Photo by Benny Hassum on Unsplash The PGA Championship is the second major of the calendar year, typically played in May. Organized by the PGA of America (distinct from the PGA Tour), it carries full major championship weight and a rich history that includes some of the sport's most dramatic finishes. Here's a complete guide to what the PGA Championship rewards, who historically performs best, and what to expect in upcoming editions. The PGA Championship's Unique Identity Among the four major championships, the PGA Championship is sometimes unfairly dismissed as the "fourth" major — the one that follows the Masters, US Open, and Open Championship in prestige. This is an undeserved reputation. The PGA Championship has produced some of the sport's greatest moments and is played at world-class venues on a rotating basis. What makes it distinct is its field composition: unlike the other majors, the PGA Championship traditionally includes the top 20 players from t...
The Open Championship — referred to in the UK simply as "The Open" and elsewhere sometimes called the British Open — is the oldest major in professional golf. First played in 1860 at Prestwick in Scotland, it has a history that predates every other major by decades. It's also uniquely different from the American majors in its setting, its conditions, and the style of play it rewards.
What Makes The Open Different
Everything about The Open Championship is distinct from the Masters, US Open, and PGA Championship:
Links golf: The Open is played exclusively on links courses — ancient, treeless, seaside courses built on the narrow strip of land between the sea and farmable ground. Links golf features firm, running fairways; pot bunkers that are essentially sand graves; unpredictable wind off the sea; and the philosophical requirement to use the ground as part of your game rather than only the air.
The wind: Nothing shapes an Open Championship week more than the wind. A crosswind of 30 mph on a links course turns a 150-yard approach shot into a club-selection puzzle that the best players in the world genuinely struggle with. Calm days produce low scoring and birdie-making; windy days produce grinding par golf and survival stories.
Running the ball: Unlike American courses where golfers fly approach shots onto soft, watered greens, links golf rewards — demands, even — shots hit low and run along the ground toward the target. Golfers who only know the American aerial game often struggle at links venues until they adjust their approach.
The Historic Venues
The Open rotates among a small group of approved links courses, all in Scotland and England. The most famous include:
St Andrews (Old Course), Scotland: The home of golf. The most iconic course in the world, featuring the famous Road Hole (17th) and the Valley of Sin greenside hollow at the 18th. The course is ancient, quirky, and utterly unique.
Royal Birkdale, England: A championship links in Southport known for severe rough, classic links holes, and pristine organization.
Carnoustie, Scotland: Known as "Car-Nasty" for its demanding conditions. Historically produces some of the highest scores in major championship golf.
Royal Troon, Scotland: Home of the famous "Postage Stamp" par-3 eighth hole, one of the shortest holes in major championship golf and one of the most treacherous.
Royal Liverpool (Hoylake), England: Tiger Woods won his 2006 Open here with an iconic, driver-free performance that many consider among the greatest major victories ever.
Who Wins at The Open?
Links golf specialists tend to do well — players with naturally low ball flights, creative short-game repertoires for running shots from tight lies, and experience playing wind-affected golf. Northern Europeans (especially Irish and Scottish players) have a natural cultural advantage, having grown up playing links golf.
That said, the world's best players — Scheffler, McIlroy, Rahm — are skilled enough to adapt to any conditions, and the Open's history is full of dominant American performances from players who simply outplayed the field despite the unfamiliar conditions.
Rory McIlroy, born and raised on links golf in Northern Ireland, has exceptional Open credentials and an emotional connection to the major. His 2014 Hoylake victory was dominant. He remains one of the most likely Open champions in any given year.
Claret Jug vs. Green Jacket
The Open's trophy — the Claret Jug — is one of sport's most iconic prizes. Unlike the green jacket, which champions keep for a year, the Claret Jug (officially the Golf Champion Trophy) travels with the R&A. Champions receive a replica and their name is engraved on the original. The tradition and gravitas of holding the Claret Jug is something winners consistently describe as surpassing any other moment in their careers.
The Championship Week Atmosphere
Open Championship crowds are knowledgeable, passionate, and good-natured in a distinctly British way. The grandstands are full. The links course allows fans to wander and watch from natural dunes and hillocks. Hospitality villages sell fish and chips, pints, and shortbread. The entire event has a quality that serious golf fans describe as the most special week in the sport.
How to Watch
In the United States, The Open Championship is broadcast on NBC, Golf Channel, and Peacock. In the UK, it airs on Sky Sports Golf. Given the British time zone, morning hours in the US (5–9 AM ET) catch the afternoon leaders in the UK's weather window — often the most dramatic golf of the day.
Planning a Trip to The Open
If a bucket-list golf trip appeals to you, attending The Open in person is the experience most golf fans describe as the best week of their lives. Tickets are available through TheOpen.com. Links courses surrounding the host venue often offer public play — playing St Andrews Old Course, Royal Birkdale, or Carnoustie in the same week as the major is a genuine once-in-a-lifetime golf experience.
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