The Open Championship. What you should know about the golf major

On Thursday, July 18th, the final major championship of this golf season, The Open Championship, or British Open, will commence. It will run for four days, concluding on July 21st.

This tournament is the oldest in the world of golf, established in 1860 and initially held annually at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. Later, the venue rotated among a select group of coastal courses across Great Britain.

Interestingly, the tournament is called "Open" because theoretically it is "open" to all golfers, both professionals and amateurs. In practice, however, it is primarily a professional event, with a few leading amateur players participating by special invitation or qualification.

The success of the British Open inspired the creation of many other open golf tournaments worldwide. Today, it stands as one of the four major championships in men's golf, alongside the Masters, PGA Championship, and US Open.

The winner receives the title of "Champion Golfer of the Year," a title first awarded at the inaugural Open in 1860, and is presented with the Claret Jug trophy, first given in 1872.

Harry Vardon holds the record for most victories in the tournament, with six championship titles won in 1896, 1898, 1899, 1903, 1911, and 1914. The current champion is Brian Harman. The prize fund for this year's tournament is $17 million, a record high, with the winner receiving $3.1 million.

By the way, the team at Dailysports has prepared information for you on where and when to watch this tournament.