Oct
A Grand Slam in professional golf means winning all of golf’s major championships, namely the Masters Tournament, US Open, and British Open. No one has managed to win a classic Grand Slam. Tiger Woods is very close to achieving that. She won all four major events in the space of two years (2001-2002) called Career Grand Slam. Here are the four major world golf championships.
1. Master Tournament
Also known as The Masters or The US Masters is one of the four major Grand Slam golf tournaments. This championship takes place in the first week of April, and opens the world’s premier golf championship. This golf tournament is always held at the same venue, Augusta National Golf Club, a private complex in Georgia. There is no qualifying tournament, to take part in the US, so participants must accept an invitation.
The winner of the game receives a green jacket which is a symbol of club membership. Jackets must be returned the following year. The winner of this golf tournament can only wear it in the club area during the annual Champions dinner. The first US Masters was won by Horton Smith, with an award worth 1500 US dollars (Rp 21 million at current exchange rates). While the player with the most awards in the history of The US Masters is Jack Nickalus.
2. US Open
Also known as the United States Open Championship, this golf tournament is considered the most difficult competition in the world. The reason is because the conditions of the golf course are very difficult, which is specially prepared for the golf tournament. The surface is uneven, the holes are surrounded by many obstacles and the way the ball goes there is very long and narrow. The player with the lowest number of strokes is the winner.
This is a golf tournament with the best prizes. In 2018 the total prize pool amounted to 12 million US dollars (Rp 169 billion at current exchange rates). The first US Open tournament was played on October 4, 1895, on the court at Newport Country Club in Newport, Rhode Island. The 36-hole competition, played in one day, was won by Horace Rawlins. He received an award prize of 150 US dollars (Rp 2.9 million at current exchange rates). Currently, the championship takes place in June and the final is held on Father’s Day. The US Open is dedicated to both amateur and professional golfers with a USGA Handicap Index not exceeding 1.4.
3. British Open
The Open Championship Also known as The Open or British Open is the oldest Grand Slam tournament. This competition is considered the most prestigious because it is held in the homeland of golf. The Open Championships are defined by the British climate and nature, held on traditional courts with extremely hard and demanding surfaces. Its location is on a windswept beach so it often affects the score of the game. The winner of the British Open receives an honorary title: The Champion Golfer of The Year.
While clinching the title The Open sekana held at Old Scottish Course in St Andrews, which is the oldest golf course in the world, is considered the icing on the cake. The first British Open took place in 1860 and was dedicated only to professionals. The first competition was won by Wille Park Sr who received a prize of 25 pounds (less than IDR 500,000 at current exchange rates). A year later, this golf tournament was opened for amateurs. Now, any player with an Index handicap not exceeding 1.5 can take part in the tournament.
Source : internasional.kompas.com
