Golf's English Open is set to return after almost 25 years

If you've ever wondered why we have The Open, the Scottish Open and the Irish Open, but not the English Open, that story stretches back almost almost four decades.

First played in 1979 (one Seve Ballesteros was the tournament's inaugural winner), up until the late '80s The English Open served as a highlight entry in the UK's golfing calendar. Now, after almost a quarter-century on hiatus, it's back in earnest.

A much-revered stop on the European Tour for most of its history, the English Open was played all the way up until 2002, when plans to expand the European Tour's schedule to include more countries led organisers to cut the number of tournaments played in the British Isles.

The English was placed on hiatus shortly after, with many failed attempts at reviving it in the near-quarter century that followed. Plans to bring the English Open back were announced in 2009, but then scuppered by the Global Financial Crisis. 

The Hero Open, played at Fairmont St Andrews in 2020 and 2021, was envisaged as a revival of the English Open as well, but these plans were changed due to sponsorship reasons and the eventual decision to play the tournament in Scotland. 

The Cazoo Classic, played in 2021 and 2022, was initially planned as an English Open (and indeed was played in England) but likewise was never officially named so.

Now however, the DP World Tour has announced concrete plans to revive the name in earnest, bringing England's very own Open championship back to the fore where it belongs. 

Taking place over a three-year period, the English Open will return next month as part of the Hotel Planner Tour. After spending another year as part of the Challenge Tour schedule in 2027, in 2028 it'll form part of the proper DP World Tour schedule.

The first staging of the event since 2002 will take place at Worcestershire's The Vale Golf Club, with hosting rights for 2027 and 2028 yet to be announced.

“By reinstating the English Open and partnering with the DP World Tour and the HotelPlanner Tour, many of our young squad players will have the opportunity to not only experience professional tournament golf, but also begin to acclimatise to life in the professional ranks.

“With clear ambitions to elevate the English Open back onto the main tour, this will provide another inspiring national platform to showcase everything that is great about our game in England.”

The revival will also see the English Open become one of the most lucrative events on the Hotel Planner Tour schedule, with an increased prize fund of £300,000.

Fans wanting to catch the return of this historic event can do so on June 18-21, when the English Open will return at The Vale. You can find out more about attending The Tournament at the DP World Tour's website.