British Open
The British Open is the oldest golf tournament in the world played on the most historic course of all – the Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland.
In April 2005, it was announced that, for the first time, women may qualify for a spot in the 2006 Open. The qualifying rounds are played at several locations around the world.
Another route to the British Open is through winning a prior tournament such as the Masters or a PGA Tour event. In fact, if Michelle Wie had won the PGA Tour’s John Deere Classic this year, she would have been invited to the British Open and been the first woman ever to play in it.
The British Open is one of the four “major” tournaments that men have historically competed in. The others are the PGA Championship, the Masters at Augusta National, and the U.S. Open. The women’s best golfers have their traditional majors as well. They are the LPGA Championship, the Kraft-Nabisco Championship, the U.S. Women’s Open and the Weetabix Women’s British Open which is organized by the Ladies Golf Union of Britain.
If you are a little confused, it’s not surprising. The bright line between all-male tournaments and all-female golf tournaments is becoming blurred. For example, Wie made headlines the week of July 4th playing in the PGA Tour’s John Deere Classic – as the only woman golfer. Although the PGA Tour does not prohibit women competitors, only three women in recent history have played in PGA Tour events.