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94-484: Like the Official World Golf Ranking for male professional golfers, the amateur ranking was initiated by The R&A to provide a more reliable means of selecting an appropriate field for one of its tournaments. The professional ranking was initially used to help set the field for The Open Championship and the amateur ranking plays a role in selecting the field for The Amateur Championship , which

188-521: A "respectable caddie" to represent each of the clubs. The winner received the Challenge Belt, made from red leather with a silver buckle and worth £25, which came about thanks to being donated by the Earl of Eglinton , a man with a keen interest in medieval pageantry (belts were the type of trophy that might have been competed for in archery or jousting). The first rule of the new golf competition

282-469: A bogey-free 6-under-par 66, the first time a player has returned a bogey-free round of 66 or better in their first appearance in U.S. Open . He subsequently became one of only 15 players to ever reach 10 under par at a U.S. Open. He eventually finished in a tie for fifth place, earning him an exemption into the 2018 championship . Three weeks later, in July, Schauffele recorded his first PGA Tour victory, at

376-712: A coach of Tiger Woods and Bryson DeChambeau , in November 2023. Two of Schauffele's great-grandfathers played soccer in Europe. Johann Hoffmann played for the Austria national football team and won multiple Austrian, Bohemian, and French national titles. After playing football for VfB Stuttgart , Richard Schauffele excelled in track and field , garnering over 40 titles in discus , javelin and shot put . Xander himself played soccer in his youth before focusing on golf, after his soccer coach refused to reposition him from

470-734: A cut after 36 holes, or a qualifying event, and the largest field was 226 in 1911. The large field meant sometimes the tournament was spread across up to four days. In 1907 Arnaud Massy from France became the first non-British winner. Royal Cinque Ports in England became the 6th different Open host course in 1909. The pre-war period is most famous for the Great Triumvirate of Harry Vardon (Jersey), John Henry Taylor (England), and James Braid (Scotland). The trio combined to win The Open Championship 16 times in

564-610: A day over four days, weather permitting. Xander Schauffele Alexander Victor Schauffele ( / ˈ z æ n d ər ˈ ʃ aʊ f əl eɪ / ; born October 25, 1993) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour . He won the Tour Championship in 2017 and the gold medal at the men's individual golf event of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan . He has won two major championships , both in

658-419: A defensive midfielder to offensive midfielder. Schauffele was the individual winner of the 2011 California State High School Championship ( California Interscholastic Federation , CIF), playing for Scripps Ranch High School . After graduating from high school, Schauffele played his freshman year in college at California State University Long Beach , where he garnered the 2012 Big West Conference Freshman of

752-503: A fifth title in 1965. After flooding prevented Royal Cinque Ports from hosting, both in 1938 and 1949, it was removed from the rota. The Open was played outside of England and Scotland for the first time in 1951 at Royal Portrush , Northern Ireland . The period saw fewer American entrants, as the PGA Tour had grown to be quite lucrative, and the PGA Championship was often played at the same or similar time paying triple

846-510: A first-time winner. In 1999, the Open at Carnoustie was famously difficult, and Frenchman Jean van de Velde had a three-shot lead teeing off on the final hole. He ended up triple bogeying after finding the Barry Burn , and Scotman Paul Lawrie , ranked 241st in the world, ended up winning in a playoff. He was 10 strokes behind the leader going into the final round, a record for all majors. He

940-457: A fourth title in 1957. Having already won the Masters and the U.S. Open earlier in the year, Ben Hogan won in his one and only Open appearance in 1953 to win the "Triple Crown". His achievement was so well regarded he returned to New York City to a ticker-tape parade. Peter Thomson became the first Australian winner, winning four times in five years between 1954 and 1958, and later winning

1034-832: A high position in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). Five amateurs are also exempt from qualifying by winning various global amateur titles provided they maintain their amateur status prior to The Open. Another way of qualifying is to finish in a high position in the Open Qualifying Series of global events, which are about twelve tour events across the globe, run by various local golfing organisations. Any male professional golfer, male amateur golfer whose playing handicap does not exceed 0.4 (i.e. scratch) or has been within World Amateur Golf Ranking listing 1–2,000 during

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1128-462: A prevailing onshore breeze, changes in the wind direction and strength over the course of the tournament can mean each round of golf has to be played slightly differently. The courses are also famous for deep pot bunkers, and gorse bushes that make up the "rough". A golfer playing on a links course will often adapt his game so the flight of the ball is lower and so is less impacted by the wind, but this will make distance control more difficult. Also due to

1222-559: A record only bettered by Harry Vardon , and he became regarded as one of the greatest links golf players of all time. In 1976, 19-year-old Spaniard Seve Ballesteros gained attention in the golfing world when he finished second. He would go on to win three Opens (1979, 1984, 1988), and was the first continental European to win since Arnaud Massy in 1907. Other multiple winners in this period were Englishman Nick Faldo with three (1987, 1990, 1992), and Australian Greg Norman with two (1986, 1993). Every year between 1994 and 2004 had

1316-456: A representative of the R&;A openly stated that it is a priority to "eradicate the term British Open" and have a single identity and brand of "The Open" in all countries. Tournament partners, such as the PGA Tour , now refer to it without "British" in the title, media rightsholders are contractually required to refer to the event as The Open Championship, and the official website has released

1410-562: A score of 6-under-par 64 and was tied for the lead going into the second round. He ultimately finished in second place, but took maximum world ranking points having returned the lowest aggregate score. In December 2019, Schauffele played on the U.S. team at the 2019 Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia. The U.S. team won 16–14. Schauffele went 3–2–0 and won his Sunday singles match against International team star and veteran Adam Scott . Golf Digest called Schauffele

1504-460: A single year. Although he finished second to Kel Nagle , he returned and won the Open in 1961 and 1962. Palmer was hugely popular in America, and his victories are likely to have been the first time many Americans would have seen the Open on television. This, along with the growth of trans-Atlantic jet travel, inspired many more Americans to travel in the future. The period is primarily defined by

1598-496: A statement titled "Why it's called 'The Open' and not the 'British Open'" stating that "The Open is the correct name for the Championship. It is also the most appropriate". The R&A's stance has attracted criticism from some commentators. The R&A also run The Senior Open , the over 50s equivalent of the Open, which was officially known as the "Senior British Open" from its inception in 1987 until 2007, when "British"

1692-425: A win in his Sunday singles match against Nicolai Højgaard . Having only previously worked with his dad, Stefan, from the very beginning, Xander made a coaching change and started working with Chris Como for the 2024 season. In May 2024, Schauffele won his first major with a birdie on the final hole in the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club . Schauffele won the tournament with a score of 21 under par, which

1786-502: A year. It used to be the responsibility of the winner to get his name engraved on the trophy, but 1967 winner Roberto De Vicenzo returned the trophy without having done so. Subsequently, the winner's name is already engraved on it when presented, which often results in television commentators speculating as to when it is safe for the engraver to start. "You know to have dreams, to have things that you think are unattainable, if you give up on them, what’s left? I am immensely proud my name

1880-487: Is a record low for a major championship. He beat Bryson DeChambeau by one stroke after DeChambeau also birdied the final hole. In July, Schauffele won the Open Championship at Royal Troon , the second major of his career. Schauffele became the first golfer to win two majors in one season with a final-round 65. He also became the first golfer to win multiple majors in the same year since Brooks Koepka won

1974-482: Is also an official event on the Japan Golf Tour . Qualifying was introduced in 1907, and for much of its history, all players had to go through the qualification process. In the modern era, the majority of players get an exemption from qualification which is awarded for previous performance in the Open, performance in high-profile global tournaments (such as other majors ), performance in top golf tours , or

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2068-659: Is on that Claret Jug." —2011 Open winner Darren Clarke on fulfilling a lifelong ambition. The winner of the Open is announced as "The Champion Golfer of the Year", a title which has been used since the first Open in 1860. He will nearly always pose for photos with the trophy sitting on one of the distinctive pot bunkers. Three-time winner Jack Nicklaus said holding the Claret Jug was like holding "a newborn baby", and on other players putting champagne or other drinks inside it to celebrate their Open win, he said "I never used

2162-432: Is recognised as one of the four major championships in golf, and is an official event on the PGA Tour , European Tour , and the Japan Golf Tour . The Open began in 1860, and for many years it was not the most-followed event in golf, as challenge matches between top golfers were more keenly followed and drew larger crowds. The Great Triumvirate dominated the Open between 1894 and 1914 and were primarily responsible for

2256-521: The 2024 Open at Royal Troon Golf Club with a score of 275. The first Open Championship was played on 17 October 1860 at Prestwick Golf Club in Ayrshire , Scotland , over three rounds of the twelve-hole links course. In the mid-19th century golf was played mainly by well-off gentlemen, as hand-crafted clubs and balls were expensive. Professionals made a living from playing for bets, caddying, ball and club making, and instruction. Allan Robertson

2350-586: The British Open , is the oldest golf tournament in the world, and one of the most prestigious. Founded in 1860, it was originally held annually at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland . Later the venue rotated between a select group of coastal links golf courses in the United Kingdom . It is organised by The R&A . The Open is one of the four men's major golf championships , the others being

2444-579: The Claret Jug , known officially as The Golf Champion Trophy, and hosting of the Open would be rotated between the three clubs. These decisions were taken too late for the trophy to be presented to the 1872 Open champion, who was once again Young Tom Morris. Instead, he was awarded with a medal inscribed 'The Golf Champion Trophy', although he is the first to be engraved on the Claret Jug as the 1872 winner. Medals have been given to, and kept by

2538-404: The Claret Jug , which has been presented to the champion since 1873 (it was first awarded to Young Tom Morris in 1872, however the trophy was not ready in time—his name is the first to be engraved on it). The original trophy permanently resides on display in the R&A's Clubhouse at St Andrews. Therefore, the trophy that is presented at each Open is a replica which is retained by the winner for

2632-638: The Greenbrier Classic . With the win, he earned exemptions into the Open Championship , via the Open Qualifying Series, the PGA Championship and the 2018 Masters Tournament . Schauffele qualified for the end-of-season Tour Championship by moving up to 26th in the standings, from 33rd at the start of the FedEx Cup Playoffs . There he birdied the 72nd hole to claim his second tour victory, by one stroke over Justin Thomas , and become

2726-617: The Masters Tournament , one stroke behind champion Tiger Woods . It was his third top-five in eight starts at major championships. He led the field with 25 birdies, becoming the third player since 1980 to have 25 or more birdies in a single Masters, joining Phil Mickelson (25 in 2001) and Jordan Spieth (28 in 2015). In June, he finished tied for 3rd at the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, California. At The Open Championship in July 2019, he became

2820-483: The Masters Tournament , the PGA Championship and the U.S. Open . Since the PGA Championship moved to May in 2019, the Open has been chronologically the fourth and final major tournament of the year. It is held in mid-July. It is called The Open because it is in theory "open" to all, i.e. professional and amateur golfers. In practice, the current event is a professional tournament in which a small number of

2914-423: The Official World Golf Ranking , up 267 spots from his 2016 year-end position of 299. He was voted Rookie of the Year for 2017 by his peers. At the beginning of 2018, Schauffele switched equipment manufacturers, signing an endorsement deal with Callaway , having previously been sponsored by TaylorMade . In May, he finished T2 at the 2018 Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass with a score of 14 under par. In

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3008-409: The Official World Golf Ranking . Jon Rahm , who was ranked no. 1 for 60 weeks, became professional world no. 1 in July 2020. Lydia Ko was the first player to accomplish this feat in the female ranking. She was only 14 years and 3 days and held the ranking for a record 130 consecutive weeks, and she was a mere 17 years, 9 months and 9 days when she first reached the pinnacle of

3102-433: The Open Championship at Carnoustie , he tied for second with a score of 6 under par. Schauffele began the 2018 FedEx Cup Playoffs in 28th position in the standings. Entering the third of four events in the playoff series, the 2018 BMW Championship , he was 41st, needing to move up at least eleven spots to advance to the Tour Championship . He finished in a tie for third to rise to 18th position. That finish allowed him

3196-663: The Renaissance Club in East Lothian , Scotland. It was his third PGA Tour victory in the 2021–22 season, and his seventh overall. Schauffele qualified for the U.S. team at the 2022 Presidents Cup ; he won three and lost one of the four matches he played. In September 2023, Schauffele played on the U.S. team in the 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Guidonia , Rome , Italy. The European team won 16.5–11.5 and Schauffele went 1–3–0, including

3290-598: The Sheshan Golf Club , in a playoff, defeating Tony Finau on the first extra hole. In January 2019, he won the Sentry Tournament of Champions at The Plantation Course at Kapalua Resort in Maui , Hawaii , returning a course record equalling 11-under-par 62 in the final round to pass Gary Woodland , whom he had trailed by five shots entering the final round. In April, Schauffele tied for second in

3384-510: The U.S. Open , and later many others. To distinguish it from their own national open, it became common in many countries to refer to the tournament as the "British Open". The R&A (the tournament's organiser) continued to refer to it as The Open Championship. During the interwar years , a period with many U.S.-based winners, the term British Open would occasionally be used during the trophy presentation and in British newspapers. In 2017,

3478-557: The Women's World Golf Rankings (WWGR). Atthaya Thitikul held the amateur No. 1 for 12 weeks in 2019–2020 and topped the WWGR on 31 October 2022. Prior to 2020, events were ranked in eight categories: Elite, A, B, C, D, E, F or G. The Elite events are listed below. The calculation of the ranking changed in 2020 and there are no longer any categories. The Open Championship The Open Championship , often referred to as The Open or

3572-604: The Zurich Classic of New Orleans , a team event, with playing partner Patrick Cantlay . In June, he won the Travelers Championship for his sixth PGA Tour victory. In July, he won the J. P. McManus Pro-Am, an unofficial event on the European Tour held at Adare Manor , after shooting a course record 64 in the first round. The same week, he won the co-sanctioned Genesis Scottish Open played at

3666-575: The "British Open Championship Fund", after a campaign by the American magazine Golf Illustrated . Five of these players were actually British born, and had emigrated to America to take advantage of the high demand for club professionals as the popularity of golf grew. A match was played between the Americans and a team of British professionals, which is seen as a forerunner of the Ryder Cup . When

3760-491: The "unsung hero" of the U.S. team. At the 16th tee of the final round of the 2021 Masters Tournament , Schauffele was in second place, two strokes behind the leader. However, at that hole, he shot a triple bogey, and ultimately finished third. In August, Schauffele recorded a final-round of 67 to win the Olympic gold medal ; he made an up-and-down for par on the final hole to beat Slovakian Rory Sabbatini by one shot. With

3854-509: The 2014 Western Amateur , where Schauffele lost to Hossler in the final match in dramatic fashion. Schauffele accumulated a collegiate record that featured 27 top-10s, 19 of which were top-fives, with four of these being runners-up and three wins (from a total of 50 tournaments). He was ranked in the top 10 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking at the time he turned professional in 2015. After turning professional in June 2015, Schauffele entered

World Amateur Golf Ranking - Misplaced Pages Continue

3948-620: The 2015 Web.com Tour Qualifying Tournament in fall. He was runner-up in first stage at Southern Dunes GC in Maricopa, Arizona . He went on to win second stage at Oak Valley GC in Beaumont, California , and ultimately, narrowly, earned his Web.com Tour card in the finals in Florida in a tie for 45th. In 2016, Schauffele played a full season (23 events) on the Web.com Tour . He finished 26th on

4042-591: The 2017 Open at Royal Birkdale . American Phil Mickelson won his first Open, and fifth major, in 2013. In 2016, he was involved in an epic duel with Sweden's Henrik Stenson , which many people compared to the 1977 Duel in the Sun between Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson. Stenson emerged the winner, and the first Scandinavian winner of a male professional major championship, with a record Open (and major) score of 264 (−20), three shots ahead of Mickelson, and 14 shots ahead of third place. Jack Nicklaus shared his thoughts on

4136-479: The 2018 U.S. Open and PGA Championship. Schauffele pulled away from a crowded leaderboard with a 31 on the back nine in the final round to beat Justin Rose and Billy Horschel by two shots. Schauffele met his wife, Maya, in college at San Diego State University. They were married in 2021. Schauffele has several relatives who live near Tokyo, and the two have traveled to Japan together. She caddied for Schauffele at

4230-678: The 2024 Masters Tournament Par 3 Contest . Schauffele is an enthusiastic cigar smoker. His father introduced him to cigars at the age of 10, and his favorite cigar is the Montecristo No. 2. He has been featured by Cigar Aficionado . Source: Co-sanctioned by the European Tour PGA Tour playoff record (1–2) Co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour European Tour playoff record (1–1) Results not in chronological order in 2020. CUT = missed

4324-525: The 21 tournaments held between 1894 and 1914; Vardon won six times (a record that still stands today) with Braid and Taylor winning five apiece. In the five tournaments in this span the Triumvirate did not win, one or more of them finished runner-up. These rivalries enormously increased the public's interest in golf, but the First World War meant another Open was not held until 1920, and none of

4418-532: The Challenge Belt). From 1864 onwards a cash prize was also paid to the winner. Before this the only financial incentive was scheduling Prestwick's own domestic tournament the same week, this allowed professionals to earn a few days' work caddying for the wealthier gentlemen. Willie Park, Sr. went on to win two more tournaments, and Old Tom Morris three more, before Young Tom Morris won three consecutive titles between 1868 and 1870. The rules stated that he

4512-655: The Claret Jug for anything other than what it symbolized – Champion Golfer of the Year." The first event was held as an invitational tournament, but the next year Prestwick Golf Club declared that "the belt... on all future occasions, shall be open to all the world". In its early years it was often referred to as The Championship but with the advent of the Amateur Championship in 1885, it became more common to refer to it as The Open Championship or simply The Open. The tournament inspired other national bodies to introduce open golf tournaments of their own, such as

4606-730: The European Tour final event, the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai , in 5th position. With a final round score of 6-under-par 66, which equaled the lowest score of the day, Schauffele finished T16. This ensured a season-ending 4th position on the Order of Merit and participation in the 2018 European Tour's bonus pool. In October 2018, Schauffele won the WGC-HSBC Champions event in Shanghai, China , at

4700-707: The German national training center at age 20, he was hit by a drunk driver and suffered career-ending injuries. During recovery, he became interested in golf, and later moved to the United States. He worked at a golf academy in San Diego and as an assistant golf professional in Hawaii. Schauffele's parents met at San Diego's United States International University in 1988 and married three months afterwards. They then moved to Germany, where Xander's elder brother Nico

4794-523: The No. 1-ranking as both an amateur and a professional. The first to do so was Rory McIlroy , who was 17 years, 9 months and 2 days when he became the No. 1 amateur and 22 years and 10 months when he first became the world No. 1 professional. Jordan Spieth was the second to accomplish this feat, he was 18 years, 10 months and 24 days when he topped the amateur rankings and 22 years and 20 days when he reached No. 1 in

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4888-403: The Open in the same year. His bid came to a halt on Saturday with the worst round of his career up to that time, an 81 (+10) in cold, gusty rain. He went on to win again back-to-back in 2005 and 2006 to bring his total to three wins. Other multiple winners in this era are South African Ernie Els (2002, 2012) and Irishman Pádraig Harrington (2007, 2008). In 2009, 59-year-old Tom Watson led

4982-427: The Open is now one of the four majors in golf, along with the U.S. Open , PGA Championship , and Masters Tournament . The term "major" is a universally-acknowledged unofficial term used by players, the media, and golf followers to define the most important tournaments, and performance in them is often used to define the careers of the best golfers. There is often discussion amongst the golfing community as to whether

5076-529: The Open was held two weeks later, one of these visitors, Jock Hutchison , a naturalised American citizen, won in St Andrews , the town of his birth. In 1922 Walter Hagen won the first of his four Opens, and become the first American-born winner. The period between 1923 and 1933 saw an American-based player win every year (two were British-born), and included three wins by amateur Bobby Jones , and one by Gene Sarazen , who had already won top tournaments in

5170-423: The Open, U.S. Open , or the Masters Tournament is the most prestigious major, but opinion varies (often linked to nationality). The PGA Championship is usually seen as the least prestigious of the four. In terms of official recognition, the tournament has been an event on the European Tour since its formation in 1972. In 1995, prize money won in the Open was included in the PGA Tour official money list for

5264-412: The United States. English players won every year between 1934 and 1939, including two wins by Henry Cotton (he would go on to win a third in 1948). After overcrowding issues at the 1925 Open at Prestwick, it was decided it was no longer suitable for the growing size of the event, being too short, having too many blind shots, and it could not cope with the volume of spectators. The Open's original venue

5358-542: The Year as well as the 2012 First Team All-Big West awards. Prior to his sophomore year, Schauffele transferred to San Diego State University (SDSU), where eventually he would play out his college career and graduate in 2015. During his three years at SDSU, Schauffele was a Ping and Golfweek Third Team All-American. Scholastically, he was twice awarded the Mountain West Conference All-Academic Team Award. At SDSU, he holds

5452-456: The accomplishment, Schauffele became the first American since 1904 to win an Olympic gold medal in golf. In September, Schauffele played on the U.S. team in the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin . The U.S. team won 19–9 and Schauffele went 3–1–0, winning in both fourball and foursomes, then losing his Sunday singles match against Rory McIlroy . In April, Schauffele won

5546-415: The championship by 2 shots from Old Tom Morris , and he was declared "The Champion Golfer of the Year". A year later, it became "open" to amateurs as well as professionals. Ten professionals and eight amateurs contested the event, with Old Tom Morris winning the championship by 4 shots from Willie Park, Sr. A prize fund (£10) was introduced in 1863 split between 2nd, 3rd and 4th (the winner only received

5640-456: The competition between Player, Palmer, and Jack Nicklaus . Nicklaus won three times (1966, 1970, 1978) and had a record seven runner-ups. American Lee Trevino also made his mark winning his two Opens back to back in 1971 and 1972, the latter denying Nicklaus a calendar year Grand Slam. The only British champion in this period was Tony Jacklin , and it is also notable for having the first winner from Argentina , Roberto De Vicenzo . By 1975,

5734-406: The concept of the modern majors had been firmly established, and the PGA Championship had been moved to August since 1969, so no longer clashed with the Open. This meant the Open had a feel similar to the current tournament, with the leaders after 36 holes going off last (1957 onwards), all players having to use the "bigger ball" (1974 onwards), play spread over four days (1966 onwards, although

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5828-460: The current calendar year, and any female golfer who finished in the top 5 and ties in the latest edition of any of the five women's majors is eligible to enter local qualifying. If they perform well they will go on to Final Qualifying, which is four simultaneous 36-hole one-day events held across the UK, with 12 players qualifying for the Open. If there are any spots left, then alternates are made up from

5922-464: The days were Wednesday to Saturday until 1980), and a field containing all the world's best players. American Tom Watson won in 1975. Turnberry hosted for the first time in 1977, and Watson won the Open for the second time, after one of the most celebrated contests in golf history, when his duel with Jack Nicklaus went to the final shot before Watson emerged as the champion. He would go on to win again in 1980, 1982 and 1983, to win 5 times overall,

6016-420: The final round, saying: "Phil Mickelson played one of the best rounds I have ever seen played in the Open and Henrik Stenson just played better—he played one of the greatest rounds I have ever seen". Francesco Molinari won the 2018 Open at Carnoustie by two shots, to become the first Italian major winner. Shane Lowry won the 2019 Open when the tournament returned to Royal Portrush Golf Club , to become

6110-412: The first player to have their driver fail The R&A 's conformity test. In early August 2019, Schauffele placed 4th in the inaugural 2019 Wyndham Rewards Top 10. Through the playoffs, he fell to 8th in the standings entering the Tour Championship ; this gave him a 6-shot deficit to the leader, Justin Thomas , under the new handicapping system. He had erased the deficit after the first round with

6204-529: The first rookie to win the Tour Championship. It was also the first time a rookie had won any FedEx Cup playoff event. The win moved Schauffele to third place in the final FedEx Cup standings, bettering the previous best mark by a rookie held by Jordan Spieth by four positions, and gave him a three-year exemption on the PGA Tour, through the 2019–20 season. During 2017, Schauffele rose to 32nd in

6298-427: The first time, a change that caused an increase in the number of American entries. In addition all previous PGA Tour seasons have been retroactively adjusted to include the Open in official money and win statistics. Currently the Open, along with the other three majors and The Players Championship , are the top-tier tournaments in the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup , offering more points than any other non-playoff event. The Open

6392-524: The formation of the PGA in 1901 which had a big impact in promoting interest in professional golf (and therefore The Open) and increasing playing standards. Between the World Wars, the first wins by Americans were widely celebrated when they broke the dominance previously held by British players. After World War II , although the profile of the tournament remained high in the UK and Commonwealth countries,

6486-492: The half-way cut "T" = tied NT = no tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic CUT = missed the halfway cut "T" indicates a tie for a place C = Canceled after the first round due to the COVID-19 pandemic Canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic NT = No tournament "T" = Tied QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play Note that the Championship and Invitational were discontinued from 2022. The Champions

6580-530: The highest ranked players in the OWGR who are not already qualified, which brings the total field up to 156 players. In 2018, the OWGR gave the Open a strength of field rating of 902 (the maximum possible is 1000 if the top 200 players in the world were all in a tournament). This was only bettered by the PGA Championship , a tournament which actively targets a high strength of field rating. Field : 156 players Basic Format : 72 hole stroke play . Play 18 holes

6674-450: The low prize money compared to the US events and the cost of travel meant fewer Americans participated. High-profile visits and wins by Ben Hogan and Arnold Palmer , the growth of cheaper and faster transatlantic flights , and the introduction of television coverage recovered its prestige. When the modern concept of the majors was cemented, the Open was included as one of those four. Thus,

6768-464: The modern era, much more frequently than the other courses used for the Open. Previous champions will often choose St Andrews as their final Open tournament. It has become traditional to come down the 18th fairway to huge applause from the amphitheatre crowds, and to pose for final pictures on the Swilken Bridge with the picturesque clubhouse and town in the background. The Open trophy is

6862-493: The newly built Muirfield , which replaced Musselburgh as the host venue used by the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers. A few years later St George's and Royal Liverpool in England were added to the rotation. From 1892 the tournament was increased in duration to four 18-hole rounds over two days (Prestwick had been extended to an 18-hole course by then ). Between 1898 and 1925 the tournament either had

6956-534: The opportunity to attempt to defend his 2017 Tour Championship title. Schauffele ultimately finished T7 at the 2018 Tour Championship, while placing 15th in the season-long FedEx Cup . Schauffele joined the 2018 European Tour as an associate member. With his win at the 2018 WGC-HSBC Champions , Schauffele rose in the European Tour 's Order of Merit, the year-long points race dubbed the European Tour Race to Dubai , to 4th position. Schauffele entered

7050-403: The prize money. A larger golf ball was also used in America, which meant they had to adjust for the Open. In 1959, Gary Player , a young South African , won the first of his three Opens. Only four Americans had entered, but in 1960 Arnold Palmer travelled to Scotland after winning the Masters and U.S. Open , in an attempt to emulate Hogan's 1953 feat of winning all three tournaments in

7144-475: The rankings and announced it would use them for an exemption category in all their men's amateur championships, including the U.S. Amateur, beginning in 2011. The women's rankings were started in February 2011. Japan's Mitsuki Katahira was the first number one. American Rose Zhang holds the record for most weeks at the top of the rankings with 142 weeks. Only three male and two female golfers have ever held

7238-431: The records for all-time lowest tournament score against par (−17); all-time career scoring average (71.50); as well as the seasonal records for par-5 performance (4.5135); birdies (171) and eagles (9). Schauffele defeated Beau Hossler to win the 2014 California State Amateur Championship at La Costa Resort and Spa . Later that summer, the two long-time rivals met again in a final at Chicago's Beverly Country Club for

7332-650: The regular-season money list, missing a PGA Tour card for 2017 by less than $ 1,000, but went on to earn a card through the Web.com Tour Finals by finishing 15th on the Finals money list (excluding the 25 regular-season graduates). Schauffele made his PGA Tour debut at the CareerBuilder Challenge in La Quinta, California . In June 2017, at the 2017 U.S. Open held at Erin Hills , Schauffele recorded

7426-633: The same year, the 2024 PGA Championship and the 2024 Open Championship . Schauffele was born on October 25, 1993, in San Diego , California, to Chen Ping-Yi and Stefan Schauffele. His mother was born in Taiwan , but grew up in Japan before moving to the United States. His father Stefan was born in Stuttgart to a French mother and a German father. Stefan was an aspiring decathlete . While traveling to

7520-586: The second champion from the Republic of Ireland . In 2020, the Open Championship was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic . It was the first time the championship had been cancelled since World War II. The R&A also confirmed that Royal St George's , which would have hosted the championship in 2020, would be the host venue in 2021, effectively retaining the Old Course at St Andrews as

7614-467: The tournament through 71 holes and needed just a par on the last hole to become the oldest ever winner of a major championship, and also match Harry Vardon 's six Opens. Watson bogeyed, setting up a four-hole playoff, which he lost to Stewart Cink . In 2015, Jordan Spieth became another American to arrive having already won the year's Masters and U.S. Open tournaments. He finished tied for fourth as Zach Johnson became champion. Spieth would go on to win

7708-409: The trio won another Open. In 1920 the Open returned, and The Royal and Ancient Golf Club became the sole organiser of the Open Championship. In 1926 they standardised the format of the tournament to spread over three days (18 holes on day 1 and 2, and 36 on day 3), and include both qualifying and a cut. In 1921 eleven U.S.-based players travelled to Scotland financed by a popular subscription called

7802-550: The venue for the 150th Open. The Open is always played on a coastal links golf course. Links golf is often described as the "purest" form of golf and keeps a connection with the way the game originated in Scotland in the 15th century. The terrain is open, often without any trees, and will generally be undulating with a sandy base. The golf courses are often primarily shaped by nature, rather than 'built'. Weather, particularly wind, plays an important role, and although there will be

7896-502: The windy conditions the speed of the greens are often slower than a golfer might be used to on the PGA Tour , to avoid the ball being moved by a gust. The Old Course at St Andrews is regarded as the oldest golf course in the world, and winning the Open there is widely considered to be one of the pinnacles of achievement in golf. Given the special status of the Old Course, the Open is generally played there once every five years in

7990-409: The winner ever since. Young Tom Morris died in 1875, aged 24. The tournament continued to be dominated and won by Scottish professionals, to be rotated between the three Scottish golf courses, and played over 36 holes in a single day until 1889. In the 1890s, the tournament was won four times by three Englishman (two of whom were amateurs). In 1892 the tournament was played for the first time at

8084-478: The world's leading amateurs also play, by invitation or qualification. The success of the tournament has led to many other open golf tournaments to be introduced around the world. The winner is named "the Champion Golfer of the Year", a title that dates to the first Open in 1860, and receives the Claret Jug , a trophy first awarded in 1872. The reigning champion is American Xander Schauffele , who won

8178-411: Was "The party winning the belt shall always leave the belt with the treasurer of the club until he produces a guarantee to the satisfaction of the above committee that the belt shall be safely kept and laid on the table at the next meeting to compete for it until it becomes the property of the winner by being won three times in succession". Eight golfers contested the event, with Willie Park, Sr. winning

8272-467: Was allowed to keep the belt for achieving this feat. Because no trophy was available, the tournament was not held in 1871. On 11 September 1872 agreement was reached between Prestwick, the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers and The Royal and Ancient Golf Club . They decided that each of the three clubs would contribute £10 towards the cost of a new silver trophy, which became known as

8366-441: Was born, before returning to San Diego. Schauffele's father introduced him to golf at age nine, and they joined Bernardo Heights Country Club. Stefan was Xander's only swing coach from that point until Xander was aged 30. Stefan's teaching philosophy relies heavily on basic ball flight laws and golf club mechanics. As a result, Xander did not see his own swing until about age 18. Schauffele began working with Chris Como, formerly

8460-404: Was dropped from the name. The Women's Open , seen by some as the women's equivalent to the Open (although unlike the Open it is not always held on a links course, and was not run by the R&A until 2017) was officially known as the "Women's British Open" from its inception in 1976 until 2020, when the word "British" was dropped from the name as part of a sponsorship deal with AIG . The Open

8554-445: Was not the only unheralded champion during this span, as 396th-ranked Ben Curtis and 56th-ranked Todd Hamilton won in 2003 and 2004, respectively. In 2000, Tiger Woods , having just won the U.S. Open, became champion by a post-war record 8 strokes to become the youngest player to win the career Grand Slam at age 24. After winning the 2002 Masters and U.S. Open, he became the latest American to try to emulate Ben Hogan and win

8648-485: Was previously selected mainly on the basis of national handicap systems. Other tournament organisers will be able to use the rankings to select players if they so wish. The first set of rankings featured over 1,000 players from 46 countries and was headed by the 2006 U.S. Amateur champion, Richie Ramsay of Scotland . In February 2011, the United States Golf Association (USGA) endorsed

8742-565: Was replaced on the rota with Carnoustie , which hosted for the first time in 1931. Troon hosted for the first time in 1923, and Royal Lytham & St Annes was also added, hosting for the first time in 1926. Prince's hosted its one and only Open in 1932. The Open returned after the Second World War to St Andrews, with a victory for American Sam Snead . Bobby Locke became the first South African winner, winning three times in four years between 1949 and 1952, and later winning

8836-486: Was the most famous of these pros, and was regarded as the undisputed best golfer between 1843 and his death in 1859. James Ogilvie Fairlie of Prestwick Golf Club decided to form a competition in 1860, "to be played for by professional golfers", and to decide who would succeed Robertson as the "Champion Golfer". Blackheath (England), Perth , Bruntsfield (Edinburgh), Musselburgh and St Andrews golf clubs were invited to send up to three of their best players known as

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