导出博客文章In the foreword to a book celebrating the 150-year anniversary of the oldest
championship in golf, Arnold Palmer refers to the event as The Open
Championship. In his autobiography, Palmer refers to the major he won twice as
the British Open.So which is it?That depends on the source. And it depends on
the audience.The Open Championship began in 1860 when Willie Park Sr. defeated
seven other golfers at Prestwick. It was 35 years until another big championship
came along at Newport Country Club in Rhode Island known as the U.S. Open. That
was followed by the South African Open, the Canadian Open and the Australian
Open.When the British Open began is a little more unclear.According to an
Associated Press account in 1900, J.H. Taylor won the open golf championship at
St. Andrews. Two paragraphs later, however, the story noted that Taylor scored
his third triumph in the English championships, even though it was held in
Scotland.In 1910, the AP reported from St. Andrews that the open golf
championship tournament ended in victory for James Braid. Just four years later,
however, an AP story in The Los Angeles Times said that Harry Vardon won for the
sixth time the British open golf championship.The R&A has never referred to
it as anything but The Open Championship, and it recent years it has made a
stronger case for the name of golfs oldest major to go by one name -- the proper
name -- in any country.The USGA in its official U.S. Open entry form for years
noted that players were exempt from qualifying if they had won the British Open
in the last five years. This year, the language was changed to refer to a
five-year exemption for winning The Open conducted by the R&A.William
McGirt, headed over to Scotland for the first time, said he received a packet in
the mail reminding players that its called The Open Championship.Im sure Ill
call it the British Open and get pounded for it, McGirt said. But hey, its in
Britain.The R&A has never referred to its premier championship as anything
but The Open. It just happens to be held on links courses in Britain, with an
exception in 1951 at Portrush in Northern Ireland, where it will return in three
years.The name of the championship hasnt changed in 155 years, said Malcolm
Booth, communications director for the R&A. The reason we think 155 years on
there is legitimacy in calling it `The Open Championship is it really was the
birthplace of open competition.It was the first. It was the original. It was the
template. It is The Open.But not to Jack Nicklaus.Nicklaus was asked in late
February about how he decided which sons would caddie for him in the majors. He
recalled one year when Jackie, his oldest son, caddied in the Masters and I
think he had the Open. And then he mentioned his second-oldest son, Steve, had
the British Open and the PGA.The British Open?Thats what it is, Nicklaus
said.Has he ever referred to the major he won three times The Open?Sure, when Im
over there, he said. Over here, people dont know what The Open Championship is.
Its `The Open Championship of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews.
If its The Open Championship, it could be the U.S. Open, the Australian Open,
the Japanese Open.Thats where the R&A might beg to differ.When championship
golf began in 1860, the golfing world was defined by Scotland. The Open was not
held anywhere else until it went to Royal St. Georges in England in 1894, one
year before the U.S. Open began.We dont consider ourselves a national
championship, Booth said. The Open remit is to identify the champion golfer of
the year.Three years ago, that champion golfer was Phil Mickelson, who grew up
in San Diego referring to it as the British.Now that Ive won it, and the R&A
strongly prefers it to be called just `The Open or `The Open Championship, I try
hard to call it that, Mickelson said. But its not comfortable to me because its
not what I referred to it as growing up in the United States.Hes not alone. And
its not just Americans.Russell Knox of Scotland says he goes by British Open,
though he has been in Florida the last 15 years. Branden Grace of South Africa
grew up calling it the British Open. So did Jason Day of Australia.Adam Scott,
however, was adamant that it is The Open and nothing else. That national
championship in his home country? The Australian Open.I understand that when you
say the `British Open you mean `The Open Championship, Scott said. When you call
it the `Open and you mean the U.S. Open, then Im confused. Because thats called
the United States Open.Jim Furyk simply goes by the calendar.A runner-up at
Oakmont last month, he said people came up to him at the Bridgestone
Invitational and congratulated him for his performance at the Open and it
stopped him. His mind already was on the next Open, the one at Royal Troon that
starts next week.If I were ever lucky enough to win the claret jug, I would
definitely call it `The Open to show respect, he said. But when Im not thinking
about it, then it comes out as `British Open because thats the way I grew up
hearing it.And, he added with a smile, I might have fun with some folks when I
know it will rub them the wrong way, just to watch them cringe.
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Players joining a new NFL team say that digesting their new playbook is a lot
like learning a new language.Then that goes double for Mark Sanchez, who isnt
just absorbing the parlance of Gary Kubiaks West Coast offense in Denver but
also mastering the tongue of his Mexican-American roots.I think its important to
learn Spanish, Sanchez said. One, because its my heritage and two, because Im
fortunate enough to live in a country that celebrates where you come from. And I
think when you learn another language like that, I think its good for your
brain. You just continue to advance in knowledge. And then the most important
thing was to be able to connect with those fans.Sanchez said his parents spoke
Spanish to each other, just not to me, while he was growing up in Mission Viejo,
California, and his only real exposure to the language came in the
classroom.When the New York Jets drafted him out of USC in 2009, Sanchez said he
was embarrassed when fans would speak to him in Spanish and all he could respond
with was, Gracias.So, he started listening to language tapes in his car on the
way to work as his career took him from New York to Philadelphia. He also
vacationed in Mexico every summer.Sanchez said his philosophy with a new team is
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invollved in the community.ddddddddddddAfter the Broncos acquired him from the
Eagles on March 11, Sanchez figured that with Colorados large Latino population,
it was time for some advanced language lessons.So, every day at team
headquarters he peppers one of the teams chefs, Alfredo Gonzalez, with questions
in Spanish.I try to talk to him as much as I can about whatever I can, whether
its ordering food or just asking questions about his family and listening to
what he says and asking him more questions just to continue to practice, Sanchez
said.With training camp underway, Sanchez, who is vying with Trevor Siemian and
Paxton Lynch for the starting job, is clearly comfortable both in his
communication on the football field and in his bilingual abilities away from
it.Sanchez is so capable in Spanish now that he conducted this interview with
The Associated Press in both Spanish and English.Im just happy that I took the
time and effort to be able to communicate with fans, Sanchez said. I felt so
embarrassed my first couple of years that I couldnt.---AP NFL website:
www.pro32.ap.org and
www.twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow AP Pro Football Writer
Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/arniestapleton ' ' '