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Popular golf influencer Paige Spiranac has a reminder for everyone as the stars of the PGA Tour head across the pond for the fourth and final major of the season.
As tempting as it may be to say, this particular major, the oldest golf tournament in the world, is not called the British Open.
The tournament, which takes place at Royal Liverpool Golf Course this year, will be called the British Open by numerous people over the next several days, but technically that is incorrect.
“Hello, everyone, and major season in golf is sadly coming to an end with the Open this week and your reminder to say ‘The Open’ and not ‘The British Open’ or else you’ll make a golf purist’s mind explode,” Paige begins her latest video.
“But let’s preview…
“They’re going to be playing at Royal Liverpool. It’s a par 72, playing 7,347 yards.
“Cameron Smith is the defending champion. Some notable winners at Royal Liverpool was Rory McIlroy in 2014 and Tiger Woods in 2006.
“It is going to be a great week.”
Remember it’s The Open and not The British Open pic.twitter.com/fUfnoMwi6M
— Paige Spiranac (@PaigeSpiranac) July 17, 2023
This will be the 13th time The Open Championship will be held at Royal Liverpool, and just the third time since 1967. The first time Royal Liverpool hosted The Open goes way back to 1897. It has also hosted The Amateur Championship 18 times, including the inaugural event in 1885.
In 2017, the R&A, the governing body that oversees The Open Championship made a special effort to try and get fans and media to stop referring to it as the British Open.
This, despite the fact that American newspapers have been calling it the British Open since at least 1903.
“It’s an education process we’ve embarked on,” Malcolm Booth, the R&A’s director of sales and marketing, told the Wall Street Journal.
Six years later, Paige Spiranac is still one of those trying to teach us how to refer to the event.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear to be working.
https://twitter.com/jimboRespecter/status/1681011771648221184“The British Open is a more distinctive title. I think I will stick with it,” another fan commented.
It's the British Open.
— Stable Boomer Rube (@boomer_rube) July 17, 2023
“I shall still call it the British Open as The Open seems a bit hoity toity,” another comment read.
I never understood this. There are other competitions called “Open” so why does the one in Britain get to be called “THE Open”?
— Makena 🐴 🏈 🍻 🏝️ (@MakDPostmodern) July 17, 2023