The Open Championship is not just the oldest of the four majors in men's golf but is also one of the most anticipated sporting events every year! Since it was first held in 1860, many of the sport's greatest have claimed goosebumps-raising victories at the event.

So, where was the first-ever Open Championship held? What are some unique traditions associated with the major? Let's find out!

The rich history of the golf's oldest major

The Open Championship, or the British Open, was held for the first time ever on October 17th, 1860, at the Prestwick Golf Club. The second-oldest golfing major, the US Open, came into existence 35 years later. The field for the first British Open consisted of just eight players, out of whom Willie Park Sr emerged as the winner. It was a single-day event and consisted of three back-to-back rounds of twelve holes each. In the year 1892, the format of the Open changed to 72 holes played over the span of two days.

From 1872 to 1894, the coveted tournament alternated between three venues in Scotland: Prestwick, Musselburgh, and St. Andrews. Liverpool's Royal St. George Golf Club became the first club in England in 1894 to host the major. To date, St. Andrews Links in Scotland has hosted the tournament a whopping 30 times, followed by Prestwick (24) and Muirfield (16).

The Open Championship format and qualification

Every year, the Open is organized by the R&A Trust, which is one of the main governing bodies of golf in the world. They also stage the AIG Women's Open, one of the five majors in women’s golf, every year.

Players can make their way into the field for the Open Championship in four ways. They can either enter via exemption, open Qualifying Series (OQS), local and final qualifying, and if the 156-player field size hasn't been reached, then by being one of the highest-rated players in the Official World Golf Rankings(OWGR) that is not already qualified.

The Open is a four-day event played over 72 holes and consists of 156 players. Every year, it kicks off on the day before the third Friday in July. After 36 holes are done, only the top 70 get to play the remaining holes. In case of a tie at the end of 72 holes, a four-hole aggregate playoff occurs. If players are still tied, then a sudden-death matchup is held.

Most notable winners of the Open Championship

To this date, Harry Vardon holds the record for most British Open wins. Called "The Stylist," Vardon won the title six times between 1896 and 1914. American golfing legend Tom Watson won the major five times between 1975 and 1983. Three other players, James Braid, Peter Thomson, and John Henry Taylor, have also won the major five times each. The trio of Vardon, Braid, and Taylor were referred to as the "Great Triumvirate."

A roster of golfing greats has picked up the trophy thrice in their careers. The list includes Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Nick Faldo, Bobby Jones, and Seve Ballesteros, among others. Tom Morris Junior became the youngest ever player to win the title in 1868 at the age of just 17. He also holds the record for the greatest margin victory at the major, a whopping 13 strokes win.

The record for the lowest 18-hole score was achieved by Branden Grace, who carded a 62 in the third round of the event's 2017 edition. Meanwhile, the lowest final-round score came at the 2016 Open at Royal Troon. In his last five holes, Henrik Stenson made birdie-par-birdie-birdie-birdie to post an 8-under 63, edging past Phil Mickelson in an epic battle.

A major unlike any other

Every year, the Open is held on a coastal links golf course. In fact, links golf is often considered as the "purest" form of the sport as it is connected to the game's establishment in 15th century Scotland. An amazing factor about links courses is that no two holes play out in the same manner. Owing to weather conditions, the same hole can play completely differently the following day.

Key traditions associated with the Open Championship

One of the distinctive features of the Open Championship is the Claret Jug, the trophy which is awarded to the victorious golfer every year. However, it wasn't introduced until 1873, a year in which Tom Kidd won the major. A winner is allowed to keep the trophy for a year and must return it before the next edition. He is then awarded a replica in its place.

The yellow manual scoreboard is another unique aspect of the Open. With time, however, the manual boards have paved the way for electronic models. "What happened to the yellow scoreboards?" 5-time Open champion Tom Watson had inquired during the event's 2014 edition at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake. "There's no more yellow scoreboard."

The Open's economic contribution

The 145th edition of the Open, which was held at Royal Troon, delivered over $69 million (€64 million) worth of benefits to Scotland, according to a study by Sheffield Hallam University's Sport Industry Research Centre. Additionally, the country also made a whopping $50 million in destination marketing benefits, owing to the exposure brought about by the major, which was broadcast in 193 territories globally.

Meanwhile, the 148th Open at Royal Portrush produced more than $109 million (€100 million) in economic benefit for Northern Ireland, per an independent study commissioned by the R&A. Additionally, they also witnessed an additional $49 million ( €45 million) in destination marketing benefit, thanks to over 5,400 hours of global television coverage.