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Golf is one of the world’s oldest sports in general, so it stands to reason that some of the game’s tournaments have some proper, ancient origins.
This is, of course, a sport with centuries of tradition and some of the game’s tournaments have rich, storied histories to match.
In this deep dive, we’ve drawn from historical records to explore some of the oldest golf tournaments that are still holding firm on golf’s annual calendar, teeing off with the grandaddy of them all.
1. The Open Championship (1860)
Often referred to by its simpler titles, The Open and British Open, the Open Championship is widely accepted to be the world’s oldest golf tournament.
First established on October 17, 1860, at Prestwick Golf Club in Ayrshire, Scotland, this famous stroke-play event was created initially as a way to crown the successor to the finest golfer of the era, Allan Robertson.
The first edition was a 36-holer, played over three rounds on a 12-hole course. Only eight pros took part on that occasion, though the tournament expanded at a rapid pace from there.
Now a competition with a rotating venue, the Open is one of the four men’s Majors and it has spanned over 150 iterations. Known for unpredictability and upsets, the Open draws a huge amount of interest on golf betting sites each year.
2. The Amateur Championship (1885)
Now we hurtle through time and forward another 25 years to 1885 and to the Royal Liverpool Golf Club in England, for the first ever British Amateur, or simply, The Amateur Championship.
This match-play event, which was hosted by the R&A (Royal and Ancient Golf Club), was initially a largely unofficial affair, however, it grew in prestige quickly and was even considered a Major before the outbreak of World War II.
The tournament was dominated by British players initially, though international golfers soon added a competitive edge to proceedings. Today, the competition is played in June across varying UK golf courses. American Ethan Fang won the 2025 edition at Royal St. George’s.
3. The Women’s Amateur Championship (1893)
Women’s golf entered the scene a few years later in 1893 with the introduction of The Women’s Amateur Championship, also known as the British Ladies Amateur.
Founded by the Ladies’ Golf Union (now part of the R&A), the first edition of the tournament at Royal Lytham & St Annes in Lancashire saw Lady Margaret Scott triumph, in fact, she went on to win the first three titles.
The British Ladies Amateur was seen as the pinnacle of the women’s game before the discipline boomed in 1970s. Winners today earn exemptions into Majors like the AIG Women’s Open and US Women’s Open, plus invites to the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.
For bettors, performance at The Women’s Amateur Championship has been used to inform decisions in markets for majors and to spot future LPGA stars.
4. Australian Amateur (1894)
Next, we’re heading Down Under and to the Austrian Amateur, which first teed off in 1894 under its former name, the Victorian Golf Cup. Tasmanian Louis Whyte was the first winner all those years ago.
Hosted by the Melbourne Golf Club and open to Australasian amateurs, the annual tournament is now overseen by Golf Australia. The competition, which is played on rotating venues around Oz, used alternating formats until quite recently, switching permanently to 73-hole stroke play in 2021.
Whyte was awarded the Challenge Cup following his win in 1894, and the winner still receives that award today in a sort of tribute to the tournament’s lasting legacy.
5. Canadian Amateur Championship (1895)
Just a year later, in 1895, the Canadian Amateur was launched at Ottawa Golf Club as the first big event organised by the Royal Canadian Golf Association, which was formed shortly before.
Thomas Harley claimed the debut title and with it the Aberdeen Cup. That trophy was later replaced by the Grey Cup. Early editions of the tournament were based largely in Ontario and Quebec, though it rotates more widely across regions in the country today.
The golf betting community tends to view Canadian Amateur Championship as a novelty, though it can be a fertile hunting ground for long odds winners and unexpected triumphs.
6. US Open (1895)
The same year, on October 4, 1985, the US Open teed off for the very first time at Newport Country Club in Rhode Island, as a 36-hole stroke play event in New England.
Organised by the USGA (which was formed in 1894), it started as match play but shifted completely to stroke play by 1898. Englishman Horace Rawlins won the first, pocketing a tidy prize of $150.
Fast forward to 2026 and the US Open is a 72-hole June spectacle that is one of the most eagerly anticipated events on the circuit. Famous for its brutal setups where over-par scores can still win, the US Open is a mecca for bettors, who like to hunt down each-way opportunities in the market.
7. US Amateur Championship (1895)
Held alongside the US Open in October 1895 at the same venue at Newport, the US Amateur Championship was introduced as a proving ground for low handicap players with professional aspirations, and it’s looked at the very same way today.
Many household names cut their teeth in this amateur event, including Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Bryson DeChambeau and Viktor Hovland.
The winner each year still receives an automatic invitation to compete in all of the majors (bar the PGA Championship). 18-year-old Mason Howell earned that honour with his sensational win in the 2025 version of the US Amateur Championship.
8. US Women’s Amateur Championship (1895)
1985 was a year of real significance for golf and in November, the US Women’s Amateur tournament was launched, to follow the men’s events that came before it.
New Yorker Lucy Barnes Brown won the stroke-play first edition of the competition at Meadow Brook Club in nearby Long Island, before the tournament switched over to match-play rules just a year later in 1896.
Today, it’s still considered a cornerstone of women’s amateur golf, with exemptions to Majors earned for the victors. Punters like to scan markets for emerging talents for this one, with each-way offers often providing an excellent route to profit.
9. South African Open Championship (1903)
After around a decade of exhibitions, the South African Open commenced officially just after the turn of the new century in 1903, with the flagship event hosted in Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha).
Standing as one of the main events on the Sunshine Tour, the South African Open has been officially sanctioned by the European Tour (DP World Tour) since 1997.
The first two editions were won by Scot Laurie Waters, though the tournament has been dominated by South Africans in recent years, with each of the last seven winners coming from the host nation.
10. Canadian Open (1904)
Formed over 120 years ago, the Canadian Open (now RBC Canadian Open) first hit the links in 1904 as a 36-hole event at The Royal Montreal Golf Club.
The first Canadian Open was won by Devon-born golfer Jake Oke, whose triumph then was the first and only tournament win of his entire golfing career, making it all the sweeter.
Now a PGA Tour staple played on rotating venues, it’s the longest-running non-Major, and has an attractive prize pot of $9.8m (as per the 2025 figures).
Only a handful of players have conquered this one more than once, including Jim Furyk, Greg Norman and Rory McIlroy.
