Yeah I know we call it the British Open, but to everybody
by TWO (2019-07-16 12:48:45)

In reply to: Which The Open? *  posted by ACross


else it's The Open.


Because ESPN wanted it that way
by HTownND  (2019-07-16 13:01:42)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

It was the British Open for a very long time. Only since ESPN got the gig, did they start pushing The Open Championship stuff.

Look, we're not idiots here, we know what they are talking about, but we also shouldn't act like calling it the British Open, which we did in this country, and they advertised as much, for decades is some sort of shortcoming or misnomer.

The change back (yes, they changed it back) to The Open Championship is recent, and I believe, driven by ESPN. I know the R&A jumped on the bandwagon in the past few years as well. It's silliness. Check the link, that's from a British newspaper. They called it the British Open themselves going back decades. This notion of purity from them is bullshit. I'm with Cross here. This is all just recent branding nonsense.


its all politics, man. *
by 84david  (2019-07-17 08:59:18)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post


It will always be the British Open and Southern Cal for me.
by ArasEra  (2019-07-16 14:58:49)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

And Michigan sucks.


Nobody’s debating that last one. *
by John88  (2019-07-16 19:11:58)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post


Here, here! *
by BeastOfBourbon  (2019-07-16 16:56:03)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post


Ironically, when you go to the R&A Website.
by TWO  (2019-07-16 13:49:23)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

They do have it as "The Open" as noted...but the Women's event is officially..

The AIG Women's British Open. As far as I can tell it's the only R&A sponsored event that uses the designation "British", and includes the name of a title sponsor. Sellout?


Scott Van Pelt just discussed this
by Brandon  (2019-07-16 13:21:05)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

on the No Laying Up Podcast this week. When ESPN covered the event, there was never any formal directive of any kind to make it The Open vs. The British Open. He said those on the broadcast and production crews made the simple call to refer to it in the same way that those who put on the tournament do. The R&A called it the Open, so they called it The Open on the air and in advertisements. It may be true that the R&A didn't always call it that themselves, but that's what they do now, so why put up a fight about it?

SVP likened it to how when covering the Masters, the broadcast refers to the fans as "patrons", the rough as "second cut", the first and second nine holes etc. It's simply being deferential to those who organize and put on the event.

I don't get bothered by hearing it either way but I find it dumb to that it matters to many people here in the states. What is so threatening that one has to go out of their way to distinctly specify it as British? Who cares?


just toeing the corporate line. Dan Patrick says ESPN
by 84david  (2019-07-17 09:00:22)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

made them say stuff they didnt believe all of the time.


It feels like typical British snobbery
by ShillelaghHugger  (2019-07-16 16:40:24)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Like we should bend the knee to the Crown.

I like the British. So I'll call their tournament something nice like 'The British Open' instead of 'The Limey tourney'. Good enough.


I Open at the close.
by mkovac  (2019-07-16 16:56:25)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post


Huh? *
by ShillelaghHugger  (2019-07-16 18:53:34)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post


MK just spoiled Harry Potter for you.
by SavageDragon  (2019-07-16 20:20:24)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

I doubt it will have much impact, given your response.


I think comparing it to the Masters
by HTownND  (2019-07-16 13:59:43)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Which has always done that, versus the recent stridency from the R&A are two different things.

I don't care if people call it The Open, but I'm also totally fine with anyone and everyone who calls it the British Open, as people have since the day I was born (and decades before).

That's my biggest problem with all of this, is the stridency of the R&A to try and cleanse the term British Open from the earth. No matter what they do, guys like Faldo and Monty and others will still call it the British Open. There is absolutely nothing wrong with calling it that.


Faldo? - of course you mean "Sir Nick" per Jim Nantz *
by rhodyjack  (2019-07-16 14:13:34)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post


Yea, this seems like an odd thing to waste brain cells on
by Ty Webb  (2019-07-16 13:41:15)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

I call it the British Open myself, but if people want to call it The Open, have at it.


amadur *
by ACross  (2019-07-16 14:20:32)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post


I'm in this group as well
by HTownND  (2019-07-16 13:55:50)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

However, I also don't like the all of a sudden, strident demands to scrub the term from all vocabulary, and think it's stupid. So maybe I don't agree with Cross in totality, but I've found the R&A's stridency pretty dumb, when you consider that everyone and their mom, including some of the great British golfers, have and still do call it the British Open.

I'm basically fine if you want to call it either way. But I prefer British Open, and find people trying to push The Open like some of the folks at the R&A, wankers.


Agreed, and considering they invented the game
by sprack  (2019-07-16 13:31:46)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

they're entitled.


ESPN sucks in almost every way.
by Nitschke  (2019-07-16 13:07:47)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

But I’m not going to lose sleep over this.


Here is another article
by HTownND  (2019-07-16 13:04:51)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

I mean, even Monty calls it the British Open

Monty's take


Personally, I love Faldo's take on the nonsense:

"The Open Championship is incorrect. It's now The Open," the Englishman said. "You see? It's gone from the British Open, the Open Championship, now it's The Open...In another five years it will be just called 'The.'"


Joan Collins - The British Open (link)
by mkovac  (2019-07-16 12:53:51)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post