Eight men, 36 holes, and a leather belt: The Open is born at Prestwick.

Eight professionals, a leather belt, and not a penny in prize money: this is how golf decided its greatest player.
On 17 October 1860, eight professional golfers teed off at Prestwick Golf Club to compete for the Challenge Belt, a red Moroccan leather strap with a silver buckle. Willie Park Sr. won with a score of 174 over three rounds of Prestwick's 12-hole course, beating Old Tom Morris by two strokes. There was no entry fee, no prize money, and no spectator stands. Just wind, links turf, and the small matter of deciding who was the best golfer in the land.











