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THE 138 OPEN

SUMMARY
The Open Championship, or simply The Open (often referred to as the British Open outside the UK), is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only major held outside the USA and is administered by the R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico. The Open is played on the weekend of the third Friday in July, and is the third major to take place each year following The Masters and the U.S. Open and before the PGA Championship.

The event takes place every year on one of nine historic links courses in Scotland or England (the event has been held once in Northern Ireland, but Royal Portrush is no longer on the rota). In 2009, The Open will have a prize fund of £4.2 million with £750,000 going to the winner. Historically, The Open's prize money was consistently the least of the four majors; since 2002 it has been the highest. Uniquely among the four Major championships, the Open features a four hole playoff for all golfers tied at the end of regulation, with the playoff continuing into sudden death holes if players remain tied after four holes.

THE COURSE
Named after the third Marquess of Ailsa, who owned the land on which it was built, this par-70, 7,211-yard championship course is one of golf’s storied places. Home to three Open Championships, Ailsa has shaped some of the most remarkable moments in the tournament’s history.

Its first three holes pose a fairly tough opening, particularly when the wind blows from the direction of its namesake, the brooding isle of Ailsa Craig, 11 miles out to sea. From the 4th hole to the 11th, the coastal scenery is magnificent and the course is demanding. Commanding a passage of stout hitting throughout, the 5th to the 8th holes are framed by sandy hillocks, while the 9th, 10th and 11th are flanked by craggy rocks.

On its stony ridge on the edge of the sea, the 9th hole is Turnberry’s trademark. The landmark lighthouse casts shadows over the 13th-century ruins of Bruce’s Castle, the reputed birthplace of Scotland’s hero king Robert the Bruce, and the narrow path to the tee and the drive across the corner of the bay fill players with trepidation.

The back nine, like the front nine, require both cleverness and control. The steep incline of the plateau green on the 13th hole—Tickly Tap or “Tricky Little Stroke”—makes one of the largest putting surfaces on the course look rather small. Likewise, the subtle contours of the 17th hole, Lang Whang, slightly obstruct each shot—also characteristic of the trickery of Turnberry. On the 18th, with the red-roofed hotel in sight to distract, gorse running down the right side and small dunes peeking up just enough to block your view of the landing zone, finding the fairway is even more difficult.