478 replies to this topic

[chasm]

I have a feeling that this topic will simply divide into a US vs Rest of the World issue, with honourable mentions to those who state that they wish to respect the origins of the game.  Good preparation for the Ryder Cup threads to come!


I don't have a problem with people who aren't from the relevant country referring to a tournament prefixed by that country's name.  Many sporting events' titles get bastardised - look at Wimbledon, which is officially The Lawn Tennis Championships Meeting of The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC).

[Excelsior75]

It's The Open Championship - and the same logical applies when you say The Masters and not US Masters ot Augusta Masters.

Don't take my word for it, check the official logo:

[Chief Illiniwek]

When referring to it with others, I call it the British Open to avoid confusion. The most important Open to most of us Americans is our own, and saying "The" Open invites occasional confusion because the "The" is often used to denote the most important.

But I'm not purposefully trying to downplay Britain's version, and in fact I very much enjoy viewing the event. Just avoiding confusion is all...

[MB GOLF]

It's the OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP.  If I have to take a few seconds to explain the difference between it and the US Open, I will.  

I am sure there are others with different opinions, but... I much rather have the Claret Jug on the mantle if given a choice between the two to win.  The US Open would be a close third, followed by the PGA.  The Masters is the ultimate.

[tElihu]

I call it the British Open. If I were outside of the U.S. and talking to other golfers I'd call it "The Open" or "The Open Championship".

Don't see what the fuss is.

[QMany]

I call it the British Open because that is the most common vernacular I've heard and what I grew up with. If that hurts someones feelings, I'm sorry.

[scotee]

Chief Illiniwek, on 11 April 2012 - 10:20 AM, said:

When referring to it with others, I call it the British Open to avoid confusion. The most important Open to most of us Americans is our own, and saying "The" Open invites occasional confusion because the "The" is often used to denote the most important.

But I'm not purposefully trying to downplay Britain's version, and in fact I very much enjoy viewing the event. Just avoiding confusion is all...

  I agree. “The British Open” avoids confusion. I’ve been following golf for 40+ yrs. Until the last few years I always heard it called The British Open and that is how I have referred to it not out of disrespect but from a lifetime of knowing it as that. I have no problem with the more PC “The Open Championship” but like many things PC it seems like a petty distinction.

[mat562]

I'm a pedantic sod, so it's only ever 'The Open Championship' in our house. Call it what you like in your own, but people who scoff and smugly justify calling it the British Open 'because it's in Britain' should know that the championship has been - and possibly will be again - staged in Northern Ireland; which isn't a constituent part of Great Britain. I will cough to occasionally shortening it to just 'the Open', though I have never in my life uttered the words 'U.S. Masters'.


The 'British' thing bothers me slightly, and in my oft-dreamed-about autocratic People's Republic of Yorkshire (sort of a modern version of Westeras, with me playing the role of a distinctly git-like, Joffrey-esque absolute ruler) calling it the 'British Open' would attract a sentence of a couple of years down the salt mines. Misuse of apostrophes, littering of any kind and driving around in rain or twilight conditions whilst displaying sidelights, on the other hand, will see you publicly flayed alive whilst your feet are sawn off, your shinbones split lengthwise with a hammer and chisel and your eyeballs sucked out of their sockets by a goat and replaced with hot coals.

Edited by mat562, 11 April 2012 - 12:00 PM.

[archer32]

craz-e, on 11 April 2012 - 06:25 AM, said:

The Open Championship for me, just like to give it the honor and respect it deserves.

Exactly my sentiment.

[Dano golf]

Isn't it **** or odd that the British seemingly don't want the word association with"British"?  I'd think most British would be proud to call it The British Open. It's certainly not the Irish Open, or the Peruvian Open.

[varsityhacker]

The R&A that puts on championship calls it the Open Championship so that is what I call it.

[MtlJeff]

When i'm talking to 99% of golfers i call it the british open because that's what most people call it. If i happen to be talking to someone oversensitive who may be from across the atlantic, i will call it the open championship, and then enjoy the dissapointed look on their face that they cannot scold me for saying the name wrong

also, i don't notice Americans in general having much problem when the Masters gets called the US Masters.

Edited by MtlJeff, 11 April 2012 - 12:49 PM.

[mat562]

MtlJeff, on 11 April 2012 - 12:48 PM, said:

...I don't notice Americans in general having much problem when the Masters gets called the US Masters.

In the interest of transatlantic relations, I do that on their collective behalf.

[mich_ping]

mat562, on 11 April 2012 - 11:46 AM, said:

I'm a pedantic sod, so it's only ever 'The Open Championship' in our house. Call it what you like in your own, but people who scoff and smugly justify calling it the British Open 'because it's in Britain' should know that the championship has been - and possibly will be again - staged in Northern Ireland; which isn't a constituent part of Great Britain. I will cough to occasionally shortening it to just 'the Open', though I have never in my life uttered the words 'U.S. Masters'.


The 'British' thing bothers me slightly, and in my oft-dreamed-about autocratic People's Republic of Yorkshire (sort of a modern version of Westeras, with me playing the role of a distinctly git-like, Joffrey-esque absolute ruler) calling it the 'British Open' would attract a sentence of a couple of years down the salt mines. Misuse of apostrophes, littering of any kind and driving around in rain or twilight conditions whilst displaying sidelights, on the other hand, will see you publicly flayed alive whilst your feet are sawn off, your shinbones split lengthwise with a hammer and chisel and your eyeballs sucked out of their sockets by a goat and replaced with hot coals.

I like the ASOIAF reference....but you lost me after that.
Not knowing any better....I heard it called and I myself called it "The British" my entire youth. I don't remember anyone calling it "The Open" in the US until a few years ago. Now that I know that it should be called "The Open",  I try to remeber to do so....but I forget sometimes. Plus, most of the non-hardcore golf fans here would not know what "The Open" is. They might think that I am talking about "The Waterbury Open" or something.

[bscinstnct]

Dano golf, on 11 April 2012 - 12:38 PM, said:

Isn't it **** or odd that the British seemingly don't want the word association with"British"?  I'd think most British would be proud to call it The British Open. It's certainly not the Irish Open, or the Peruvian Open.

It's more the "The" than anything else that seems important to some.

In fact, there seems to not only be a rub calling it the British Open, something that journalists, announcers and even Winners call it, but that Americans call the US Open

The Open

I appreciate all sides of this, not a big deal to me.  I call it The Open Championship myself.

Edited by bscinstnct, 11 April 2012 - 02:14 PM.

[Jeembo]

I call it the British Open so I don't have to spend the next 30 seconds clarifying which one I meant.  Same reason I use Soccer.

[Excelsior75]

The two titles are completely different:
1 - The Open Championship
2 - US Open
I don't see why anyone has a problem in trying to explain that to anyone else
(well, yeah I do...in the same way you have to explain to certain people that Paris isn't the capital of London    )

It's nothing to do with being 'proper' or 'British' or 'PC' - I think, deep-down, Americans must have a problem with it being referred to as THE Open (as in 'the most important')

It's 'The Open Championship' just like it's Masters Tournament'...just likes it's the 'US Open'...and just like its the 'PGA Championship'

They're the correct titles...people should refer to them as such.

Edited by Excelsior75, 11 April 2012 - 02:46 PM.

[Chief Illiniwek]

Excelsior75, on 11 April 2012 - 02:46 PM, said:

The two titles are completely different:
1 - The Open Championship
2 - US Open
I don't see why anyone has a problem in trying to explain that to anyone else
(well, yeah I do...in the same way you have to explain to certain people that Paris isn't the capital of London    )

It's nothing to do with being 'proper' or 'British' or 'PC' - I think, deep-down, Americans must have a problem with it being referred to as THE Open (as in 'the most important')

It's 'The Open Championship' just like it's Masters Tournament'...just likes it's the 'US Open'...and just like its the 'PGA Championship'

They're the correct titles...people should refer to them as such.

You want it to be because Americans are jealous that the Open played there is more important, because for you it is and justifiably so. But the most important Open to most of us is our own, so it often gets referred to as "the open" over here. Trust me, there's no conspiracy over here to try and make the British version less important to us, it just is by nature.

[monkeynaut]

If the British will accept "Parking Lot."  
American's will go with "chips."
If the British might say "Elevator."
Americans might say "The Loo."

We will agree to disagree on "Football" "American Football" and "Soccer."  

THEN, I think we can all share a drink on the common ground that is "The Masters.  And, the other ones we watch until The Masters, again."

[Ajit]

What's far more important is why you Americans insist on calling a three under par score on a hole a 'double eagle'. WTF? It's a fricken albatross!

[monkeynaut]

Ajit, on 11 April 2012 - 06:29 PM, said:

What's far more important is why you Americans insist on calling a three under par score on a hole a 'double eagle'. WTF? It's a fricken albatross!

Everyone knows a double eagle is an ace on a par five.

[Jeembo]

Ajit, on 11 April 2012 - 06:29 PM, said:

What's far more important is why you Americans insist on calling a three under par score on a hole a 'double eagle'. WTF? It's a fricken albatross!

American here.  That's always bugged me too.  And yet I still have a hard time shaking the habit of calling it a double eagle.

[bscinstnct]

The sun never sets on the British EMPIRE

I guess the empire now consists of having the only the open

[andef]

Everywhere in the world except for America it is known as "The Open Championship" and that's how it should be, after all, it's the best tournament of the year.
It's a little like soccer and football, most of the world says it right and a few million people say it different. No issue in it for me...

Edited by andef, 12 April 2012 - 04:06 AM.

[imakaveli]

In Italy we know that it's called the Open Championship but we call it British Open not to confuse it with Italian Open

[PaddyK]

Dano golf, on 11 April 2012 - 12:38 PM, said:

Isn't it **** or odd that the British seemingly don't want the word association with"British"?  I'd think most British would be proud to call it The British Open. It's certainly not the Irish Open, or the Peruvian Open.

I don't know anyone who refers to themselves as being British...Ask someone from Cardiff, Inverness or Brum what nationality they are..

[tElihu]

Chief Illiniwek, on 11 April 2012 - 03:06 PM, said:

Excelsior75, on 11 April 2012 - 02:46 PM, said:

The two titles are completely different:
1 - The Open Championship
2 - US Open
I don't see why anyone has a problem in trying to explain that to anyone else
(well, yeah I do...in the same way you have to explain to certain people that Paris isn't the capital of London    )

It's nothing to do with being 'proper' or 'British' or 'PC' - I think, deep-down, Americans must have a problem with it being referred to as THE Open (as in 'the most important')

It's 'The Open Championship' just like it's Masters Tournament'...just likes it's the 'US Open'...and just like its the 'PGA Championship'

They're the correct titles...people should refer to them as such.

You want it to be because Americans are jealous that the Open played there is more important, because for you it is and justifiably so. But the most important Open to most of us is our own, so it often gets referred to as "the open" over here. Trust me, there's no conspiracy over here to try and make the British version less important to us, it just is by nature.

Exactly.

The reference point different (as is the vernacular).  Has nothing to do with some made-up inferiority complex.

Most Americans with a serious understanding of golf and history know the world-wide significance of The Open.  But when you're in the U.S., The Open can simply mean ours as well.

Edited by tElihu, 12 April 2012 - 07:43 AM.

[ljscour]

PaddyK, on 12 April 2012 - 04:29 AM, said:

Dano golf, on 11 April 2012 - 12:38 PM, said:

Isn't it **** or odd that the British seemingly don't want the word association with"British"?  I'd think most British would be proud to call it The British Open. It's certainly not the Irish Open, or the Peruvian Open.

I don't know anyone who refers to themselves as being British...Ask someone from Cardiff, Inverness or Brum what nationality they are..

All depends in which context the question is asked.

Back to the original topic; I don't really care what people call it.

I wouldn't be pretentious enough to correct someone who calls it the British open.

I call it the British open or the Open champtionship interchangeably, depending on who I'm speaking with.

People who insist that you MUST say the Open are usually wankers.

[Ajit]

monkeynaut, on 11 April 2012 - 06:34 PM, said:

Ajit, on 11 April 2012 - 06:29 PM, said:

What's far more important is why you Americans insist on calling a three under par score on a hole a 'double eagle'. WTF? It's a fricken albatross!

Everyone knows a double eagle is an ace on a par five.

Nah, that's an Ostrich!

[Vindog]

ljscour, on 12 April 2012 - 07:48 AM, said:

I call it the British open or the Open champtionship interchangeably, depending on who I'm speaking with.

People who insist that you MUST say the Open are usually wankers.

Same here.  To a golf fans I try to use Open Champ as much as possible.

To a layman buddy I'll say British Open, because that's what I'll eventually use to describe what "Open Championship" means