For three-quarters of the 20th century women’s golf in the U.K. and Ireland was primarily an amateur pastime. In 1893, the Ladies’ Golf Union was formed and staged the inaugural Ladies British Amateur Championship that was won by Lady Margaret Scott who thrashed Miss Issette Pearson 7&6 in the final match.
It quickly became apparent that these ladies had a bit more prior planning than did the originators of the Open Championship, or perhaps they learned from their folly. The Amateur Trophy, the one Lady Scott won, is still on display at the British Golf Museum in St. Andrews. There was no cancelling a renewal of this event because someone had earned perpetual custody of the winners’ trophy by winning the event three times in a row as happened to the men in 1871.
The LGU recognized only amateur golf until 1976 when they felt compelled to put a Women’s British Open on the schedule. As an open championship, the door was open for professionals to enter. Ironically, amateurs J. Lee Smith and L. Melville won the first and third championships. However, only one amateur has made the winner’s circle since Miss Melville in 1978 and that was Marta Figueras-Dotti in 1982.
Meager prize money wasn’t offered until 1981 when 19,000 pounds was put on the table. The purses then rose and fell with the tides of the economy. In 1984, the purse rose to 200,000 pounds, but fell back to 60,000 pounds for the next two years.
The championship finally became fiscally stable in 1987 with a hike to 100,000 pounds and has made tremendous progress since then. The LPGA added the Women’s British Open to its official schedule in 1994, which annually increased the quality of the field.
In 2001, the then Weetabix Women’s British Open was deemed a Major by the LPGA. It replaced the du Maurier Championship because the Canadian legislature passed a bill prohibiting tobacco companies from advertising and they considered sponsoring a LPGA major championship a blatant form of advertising. With the elevation in stature, the Weetabix Women’s British Open purse jumped to a cool 1 million pounds.
This year, the Women’s’ British Open has changed sponsorship with Ricoh coming on board. Sherri Steinhauer, the 2006 champion has the incentive of a record 2 million-pound purse to heighten her defense as the ladies contest their championship over the fabled links of St. Andrews. As you watch the Women’s British Open this summer, you will be truly witnessing history in the making as the “home of golf” hosts its first professional women’s tournament.
The Women’s British Open obviously is missing the inherent tradition of the Open Championship, but you must understand that the men had a 116-year head start. Check back in 2123 and we’ll compare where they’re at then to how the Open Championship is today.
British Open Time Line
- 1872 - Young Tom Morris awarded a medal (The Golf Champion Trophy) for winning his fourth Open Championship. He got the medal because he had retired the Championship belt.
- 1893 – Medal given a value of 10-pounds and was deducted from the winner’s purse until 1930.
- 1894 – The Open Championship is held at Royal St. Georges, the first time played in England.
- 1898 – The 36-hole cut was first installed because of the size of the field.
- 1904 – Jack White with a 296 becomes the first winner with a score under 300. J.H. Taylor set single round record with a 68. First time played over three days instead of two.
- Frenchman Arnaud Massey becomes first overseas champion.
- 1907 – Entire field has to qualify. Tournament played in two days
- 1909 – First exhibition tent at a golf tournament.
- 1920 – The R&A take permanent control of the Open Championship.
- 1922 – Walter Hagen is first American to win. R&A decreed all championships to be played on links courses.
- 1926 – Bobby Jones wins his first Open Championship. His 1930 win was a leg of the Grand Slam.
- 1961 – ’62 – Two wins by Arnold Palmer has the U.S. attention and put the Open on America’s radar.
- 1963 – New Zealander Bob Charles becomes first left handed Open Champion.
- 1966 – Format changed to four days ending Saturday. Jack Nicklaus wins first of three Opens. First live TV broadcast in U.S.
- 1969 – Tony Jacklin is first Englishman to win since Max Faulkner in 1951.
- 1977 – Final round shootout at Turnberry between Nicklaus and Tom Watson. Watson led with birdie at 17 and both birdied 18th for Watson’s win.
- 1980 – First Sunday finish.
- 1987 – Nick Faldo wins first of three Open Championships. Won third in 1992.
- 1995 - John Daly defeats Italy’s Costantino Rocca in four-hole playoff at St. Andrews. Rocca gained playoff with a 60-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole.
- 2000 – Tiger Woods wins at St. Andrews. Aggregate score of 269 is a course record and minus -19 is an Open Championship record.
- 2002 – First four-way tie in history. Ernie Els defeats Thomas Levet, Stuart Appleby and Steve Elkington in four-hole aggregate playoff system.
- 2006 – Open Championship broadcast globally for first time. For 2,051 hours, 57 broadcasters across 162 territories broadcast to a potential 410 million households.
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