British Open | Courses, History, Winners, List, & Facts
Courses
The Open Championship has always been played on links courses (mostly treeless golf courses that are built along a coast and retain the natural uneven terrain of their locations). From 1860 to 1870 the Open was played exclusively at Prestwick Golf Club. Since 1872 it has been played at a number of courses in rotation. Initially the three courses were Prestwick, St. Andrews, and Musselburgh, all located in Scotland. The nine courses in the current rotation are the Old Course at St. Andrews; Carnoustie Golf Links in Carnoustie, Scotland; Muirfield in Gullane, Scotland; the Ailsa Course at the Westin Turnberry Resort, outside Girvan, Scotland; Royal Troon Golf Club in Troon, Scotland; Royal St. George’s Golf Club in Sandwich, England; Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England; Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club in Lytham St. Annes, England; and Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, England.
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The Open is a unique event and is of great importance to professionals and amateur golfers alike, as well as to fans of golf. Unlike the play of other majors—which are typically contested in sunny locales in the United States—the outcome of the Open is often influenced by the weather. On a links course, morning and afternoon tee times can produce vastly different playing conditions, depending on the breeze that comes in off the sea. The weather is just one of the many unique features of the Open that combine with its long history and prestigious reputation to make it an event unparalleled in golf.
This author, who experienced a warm reception from his home crowd when he finished second to Tiger Woods at St. Andrews in 2005, looks forward to competing in the Open every year. To him, the Open is pure romance and theatre, and it truly is a special event that every golfer dreams of winning.
Colin MontgomerieThe Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
British Open winners
The table provides a list of Open winners.
British Open golf tournament—men
year
winner1
1Won by a U.K. golfer except as indicated.
2Tournament canceled because there was no award for the winner.
3Tournament canceled because of World War I.
4Tournament canceled because of World War II.
5Tournament canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
1860
Willie Park, Sr.
1861
Tom Morris, Sr.
1862
Tom Morris, Sr.
1863
Willie Park, Sr.
1864
Tom Morris, Sr.
1865
Andrew Strath
1866
Willie Park, Sr.
1867
Tom Morris, Sr.
1868
Tom Morris, Jr.
1869
Tom Morris, Jr.
1870
Tom Morris, Jr.
1871
not held2
1872
Tom Morris, Jr.
1873
Tom Kidd
1874
Mungo Park
1875
Willie Park, Sr.
1876
Bob Martin
1877
Jamie Anderson
1878
Jamie Anderson
1879
Jamie Anderson
1880
Bob Ferguson
1881
Bob Ferguson
1882
Bob Ferguson
1883
Willie Fernie
1884
Jack Simpson
1885
Bob Martin
1886
David Brown
1887
Willie Park, Jr.
1888
Jack Burns
1889
Wille Park, Jr.
1890
John Ball
1891
Hugh Kirkaldy
1892
Harold Hilton
1893
William Auchterlonie
1894
J.H. Taylor
1895
J.H. Taylor
1896
Harry Vardon
1897
Harold Hilton
1898
Harry Vardon
1899
Harry Vardon
1900
J.H. Taylor
1901
James Braid
1902
Sandy Herd
1903
Harry Vardon
1904
Jack White
1905
James Braid
1906
James Braid
1907
Arnaud Massy (France)
1908
James Braid
1909
J.H. Taylor
1910
James Braid
1911
Harry Vardon
1912
Ted Ray
1913
J.H. Taylor
1914
Harry Vardon
1915–19
not held3
1920
George Duncan
1921
Jock Hutchison (U.S.)
1922
Walter Hagen (U.S.)
1923
Arthur Havers
1924
Walter Hagen (U.S.)
1925
Jim Barnes (U.S.)
1926
Bobby Jones (U.S.)
1927
Bobby Jones (U.S.)
1928
Walter Hagen (U.S.)
1929
Walter Hagen (U.S.)
1930
Bobby Jones (U.S.)
1931
Tommy Armour (U.S.)
1932
Gene Sarazen (U.S.)
1933
Denny Shute (U.S.)
1934
Henry Cotton
1935
Alf Perry
1936
Alf Padgham
1937
Henry Cotton
1938
Reg Whitcombe
1939
Dick Burton
1940–45
not held4
1946
Sam Snead (U.S.)
1947
Fred Daly (Ire.)
1948
Henry Cotton
1949
Bobby Locke (S.Af.)
1950
Bobby Locke (S.Af.)
1951
Max Faulkner
1952
Bobby Locke (S.Af.)
1953
Ben Hogan (U.S.)
1954
Peter Thomson (Austl.)
1955
Peter Thomson (Austl.)
1956
Peter Thomson (Austl.)
1957
Bobby Locke (S.Af.)
1958
Peter Thomson (Austl.)
1959
Gary Player (S.Af.)
1960
Kel Nagle (Austl.)
1961
Arnold Palmer (U.S.)
1962
Arnold Palmer (U.S.)
1963
Bob Charles (N.Z.)
1964
Tony Lema (U.S.)
1965
Peter Thomson (Austl.)
1966
Jack Nicklaus (U.S.)
1967
Roberto de Vicenzo (Arg.)
1968
Gary Player (S.Af.)
1969
Tony Jacklin
1970
Jack Nicklaus (U.S.)
1971
Lee Trevino (U.S.)
1972
Lee Trevino (U.S.)
1973
Tom Weiskopf (U.S.)
1974
Gary Player (S.Af.)
1975
Tom Watson (U.S.)
1976
Johnny Miller (U.S.)
1977
Tom Watson (U.S.)
1978
Jack Nicklaus (U.S.)
1979
Seve Ballesteros (Spain)
1980
Tom Watson (U.S.)
1981
Bill Rogers (U.S.)
1982
Tom Watson (U.S.)
1983
Tom Watson (U.S.)
1984
Seve Ballesteros (Spain)
1985
Sandy Lyle
1986
Greg Norman (Austl.)
1987
Nick Faldo
1988
Seve Ballesteros (Spain)
1989
Mark Calcavecchia (U.S.)
1990
Nick Faldo
1991
Ian Baker-Finch (Austl.)
1992
Nick Faldo
1993
Greg Norman (Austl.)
1994
Nick Price (Zimb.)
1995
John Daly (U.S.)
1996
Tom Lehman (U.S.)
1997
Justin Leonard (U.S.)
1998
Mark O’Meara (U.S.)
1999
Paul Lawrie
2000
Tiger Woods (U.S.)
2001
David Duval (U.S.)
2002
Ernie Els (S.Af.)
2003
Ben Curtis (U.S.)
2004
Todd Hamilton (U.S.)
2005
Tiger Woods (U.S.)
2006
Tiger Woods (U.S.)
2007
Padraig Harrington (Ire.)
2008
Padraig Harrington (Ire.)
2009
Stewart Cink (U.S.)
2010
Louis Oosthuizen (S.Af.)
2011
Darren Clarke
2012
Ernie Els (S.Af.)
2013
Phil Mickelson (U.S.)
2014
Rory McIlroy
2015
Zach Johnson (U.S.)
2016
Henrik Stenson (Swed.)
2017
Jordan Spieth (U.S.)
2018
Francesco Molinari (Italy)
2019
Shane Lowry (Ire.)
2020
not held5
2021
Collin Morikawa (U.S.)
2022
Cameron Smith (Austl.)