Editing The Open Championship (section)

== Status ==
The Open is recognised as one of the four [[Men's major golf championships|major championships]] in golf, and is an official event on the [[PGA Tour]], [[European Tour]], and the [[Japan Golf Tour]].

The Open began in 1860, and for many years it was not the most-followed event in golf, as challenge matches between top golfers were more keenly followed and drew larger crowds.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mocgc.co.uk/five-open-championships.html |title=The Five Open Championships |website=MOCGC |access-date=17 January 2019 |archive-date=26 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181126152347/http://www.mocgc.co.uk/five-open-championships.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Great Triumvirate (golf)|Great Triumvirate]] dominated the Open between 1894 and 1914 and were primarily responsible for the formation of the [[Professional Golfers' Association (Great Britain and Ireland)|PGA]] in 1901 which had a big impact in promoting interest in professional golf (and therefore The Open) and increasing playing standards.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PGRkblShhU8C&q=Great+Triumvirate+increase+interest+golf&pg=PA236|title=Handbook on the Economics of Sport|last=Andreff|first=Wladimir|publisher=Edward Elgar Publishing|year=2006|isbn=978-184-376-608-7|location=UK|pages=235, 236|access-date=22 November 2020|archive-date=30 June 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240630135317/https://books.google.com/books?id=PGRkblShhU8C&q=Great+Triumvirate+increase+interest+golf&pg=PA236#v=snippet&q=Great%20Triumvirate%20increase%20interest%20golf&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref> Between the World Wars, the first wins by Americans were widely celebrated when they broke the dominance previously held by British players.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/sports-and-games/sports-biographies/bobby-jones |title=Bobby Jones |website=Encyclopedia.com |access-date=17 January 2019 |archive-date=30 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240630135824/https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/sports-and-games/sports-biographies/bobby-jones |url-status=live }}</ref> After [[World War II]], although the profile of the tournament remained high in the UK and [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] countries, the low prize money compared to the US events and the cost of travel meant fewer Americans participated. High-profile visits and wins by [[Ben Hogan]] and [[Arnold Palmer]], the growth of cheaper and faster [[transatlantic flight]]s, and the introduction of television coverage recovered its prestige.<ref name="PGA College"/>

When the modern concept of the [[Men's major golf championships|major]]s was cemented, the Open was included as one of those four. Thus, the Open is now one of the four [[Men's major golf championships|majors]] in golf, along with the [[U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open]], [[PGA Championship]], and [[Masters Tournament]]. The term "major" is a universally-acknowledged unofficial term used by players, the media, and golf followers to define the most important tournaments, and performance in them is often used to define the careers of the best golfers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thoughtco.com/golf-majors-1565470|title=Golf Majors|website=ThoughtCo|access-date=17 January 2019|archive-date=19 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190119121432/https://www.thoughtco.com/golf-majors-1565470|url-status=live}}</ref> There is often discussion amongst the golfing community as to whether the Open, [[U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open]], or the [[Masters Tournament]] is the most prestigious major, but opinion varies (often linked to nationality). The [[PGA Championship]] is usually seen as the least prestigious of the four.<ref>{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/monteburke/2012/06/12/which-golf-major-is-the-most-prestigious/#401ddf506b5e |title=Which Golf Major Is The Most Prestigious? |date=12 June 2012 |magazine=Forbes |access-date=17 January 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/golf/2018/08/11/uspga-hopes-winners-round-major-moves-may/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/golf/2018/08/11/uspga-hopes-winners-round-major-moves-may/ |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=USPGA hopes it is winners all round when major moves to May |date=11 August 2018 |work=The Daily Telegraph|access-date=17 January 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

In terms of official recognition, the tournament has been an event on the [[European Tour]] since its formation in 1972. In 1995, prize money won in the Open was included in the [[PGA Tour]] official money list for the first time, a change that caused an increase in the number of American entries.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/81889039/clarion-ledger/ |title=Tradition lures Americans abroad |date=18 July 1995 |work=Clarion-Ledger |access-date=21 July 2021 |via=Newspapers.com |archive-date=21 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210721150156/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/81889039/clarion-ledger/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In addition all previous PGA Tour seasons have been retroactively adjusted to include the Open in official money and win statistics. Currently the Open, along with the other three majors and [[The Players Championship]], are the top-tier tournaments in the PGA Tour's [[FedEx Cup]], offering more points than any other non-playoff event. The Open is also an official event on the [[Japan Golf Tour]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R1dwDwAAQBAJ&q=japan+golf+tour+british+open+recognition&pg=PA82 |title=Golf: Career Money Leaders |last=Thakur |first=Pradeep |publisher=Lulu Enterprises Ltd |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-557-77530-9 |location=India |pages=99 |access-date=22 November 2020 |archive-date=30 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240630135824/https://books.google.com/books?id=R1dwDwAAQBAJ&q=japan+golf+tour+british+open+recognition&pg=PA82#v=snippet&q=japan%20golf%20tour%20british%20open%20recognition&f=false |url-status=live }}{{self-published inline|date=July 2023}}</ref>