becacuse this makes perfect sense.

THE Open is and will continue to be THE Open well, forever. What the hell are you saying is any different? Logic boy?

[dkolo]

er, "logic" must work differently in your head becacuse this makes perfect sense.

THE Open is and will continue to be THE Open well, forever. What the hell are you saying is any different? Logic boy?

Ok, a couple of things:

1) Don't be a jerk

2) You referred in the post @turtleback was questioning to The Open as "the one and only" roughly a paragraph after listing off half a dozen other Opens.

3) Your argument is a statement assuming a conclusion. Just because something has been a certain way or is that way to you doesn't mean that it's a universal truth. In the US, someone can refer to Jordan Spieth winning The Open without it meaning that that person turned off the TV on the tournament from St. Andrews a few holes too early. I've always thought The Open to mean the US Open and the British or the Open Championship as the British Open. But just because that's what I do doesn't mean it's any more right than how you do it. As long as others know what you mean, it's really just quibbling.

[Spiethismyhero]

The folks behind the British Open can certainly call their tournament whatever they wish, just like how the folks at Augusta can call their rough whatever it is they feel like calling it. But by the same token, it's my mouth and my keyboard, and I'll call them whatever it is I like.

And not only would you be wrong but you be a candidate for what other people around the world call an "ugly American." The feeling that we some right to call someone else's golf tournament by whatever name we wish.

Why don't some start calling the US Open "The American Open" or the USA Open or The USGA Open?

[dkolo]

And not only would you be wrong but you be a candidate for what other people around the world call an "ugly American." The feeling that we some right to call someone else's golf tournament by whatever name we wish.

We (I dunno, I guess you're making this to be an American thing) and anyone else can call things whatever we wish. Calling it "The Open" outside of the UK leads to confusion. It's not as universal a name as you seem to think. The British Open, to the extent that it wants to be called The Open, is suffering from its brand being genericized. There are other Opens with equal or greater stature now that it isn't as clear as you think it is. People made the point about The Masters sometimes being called The US Masters. The stature of other regional tournaments with the Masters name aren't nearly as prominent as one at Augusta, but if the South African Masters blows up in the future, you won't hurt my feelings by specifying which Masters you're talking about.

Why don't some start calling the US Open "The American Open" or the USA Open or The USGA Open?

They can. I doubt they will because these are either unnecessarily long or weird, but hey, see if you can make it a thing, if that'll make you happy.

[boogielicious]

Let's all take it down a notch please. You all are getting worked up over the name of a golf tournament that you all happen to like. Name calling will get you restricted from the thread.

[iacas]

Well, they're wrong because there is NO such tournament as the "British Open."

Yeah there is. Zach Johnson won it this year.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Open_Championship (" often referred to as the British Open" )

http://www.cbssports.com/golf/tournaments/britishopen ("144th British Open" and "2015 British Open Championship")

Not referring to any event by the name it is actually called is, I think, very rude. Every time I hear it I cringe. The naysayers will say it distinguishes it from the US Open. No it doesn't. "US" is all the difference one needs. It's called simply "The Open Championship." I've never understood why it's so difficult for some to call it that.

It's not difficult. My open championship happens to be the U.S. Open. When I say "The Open" the players I'm talking to assume I mean the one in the country in which they were born (the U.S.).

And not only would you be wrong but you be a candidate for what other people around the world call an "ugly American." The feeling that we some right to call someone else's golf tournament by whatever name we wish.

Why don't some start calling the US Open "The American Open" or the USA Open or The USGA Open?

In case you missed it, some people already call what I call "The Masters" "The U.S. Masters." So…

Doesn't bother me in the least, btw.

Let's all take it down a notch please. You all are getting worked up over the name of a golf tournament that you all happen to like. Name calling will get you restricted from the thread.

Uhhhhh, yup.