The Open Championship is an annual golf competition held in the United Kingdom that was established in 1860. It is played on the weekend of the third Friday in July, and is the last of the four major championships to be played each year. In addition, this championship is conducted by The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A). The championship was not held in 1871 due to a disagreement over a new trophy, from 1915 to 1919 and from 1940 to 1945 due to the First and Second World Wars respectively, and in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The reigning champion of the competition is automatically invited to play in the other three majors (Masters, the U.S. Open, and the PGA Championship) for the next five years. The prize of the tournament is the Golf Champion Trophy, commonly known as the Claret Jug, and the champion personally keeps the trophy until the next competition the following year. The champion also receives a gold medal, which they are allowed to keep permanently. Until 1870 the champion received the Challenge Belt, however when Tom Morris Jr. (more commonly known as Young Tom Morris) won the Open Championship three times in a row he won the belt outright, necessitating the need for a new trophy.
Harry Vardon holds the record for the most Open Championship victories, winning six times during his career. The oldest winner of the Open Championship is Tom Morris Sr. (or Old Tom Morris) who was old when he won in 1867. His son, Tom Morris Jr., is the youngest winner of the championship, he was old when he won the 1868 Open Championship. He also won the most consecutive times with four victories (1868–1872). Henrik Stenson and Cameron Smith hold the distinction of being both the most strokes under par for 72 holes (−20), which they achieved in 2016 and 2022 respectively. Stenson also recorded the lowest total score (264) when he won in 2016. Scottie Scheffler is the current champion, winning the 2025 Open.
Champions +Key(n/a)Information not availableTournament won in a playoff*Tournament won by an amateur
By year
+The Open Championship champions Year Country Champion Course Location Total score To par1860Prestwick Golf Club174n/a1861Prestwick Golf Club163n/a1862Prestwick Golf Club163n/a1863Prestwick Golf Club168n/a1864Prestwick Golf Club167n/a1865Prestwick Golf Club162n/a1866Prestwick Golf Club169n/a1867Prestwick Golf Club170n/a1868Prestwick Golf Club154n/a1869Prestwick Golf Club157n/a1870Prestwick Golf Club149n/a1871None1872Prestwick Golf Club166n/a1873St Andrews179n/a1874Musselburgh Links159n/a1875Prestwick Golf Club166n/a1876St Andrews176n/a1877Musselburgh Links160n/a1878Prestwick Golf Club157n/a1879St Andrews169n/a1880Musselburgh Links162n/a1881Prestwick Golf Club170n/a1882St Andrews171n/a1883Musselburgh Links159n/a1884Prestwick Golf Club160n/a1885St Andrews171n/a1886Musselburgh Links157n/a1887Prestwick Golf Club161n/a1888St Andrews171n/a1889Musselburgh Links155n/a1890*Prestwick Golf Club162n/a1891St Andrews166n/a1892*Muirfield305n/a1893Prestwick Golf Club322n/a1894Royal St George's326n/a1895St Andrews332n/a1896Muirfield316n/a1897*Royal Liverpool314n/a1898Prestwick Golf Club307n/a1899Royal St George's310n/a1900St Andrews309n/a1901Muirfield309n/a1902Royal Liverpool307n/a1903Prestwick Golf Club300n/a1904Royal St George's296n/a1905St Andrews318n/a1906Muirfield300n/a1907Royal Liverpool312n/a1908Prestwick Golf Club291n/a1909Royal Cinque Ports291n/a1910St Andrews299n/a1911Royal St George's303n/a1912Muirfield295n/a1913Royal Liverpool304n/a1914Prestwick Golf Club306n/a 1915None1916None1917None1918None1919None1920Royal Cinque Ports3031921St Andrews2961922Royal St George's3001923Troon2951924Royal Liverpool3011925Prestwick Golf Club3001926*Royal Lytham & St Annes2911927*St Andrews2851928Royal St George's2921929Muirfield2921930*Royal Liverpool2911931Carnoustie2961932Prince's Golf Club2831933St Andrews2921934Royal St George's2831935Muirfield2831936Royal Liverpool2871937Carnoustie2901938Royal St George's2951939St Andrews2901940None1941None1942None1943None1944None1945None1946St Andrews2901947Royal Liverpool2931948Muirfield2841949Royal St George's2831950Troon2791951Royal Portrush2851952Royal Lytham & St Annes2871953Carnoustie2821954Royal Birkdale2831955St Andrews2811956Royal Liverpool2861957St Andrews2791958Royal Lytham & St Annes2741959Muirfield2841960St Andrews2781961Royal Birkdale2841962Troon2761963Royal Lytham & St Annes2771964St Andrews2791965Royal Birkdale2851966Muirfield2821967Royal Liverpool2781968Carnoustie2891969Royal Lytham & St Annes2801970St Andrews2831971Royal Birkdale2781972Muirfield2781973Royal Troon2761974Royal Lytham & St Annes2821975Carnoustie2791976Royal Birkdale2791977Turnberry2681978St Andrews2811979Royal Lytham & St Annes2831980Muirfield2711981Royal St George's2761982Royal Troon2841983Royal Birkdale2751984St Andrews2761985Royal St George's2821986Turnberry2801987Muirfield2791988Royal Lytham & St Annes2731989Royal Troon2751990St Andrews2701991Royal Birkdale2721992Muirfield2721993Royal St George's2671994Turnberry2681995St Andrews2821996Royal Lytham & St Annes2711997Royal Troon2721998Royal Birkdale2801999Carnoustie2902000St Andrews2692001Royal Lytham & St Annes2742002Muirfield2782003Royal St George's2832004Royal Troon2742005St Andrews2742006Royal Liverpool2702007Carnoustie2772008Royal Birkdale2832009Turnberry2782010St Andrews2722011Royal St George's2752012Royal Lytham & St Annes2732013Muirfield2812014Royal Liverpool2712015St Andrews2732016Royal Troon2642017Royal Birkdale2682018 Carnoustie2762019 Royal Portrush2692020None2021Royal St George's2652022St Andrews2682023Royal Liverpool2712024Royal Troon2752025Royal Portrush2672026Royal Birkdale270
Multiple champions +Multiple Open championship champions Golfer Total Years61896, 1898, 1899, 1903, 1911, 191451901, 1905, 1906, 1908, 191051894, 1895, 1900, 1909, 191351954, 1955, 1956, 1958, 196551975, 1977, 1980, 1982, 198341861, 1862, 1864, 186741868, 1869, 1870, 187241860, 1863, 1866, 187541922, 1924, 1928, 192941949, 1950, 1952, 195731877, 1878, 187931880, 1881, 188231926, 1927, 193031934, 1937, 194831959, 1968, 197431966, 1970, 197831979, 1984, 198831987, 1990, 199232000, 2005, 200621876, 188521887, 188921892, 189721961, 196221971, 197221986, 199322007, 200822002, 2012
By nationality +Open Championship champions by nationality Nationality Wins Winners48334122221310510472333132221111111111
Notes
References
Bibliography
External links The Open Championship official site R&A website