The Open – Get up to speed, now!

Come July, and it’s time to gear up for much awaited the British Open golf tournament. It is one of the four golf majors, and the oldest, dating back to the 1860s. Here are few facts and figures associated with The Open.

1. The golf’s oldest championship is officially known as “The Open Championship” or simply “The Open”. It is organized by The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A).

2.  Oldest among four major championships of professional golf, this would be 143rd edition of the British Open. The Open Championship will be played at Royal Liverpool (Hoylake) from July 17-20, 2014.

3.  Phil Mickelson won the 142nd Open Championship at Muirfield in 2013. In 2006, when last time  this event was held at Royal Liverpool, Tiger Woods won The Open.

4.   The Open was first played in 1860 at Prestwick Golf Club, Scotland. The winner was Willie Park Snr.

5.   The Champion Trophy, also known as Claret Jug, replaced the Challenge Belt in 1873.

6.   The event takes place every year on one of nine links courses in Scotland or England. “Links” courses tend to be close to a coast. They are known for their extreme windy conditions and pot bunkers.

7.  The Oldest winner at The Open was 46-year-old, Old Tom Morris 1867. The youngest winner at 17 was his son, Young Tom Morris in 1868.

8.    Harry Vardon has won The Open record six times (1896, 1898, 1899, 1903, 1911, 1914). Founder of the Vardon or overlapping grip (most popular grip in golf today).

9.     Gary Player holds the record for maximum appearance of 46 times at The Open.

10.   Old Tom Morris held the record for the largest margin of victory in a major championship (14 strokes at the 1862 Open Championship) for 138-years, until Tiger Woods won the 2000 U.S. Open by 15 strokes.

11.    1979 at Royal Lytham, Seve Ballesteros drove his ball into a car park, went onto birdie the hole and win the event!

12.    India’s Anirban Lahiri will make his second appearance at The Open 2014 after his 31st place finish in 2012.