British Open 101: History, qualifications, course rota, most titles

Take a look at some answers to frequently asked questions about The Open:

Is it The Open or the British Open?

What you call it has historically depended on where you were. If you were in the U.S., you called it the British Open, just as Europeans refer to the PGA Championship as the U.S. PGA. Outside the U.S. it generally has been referred to as The Open Championship. The preferred name of the organizers is The Open.

How old is The Open?

It's the oldest golf championship, dating back to 1860.

What is the course rota for The Open?

There is a rotation – or "rota" – of courses used. Currently there are nine: Royal Birkdale, Royal St. George's, Royal Liverpool and Royal Lytham and St. Annes, all in England; Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland and St. Andrews, Carnoustie, Royal Troon and Muirfield, all in Scotland. Muirfield was removed from the rota in 2016 when members voted against allowing female members, but when the vote was reversed in 2017 it was allowed back in. Turnberry, site of Tom Watson's 1977 "Duel in the Sun" win over Jack Nicklaus and Watson's loss to Stewart Cink in 2009, is effectively not part of the rota. Then-R&A chief Martin Slumbers said in 2021 that The Open would not return to Turnberry "under current circumstances" (with Donald Trump as its owner).

Where is the 2025 Open Championship?

Royal Portrush in Portrush, Northern Ireland. This will be the second time the course has played host. Ireland's Shane Lowry won the initial championship in 2019.

The Open Championship 2025: How to watch, TV times, featured groups and streams

Here’s how to watch the men’s final major of the season at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.

• Golf Channel Staff,

Who has won the most Open Championship titles?

Harry Vardon, who was from the Channel Island of Jersey, won a record six times between 1896 and 1914. Australian Peter Thomson, American Tom Watson, Scot James Braid and Englishman J.H. Taylor each won five times.

What about the Morrises?

Tom Sr. won four times between 1861 and 1867. His son, Tom Jr., also won four times, between 1868 and 1872.

Have players from any particular country dominated at The Open?

In the early days, Scots won the first 29 Opens – not a shocker since they were all played at one of three Scottish courses, Prestwick, St. Andrews and Musselburgh. In the current era, going back to 1999 (we'll explain why that year in a minute), the scoreboard is United States, 13 wins; South Africa, three wins; Ireland, three wins; Northern Ireland, two wins; and Sweden, Italy and Australia, one win each. The only Scot to win in that period was Paul Lawrie, who took advantage of one of the biggest collapses in golf history.

Who is the defending champion at The Open?

American Xander Schauffele. He captured his second major of the 2024 season by prevailing at Royal Troon by two shots.

The ‘claret jug’ is the name of the trophy?

Informally, yes. It's official name is the Golf Champion Trophy, but you rarely hear that used. The claret jug replaced the original Challenge Belt in 1872. The winner of the claret jug gets to keep it for a year, then must return it (each winner gets a replica to keep).

Which Opens have been the most memorable?

Well, there was Palmer in 1961 and '62; Jean Van de Velde's collapse in 1999; Ben Hogan's win in 1953; Woods' eight-shot domination of the 2000 Open at St. Andrews; Watson almost winning at age 59 in 2009; Doug Sanders missing what would have been a winning 3-foot putt at St. Andrews in 1970; Tony Jacklin becoming the first Briton to win the championship in 18 years; and, of course, the aforementioned "Duel in the Sun" at Turnberry in '77, in which Watson and Nicklaus dueled head-to-head over the final 36 holes, Watson winning by shooting 65-65 to Nicklaus' 65-66.

What is the field criteria and how do players qualify for The Open?

There are a variety of way. One, involves the exemption categories, which are listed below. Players can also earn spots via The Open Qualifying Series, which awards top finishers in select events around the world. There are also regional and final qualifying events, much like the USGA uses local and final qualifying for the U.S. Open (click here for full field).

Exemption categories, per the R&A:

• 1. The Open champions aged 60 or under on 20 July 2025 (for all champions up until 2024)
• 2. The Open champions aged 55 or under on 20 July 2025 (for all champions from 2024)
• 3. The Open champions for 2014-2024
• 4. First 10 and anyone tying for 10th place in The 152nd Open at Royal Troon in 2024
• 5. The first 50 players on the OWGR for Week 21, 2025
• 6. First 25 in the Final Race to Dubai Rankings for 2024
• 7. The BMW PGA Championship winners for 2022-2024
• 8. First five DP World Tour members and any DP World Tour members tying for fifth place, not otherwise exempt, in the top 20 of the Race to Dubai Rankings on completion of the 2025 BMW International
• 9. The Masters Tournament champions for 2020-2025
• 10. The PGA champions for 2019-2025
• 11. The U.S. Open champions for 2020-2025
• 12. Top 30 players from the Final 2024 FedExCup points list
• 13. The Players champions for 2023-2025
• 14. First five PGA Tour members and any PGA Tour members tying for fifth place, not otherwise exempt, in the top 20 of the PGA Tour FedExCup points list for 2025 on completion of the 2025 Rocket Classic.
• 15. The first player and anyone tying for that place, not otherwise exempt, in the top 5 of the 2025 LIV Golf Individual season standings on completion of LIV Golf Dallas.
• 16. The 2024 Olympic Men's Golf gold medalist
• 17. The 118th VISA Open de Argentina 2025 champion
• 18. The first five players on the 2025 Federations Ranking List as of closing date
• 19. The Japan Open champion for 2024
• 20. The Senior Open champion for 2024
• 21. The U.S. Amateur champion for 2024
• 22. The Mark H McCormack Medal (men's world amateur ranking) winner for 2024
• 23. The Asia-Pacific Amateur champion 2024
• 24. The Latin America Amateur champion 2025
• 25. The Africa Amateur champion 2025
• 26. The Amateur champion for 2025
• 27. The European Amateur champion for 2025
• 28. The Open Amateur Series winner 2025

(Exemptions 21-28 can only be taken up by players retaining their amateur status.)

When I watch this tournament on TV, I hear lots of unfamiliar terms, like “gorse” and “whin” and “burn.” What do these terms mean?

Gorse is a prickly shrub, which sometimes is referred to as whin. Heather is also a shrub. What the scots call a burn, would also be considered a creek or stream.

Hey, wait, I almost forgot: Did you say final major of the year?

Yep. With the PGA Championship's move to May and the Masters (April) and U.S. Open (June) keeping their normal spots on the schedule, The Open is now the final of the four big events.