We take a look back at the history of this brilliant South Ayrshire course.
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The AIG Women’s Open returns to Scotland for its 20th edition next week (August 20-23), and for the first time it will be held at the prestigious Royal Troon in South Ayrshire.
But this legendary course is no stranger to elite British golf, having hosted the men’s Open Championship on nine occasions, most recently in 2016.
With this legendary course making history once more as it welcomes the world’s very best female players to its storied greens, we decided to take a look back at five iconic moments in Royal Troon’s illustrious history…
1. Do You Remember the First Time?
Known originally as just Troon, this famous course hosted its first ever Open Championship in 1923. The old course enjoyed a complete makeover ahead of staging the event, including a new design and lengthening by one of the top architects of the time, James Laird. Arthur Hayes took the title, collecting a winner’s share of £75 from the total prize fund of £200. Oh, how times have changed…
2. The Royal Birth
Royal Troon was established in 1878 and had to wait until its centennial year, in 1978, to finally be granted its regal prefix. The title, granted by the Queen, reportedly came as a complete surprise even to its membership and it made it the first 'Royal' golf course in the west of Scotland. The announcement marked the high point of a year of celebrations for the club.
3. Nine Going On 10
Royal Troon, now in its 138th year, hosted its ninth Open Championship in 2016, and in the list of courses who have hosted the most editions of the famous tournament, it now ranks at number eight. The course witnessed a moment in history when Sweden's Henrik Stenson became the first Scandinavian golfer to win a major, securing the coveted title with a score of 264, -20. Royal Troon has since been announced as the host of the 2024 Open Championship, where it will celebrate a landmark tenth time staging the event.
4. About Time?
Royal Troon marked another landmark moment just two weeks shy of hosting the 145th Open Championship in 2016, as its membership voted overwhelmingly in favour of admitting female members. This marked significant progress in the campaign for better equality in golf, and certainly paved the way for the venue to host its first ever AIG Women’s Open in 2020.
5. Making History Again
The tournament promises to deliver another enthralling four days of action as a number of Brits eye the prize including Georgia Hall (who won the British Open in 2018) and Gemma Dryburgh who had back-to-back wins at the Rose Ladies Series. With a purse of $4,500,000, it’s a sign of how far the sport has come since Arthur Hayes picked up £75 in winning the first men’s Open Championship held at the course. You can put your house on that kitty rising some more as the women’s game continues to evolve, which thanks to the Rose Ladies Series and a fresh new interest in the ladies' tour, is happening at an increasingly rapid rate.
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