The British Open is the final major championship of the year, and there really isn’t another tournament quite like it.
I traveled to Liverpool and spent the final practice round exploring Royal Birkdale before the start of the 154th Open.
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Almost everything was different from attending a major in the United States. That included driving on the opposite side of the road, figuring out the Celsius temperatures and learning that a merchandise line is called a queue.
Even the weather was a major talking point.
Liverpool was in the middle of what locals considered a heat wave, with temperatures reaching just over 80 degrees. That may sound like a normal summer day in the United States, but many of the buses and buildings in England do not have the same level of air conditioning.
Once I made it to Royal Birkdale, one of the biggest surprises was the wait for The Shop.
The line to get into the main merchandise area was comparable to what fans experience at the Masters. The problem was that there was another massive line to check out once you got inside.
I eventually gave up on the main shop and grabbed a flag, hat and shirt from a smaller stand in the Fan Village.
I also tried the obvious meal for my first day at The Open: fish and chips.
The order came with one large piece of cod, fries, malt vinegar and mushy peas. The fish did live up to expectations, but concession-stand seafood is probably not the fairest way to judge the local food.
There was not much golf watched on the first day. Most of the time was spent finding the course, exploring the property and adjusting to a major championship that feels completely different from the other three.
But that is part of what makes The Open special.
The course, food, atmosphere and overall culture surrounding the tournament are unlike anything found at an American major. Before the first competitive shot was even hit, Royal Birkdale had already shown why The Open is in a category of its own.
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