The Open Championship: an American Perspective

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The "British Open" is the most unique golf tournament of the summer, especially for an American.

Of all my memories watching golf growing up, the "British Open" provided some of the most unique experiences.

I remember my dad telling stories of the mysterious links style courses of England and Scotland, which somehow didn't feature trees or frequent water hazards.

"This is the way golf was invented, and this is the way that it should be played," he would say.

I have played plenty of faux links courses, but I've never experienced the real thing. A few years ago I did visit Whistling Straits located in Kohler, Wisconsin, and it was unlike a course I had ever seen before. The incredible elevation change and style of grasses were beautiful and majestic.

Whistling Straits made Hazeltine National, the site of the 2009 PGA Championship and 2016 Ryder Cup which I have been lucky enough to play multiple times, look plain and ordinary. At the end of my summer in London, I plan to visit Scotland to see (and hopefully play) the types of courses that I watched on TV and heard so many stories about.

This is one reason why I'm very excited for the Open 2014, as it heads back to Royal Liverpool, where Tiger won in 2006.

 

 

Mike Smith
Mike Smith is an American undergraduate student studying journalism and political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is spending the summer living in London, studying British life and culture and working for Golf Monthly. He is excited to gain international working experience, as his career goal is to work in sports journalism.