US Open: Why is it so difficult to win a second grand slam?
The most successful grand slam in history seems to be open to interpretation. No one can argue with the fact that the Open Championship is one of the most prestigious events to date. But it isn’t clear why golf is so successful at the championship, either.
It’s not just open because there are so few tournaments, it’s how the Open Championship is played and the tournament’s origins. Each and every major has been open to be considered as a premier event. There are also open to varying standards and traditions. The Open Championship is no different.
For much of the history of the Open Championship there was no championship equivalent to golf, the idea being that the sport and the championship were synonymous. In reality, there are multiple championships that started as golf tournaments, and in the last 100 years the Open Championship has been held at many different sites.
The concept of the Open Championship dates back to 1848 in the United Kingdom, where it was known as the Open GOLF in England. The following year the tournament was also known as the British Open Championship. By the 1960s, it had become the British Open of Golf, with the Open Championship being held in England until 1967. The next year it was also called the British Open of Golf in the United States.
But what is regarded as the oldest major, dating back to the first world championship of golf, was also the first major with a separate qualifying system. By 1871, the 1868 Amateur Championship had become the first major-level championship. It was made up of an equal number of amateur and professional players with the top two finishers receiving a share of £20, the maximum prize money at the time.
The Amateur Championship, still played at its original home of Newmarket in England, is considered the original first major, and the most prestigious of the three major championships. It is the traditional format used with most open professional
