The long game

A history of The Open, the oldest contest in golf

Martin Kaymer at The Open, one of the oldest contests in sport
A history of The Open, the oldest contest in golf
(Image credit: Protected by Copyright)

The Open Championship, more often known simply as The Open, is the oldest competition in golf - and one of the oldest in any world sport.

The first tournament, in 1860, hardly lived up to its name: open only to invited professionals, it was contested by just eight players. Its purpose, according to the tournament's official history, was to identify the best golfer in the world following the death in 1859 of Allan Robertson, a golf club-maker from St Andrews "who, without question, had been the greatest player of his time".

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