The Open Championship, or simply The Open (often referred to as the British Open), is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is administered by The R&A and is the only major held outside the United States. It is currently the third major of the calendar year, following The Masters and the U.S. Open, and preceding the PGA Championship. The current champion is Rory McIlroy, who won the 143rd Open in 2014. The 2015 Open will take place on the Old Course at St Andrews from 16–19 July.
The PGA Championship (sometimes, especially outside of the United States, referred to as the U.S. PGA Championship or U.S. PGA) is an annual golf tournament conducted by the Professional Golfers Association of America. It is one of the four major championships in professional golf, and it is the golf season’s final major, played in mid-August on the 3rd weekend prior to Labor Day weekend. It is an official money event on the PGA Tour, the European Tour, and the Japan Golf Tour, with a purse of $10 million for the 96th edition in 2014 (making it the most lucrative of the four majors).
The Ryder Cup is a biennial men’s golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is contested every two years with the venue alternating between courses in the USA and Europe. The Ryder Cup is named after the English businessman Samuel Ryder who donated the trophy. The event is jointly administered by the PGA of America and Ryder Cup Europe, the latter a joint venture of the PGA European Tour (60%), the PGA of Great Britain and Ireland (20%), and the PGA of Europe (20%).
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour. It is staged by the United States Golf Association (USGA) in mid-June, scheduled so that, if there are no weather delays, the final round is played on the third Sunday, which is Father’s Day.
The U.S. Senior Open is one of the major championships in men’s senior golf. It was first played in 1980 and is administered by the United States Golf Association (USGA) and is recognized as a major championship by both the Champions Tour and the European Seniors Tour. Initially the lower age limit was 55, but it is now 50, which is the standard limit for men’s senior professional golf tournaments. The event is open to amateurs but it is dominated by professionals. It has been played on several different courses.
