Thanks Bill, I had no idea the Brits did that, I assumed they operated as we do. But point being amateurs are still involved as opposed to regular tour event were a tour card of some kind is a must have, or you don't play. I know for regular events they only allow a certain percentage of foreign players in per tournament, and they are not just any players, they better have a name, and won alot on their respective tours. Once a foreign player wins a tour event he no longer needs the invitation, because they get an exemption from anywhere from 1 - 3 years, if it is a Major for 5 years. So the more exempt foreign players, the less percentage of invitation go out, because the PGA very closely monitors this to prevent to much money being taken away from the American players. That does not apply to the America Major, largerly because the PGA doesn't have control over them. That is another thing that is different.

I am thinking , but not sure, but the British Open wasn't even on the radar before Arnie played it back in the 50's or 60's after being invited, and it suddenly became big after he won it. Because prior to that, I believe the grand slam had been done by the likes of Bobby Jones were the British Open, US Open and the British Amateurs Open, and US Amateur Open. The Masters snuck in there after Bobby Jones retired becoming a big event by the players and replacing the British Amateur because Americans couldn't play in it, Arnie claimed he made sort of a grand Slam when he won the the Masters, US Open and had previously won Amateur Open even though the PGA was around since the advent of professional golf, it was not considered a major..go figure. Oddly enough Ben Hogan had done it before him including winning the PGA, so had Sam Snead, but got no where near the attention Arnold Palmer got who never won the PGA, so how did the PGA become a major, who knows. Probably, and don't quote me on this, originally the PGA was for American PGA card holder only, no foreigners, regardless if winning an American event. I think once they started allowing and foreign players who had won a PGA event, it opened it up as a world wide event similar to the other Majors. Since foreign players were unlikely to compete in the US Amateur open, just as we were unlikely to compete in the British Amateur Open, they were dropped as Majors in the eyes of the world, and the new grand slam was born...The US Open, British Open, Master, PGA Championship all available world wide, all by invitation or qualifying, all not part of the regular tour schedule in either tour.