Many believe the first Open was just an elegant tournament, another meeting among golf gentlemen. Nothing could be further from the truth.
In 1860, after the death of Allan Robertson, the best golfer of his time, the golf world was left orphaned. Who would be number one now? It had to be decided. And thus, something was born that would change the sport forever.
Eight men. Twelve holes. Prestwick, Scotland.
It seemed simple: gather the best to see who had the most skill. But what happened on that course was a silent revolution. Prestwick was no friendly course. The terrain was rough, the wind cut like blades. Every shot was uncertain. Nothing repeated. And the players, for the first time, understood that golf was not just precision. It was adaptation. It was resilience. It was knowing how to read nature and dance with it.
Enter a visionary: James Ogilvy Fairlie. He understood the tournament couldn’t just be a display of technique. It had to go beyond. He redesigned the competition so that obstacles were not punishments, but part of the art. So that the course wasn’t tamed, but challenged the player.
Thus, The Open Championship was born. And with it, a new way to understand golf: wilder, more real, more human.
That spirit is still alive today. That’s why, for many, winning The Open is greater than wearing Augusta’s green jacket. Because no script matters when the wind blows in Scotland.
What do you think? Which Major is harder to conquer?