What is the name of the oldest golf tournament in the world?

The Open Championship is the oldest golf tournament in the world.

The first Open was played on October 17, 1860, at Prestwick Golf Club in Ayrshire, Scotland. Prestwick created the competition to identify golf’s “Champion Golfer” after the death of Allan Robertson, one of the era’s most celebrated professionals. Only eight players competed, and Willie Park Sr. won by two strokes over Old Tom Morris.

The inaugural event consisted of three rounds of Prestwick’s 12-hole links course. It was initially restricted to professional golfers, although amateurs were admitted the following year. The winner first received a leather Challenge Belt; the famous Claret Jug was introduced in 1872.

The tournament is also called the British Open, particularly in the United States, but its official name is The Open Championship. It is one of men’s four major championships, alongside the Masters, PGA Championship and U.S. Open. Those events are all prestigious, but each began later than 1860.