Golf is a game of tradition. As a landmark South Florida country club, we are aficionados of golf history. We believe that we should pass on our knowledge of golf traditions and tournament traditions to the next generation. The British Open, also known simply as the Open, has a long and storied past. As the 2021 Open winds down, we thought it would be interesting to look at the history behind the British Open.
When Did the First British Open Take Place?
The 2021 British Open marks its 149th edition of the tournament. As a result, you may think that because 2021 minus 149 is 1872, that would mean that the first British Open took place in 1872; however, this is not the case. The first Open was played on October 17, 1860. While the tournament is a yearly occurrence, complications in history have caused the competition not to be played in some years. Understandably, coronavirus caused the cancelation of the 2020 Open, but this was not the only cancelation of the event.
The first cancelation of the tournament occurred in 1871. A golfer named Tom Morris won the three previous Opens, and as a result, was given the ceremonial trophy at the time, the Challenge Belt. Until Tom Morris’ third victory, the belt was returned by the previous victor, to be competed for again. In 1870, they decided to award Tom Morris full possession of the belt, meaning there was no trophy to compete for in 1871.
Other cancellations were more obvious, with the tournament not being held from 1915-1919 and 1940-1945 due to World War I and World War II.
The History of the Claret Jug
As the Challenge Belt became the personable property of Tom Morris, the tournament needed a new prize. The Claret Jug, or the winner’s trophy, was created in 1872; however, this award was not finished by the end of the 1872 Open, which Tom Morris also won. As a result, Morris was instead presented with an engraved medal. This new tradition of a medal was adopted and has been used since the 1872 tournament. Like the Challenge Belt, the Claret Jug must be returned by the winner and competed for at the next tournament.
When Was the First Claret Jug Awarded?
The first Claret Jug was awarded in 1873 to then-winner Tom Kidd. The original Claret Jug was retired and placed in a museum.
The History of the Current Claret Jug
The current Claret Jug was first awarded and presented at the 1928 Open to Walter Hagen. The trophy is still returned by the winner, who receives an engraved medal and replica to keep.
Today’s British Open
As the tournament comes to a close, we welcome the sight of a new custodian of the Claret Jug. The tournament concludes tomorrow July 18, 2021, at Royal Saint George’s Golf Course, where a new champion will most likely be crowned.
While we’re not fortunate or talented enough to play the British Open, we do have the luck to play at our esteemed South Florida Golf Course regularly. Contact us today to play at our beautiful course, or view our membership page for more information.
Winning even one of the four major golf tournaments is seen as one of the highest peaks in a golfer’s career. Winners of golf majors hold a prestigious title, are a part of golf history, and receive a substantial reward. The golf enthusiasts at our South Florida golf course are sharing everything you need to know about the top 4 major golf tournaments on the horizon.
What Are the Four Major Golf Tournaments?
If you were to ask any professional golfer, they will tell you that the major championships are the most prestigious golf tournaments in the nation. The four major golf tournaments include the Masters, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open, and the Open Championships, also known as the British Open.
When Are the Golf Majors?
The major golf tournaments are held annually throughout the spring and summer seasons.
The Masters is held in April
The PGA Championship is held in May
The U.S. Open is held in June
The Open Championship is held in July
The Masters Golf Tournament
To kick off the major golf tournaments, qualified professional golfers gather at the Augusta National Golf Club, where only exclusive members such as Bill Gates can play a round of golf, to compete in The Masters, which is considered one of the most prestigious golf tournaments of all. The Masters was first played in 1934 and the popular green jacket awarded alongside the trophy was introduced in 1949.
The current Masters Champion is Tiger Woods; the professional golfer won over $2 million back in 2019. Tiger Woods has a collection of 5 green jackets, go figure!
What Does The Masters Green Jacket Symbolize?
The Masters green jacket is the ultimate symbol of a person’s success in golf. It shows the world that the major golf tournament winner is now an honorary member of the Augusta National Golf Club.
The green jackets are kept on the grounds of the Augusta National Golf Club and removal is forbidden unless you have been declared the champion. The current Masters champion is allowed to take the green jacket home for 12 months, after which they must return it to the golf club.
PGA Championships
The PGA Championship is another one of the four major golf tournaments and is played on a variety of courses throughout the United States. While the PGA Championship has traditionally been hosted on the East Coast, it’s expected to move to the West Coast in 2021, at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco.
The winner of this big golf tournament receives a replica of the original Wanamaker trophy. The original Wanamaker Trophy is currently on display at the PGA Gallery in Florida. The current PGA Champion is Brooks Koepka, who has won in both 2018 and 2019.
U.S Open Golf Tournament
The United States Open Championship, known as the toughest of all four majors in golf, is not only one of the biggest golf tournaments but it’s actually staged by the United States Golf Association (USGA) instead of the PGA. This big golf tournament sparks a lot of controversy as many golfers believe that the course is too difficult, really challenging golfers.
This major golf tournament has been won by Americans 85 times compared to the 34 winners from other countries. The current U.S Open champion is Gary Woodland.
The Open Championship – The British Open
The last major golf tournament of the year is The Open Championship, also known as The British Open or simply The Open. It’s not just the only golf tournament held outside of the U.S, it is also the oldest golf tournament in the world.
The winner of The Open Championship gets the honorary title of “Champion Golfer of the Year,” a title that every professional golfer aspires to have. The current Champion Golfer of the Year is Shane Lowry, who won the major golf tournament in his home country of Ireland at the Royal Portrush.
Becoming a Professional Golfer
Do you want to become the next professional golfer and play like some of the champions at the major golf tournaments? Swing by Deer Creek Golf Club and check out our incredible golf club membership deals. Whether you’re a novice who wants to learn the game or a more intermediate golfer who’s looking to brush up your skills, we offer golf lessons at our schools in the area that can give you tips to improve your golf game at home and on the course.
This past Sunday at the Country Club of Charleston, South Carolina, professional South Korean golfer Jeongeun Lee6 won the 74th annual U.S. Women’s Open and the purse of $1 million – the largest cash prize of the Women’s Open in history. Lee6 – who turned 23 last week – has pursued golf as an amateur since the age of 4 years old, after her father became paralyzed in a vehicular accident after falling asleep behind the wheel.
“By looking at my family situation back then, I thought about wanting to play golf because I wanted to support my family no matter what,” Lee6 said through a translator. “I told my family that I wanted to play on the LPGA Tour for a long time. I want to thank my family, who are in Korea watching me on TV and supporting me all the time. I couldn’t imagine it without you guys, with all your support.” [1]
And, in case you’re wondering, Lee6’s name isn’t a typo – she’s the sixth professional golfer named Jeongeun Lee in KLPGA history. In regard to her surname, her fan club in South Korea is called “Lucky 6.”
During Sunday’s U.S. Women’s Golf Open 2019, Lee6 shot a 1-under 70, experiencing some turbulent moments after starting on a three-stroke lead with three to play to hold off third-round co-leader, Celine Boutier. Lee6 was in the lead by three after a birdie on the par-5 15th, however, received bogeys on the 16th and 18th, giving Boutier a chance over the last two holes.
In the end, Lee6 finished at 6-under 278 to win the U.S. Women’s Open purse of $1 million. The tears streamed down her face upon realizing her victory has made the tournament’s history.
Our staff of golf enthusiasts looks forward to more victory’s from Jeongeun Lee6 in the future to come. Stay up to date with our South Florida golf course for more golf news, tips, and more!
Formerly known as the Bay Hill Invitational, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, presented by Mastercard, is a prominent event in the golfing world many people look forward to attending every year. (more…)
There’s nothing more rewarding than a successful event.
This is especially true when applied to corporate events; businesses are grown, customers are satisfied, and relationships are forged. In addition to providing businesses and customers with a pleasant time to build relationships with each other, corporate events are also a great way to gain more business.
Deer Creek, South Florida country club, has some advice to make your next corporate event one for the books.
Determine Your Audience
To attract viable business for your company, tailor your event to your crowd. Figure out what kinds of clients would be most likely to attend an event for your service. An event at one of the golf clubs in Florida, like Deer Creek, would appeal more to golfers and would be perfect for a company selling golf merchandise. With this, you can craft your party, gala, or gathering with a specific audience in mind.
Choose the Day & the Time
Whether your event is at one of the golf clubs in Florida or at a local coffee shop, schedule your event on the slow hour of a slow day. This way, you will be gaining more business during that time, while not detracting from the business procured on busier days and hours.
With this, you should also keep your audience in mind. If you’re hosting a corporate event for your boating company at a South Florida country club, figure out a day and time in which more boaters would be more likely to come. For instance, a Saturday morning may not be a great choice, since your clients may be out sailing.
Provide Contact Information & Follow-Up
Make sure that you don’t leave your guests hanging. Establish some form of contact and exchanging of information, so that either parties can follow-up in the future. Otherwise, the event would have been a waste for your business.
While there’s much more to hosting an effective corporate event, at Deer Creek Golf Club, we hope that these tips and hints help you craft an event that will profit not only your business but your customers, as well.
The US Open 2018 is just around the corner, and it’s one of the biggest golf tournaments in the world, so naturally we have to weigh in on the spectacle.
This year, the tournament will take place at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Tuckahoe, NY. To this day, the US Open has never been held on a South Florida golf course and that’s likely because June is a hot month for golf in Florida.
Our Thoughts (And Prayers for the US Open 2018)
What are we hoping for this year? We are hoping that Tiger Woods gives a compelling performance, not for the sport, but just for himself. It would be great to see Tiger back in the “swing” of things. The man has been so plagued by controversy and negative attention in the past decade. We would love to see him doing well again.
Soccer World Cup Viewers?
The US Open 2018 begins on June 14, the same day as the Soccer World Cup, and that could affect viewership. There are, of course, a number of die-hard golf fans who will be watching, but casual viewers might instead turn to the spectacle of the opening game of soccer this year.
US Open 2017 Winner – Brooks Koepka
It has already been a year since Brooks Koepka won the US Open 2017. Koepka took first place at Erin Hills, arguably one of the most challenging US Open tournament courses in recent memory. Since then, he has managed to remain in the PGA Tour top 10, at 9th place. But he hasn’t registered as well in most other tournaments.
Right now, Koepka’s odds of winning are holding steady at 40/1. Not great odds for a former champion. No lists register him as a favorite for this year’s tournament.
