The Open Championship has been won more times by Harry Vardon than any other golfer in history. Vardon claimed the Claret Jug six times between 1896 and 1914, a record that still stands today. The 2025 champion is Scottie Scheffler, who won at Royal Portrush at -17. Below you will find every Open winner from the first playing at Prestwick in 1860 through the present day, plus key records and tournament history.
Open Championship Key Records
- Most wins: Harry Vardon with 6 titles (1896, 1898, 1899, 1903, 1911, 1914)
- Most wins (modern era): Tom Watson with 5 titles (1975, 1977, 1980, 1982, 1983)
- Youngest winner: Young Tom Morris, age 17, in 1868
- Oldest winner: Tom Morris Sr., age 46, in 1867
- Most consecutive wins: Young Tom Morris won 4 straight from 1868 to 1872
- Largest winning margin: Young Tom Morris won by 13 strokes at Prestwick in 1870
- First non-British winner: Arnaud Massy of France in 1907 at Royal Liverpool
- Tiger Woods: Won 3 Open titles (2000, 2005, 2006), including a dominant 8-stroke victory at St Andrews in 2000
About The Open Championship
The Open Championship is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf, first contested in 1860 at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. It is the only major played outside the United States, rotating among a select group of seaside links courses across England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland known as the Open rota.
The winner receives the Claret Jug, officially called the Golf Champion Trophy. First awarded in 1873, the Claret Jug is one of the most iconic trophies in sports.
Every Open Championship Winner (1860 - 2025)
The championship was not contested in 1871 (no trophy after Young Tom Morris's third straight win), 1915-1919 (World War I), 1940-1945 (World War II), and 2020 (COVID-19 pandemic).
| Year | Winner | Country | Course |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Scottie Scheffler | USA | Royal Portrush |
| 2024 | Xander Schauffele | USA | Royal Troon |
| 2023 | Brian Harman | USA | Royal Liverpool |
| 2022 | Cameron Smith | Australia | St Andrews |
| 2021 | Collin Morikawa | USA | Royal St George's |
| 2020 | Not held (COVID-19) | ||
| 2019 | Shane Lowry | Ireland | Royal Portrush |
| 2018 | Francesco Molinari | Italy | Carnoustie |
| 2017 | Jordan Spieth | USA | Royal Birkdale |
| 2016 | Henrik Stenson | Sweden | Royal Troon |
| 2015 | Zach Johnson | USA | St Andrews |
| 2014 | Rory McIlroy | Northern Ireland | Royal Liverpool |
| 2013 | Phil Mickelson | USA | Muirfield |
| 2012 | Ernie Els | South Africa | Royal Lytham & St Annes |
| 2011 | Darren Clarke | Northern Ireland | Royal St George's |
| 2010 | Louis Oosthuizen | South Africa | St Andrews |
| 2009 | Stewart Cink | USA | Turnberry |
| 2008 | Pádraig Harrington | Ireland | Royal Birkdale |
| 2007 | Pádraig Harrington | Ireland | Carnoustie |
| 2006 | Tiger Woods | USA | Royal Liverpool |
| 2005 | Tiger Woods | USA | St Andrews |
| 2004 | Todd Hamilton | USA | Royal Troon |
| 2003 | Ben Curtis | USA | Royal St George's |
| 2002 | Ernie Els | South Africa | Muirfield |
| 2001 | David Duval | USA | Royal Lytham & St Annes |
| 2000 | Tiger Woods | USA | St Andrews |
| 1999 | Paul Lawrie | Scotland | Carnoustie |
| 1998 | Mark O'Meara | USA | Royal Birkdale |
| 1997 | Justin Leonard | USA | Royal Troon |
| 1996 | Tom Lehman | USA | Royal Lytham & St Annes |
| 1995 | John Daly | USA | St Andrews |
| 1994 | Nick Price | Zimbabwe | Turnberry |
| 1993 | Greg Norman | Australia | Royal St George's |
| 1992 | Nick Faldo | England | Muirfield |
| 1991 | Ian Baker-Finch | Australia | Royal Birkdale |
| 1990 | Nick Faldo | England | St Andrews |
| 1989 | Mark Calcavecchia | USA | Royal Troon |
| 1988 | Seve Ballesteros | Spain | Royal Lytham & St Annes |
| 1987 | Nick Faldo | England | Muirfield |
| 1986 | Greg Norman | Australia | Turnberry |
| 1985 | Sandy Lyle | Scotland | Royal St George's |
| 1984 | Seve Ballesteros | Spain | St Andrews |
| 1983 | Tom Watson | USA | Royal Birkdale |
| 1982 | Tom Watson | USA | Royal Troon |
| 1981 | Bill Rogers | USA | Royal St George's |
| 1980 | Tom Watson | USA | Muirfield |
| 1979 | Seve Ballesteros | Spain | Royal Lytham & St Annes |
| 1978 | Jack Nicklaus | USA | St Andrews |
| 1977 | Tom Watson | USA | Turnberry |
| 1976 | Johnny Miller | USA | Royal Birkdale |
| 1975 | Tom Watson | USA | Carnoustie |
| 1974 | Gary Player | South Africa | Royal Lytham & St Annes |
| 1973 | Tom Weiskopf | USA | Royal Troon |
| 1972 | Lee Trevino | USA | Muirfield |
| 1971 | Lee Trevino | USA | Royal Birkdale |
| 1970 | Jack Nicklaus | USA | St Andrews |
| 1969 | Tony Jacklin | England | Royal Lytham & St Annes |
| 1968 | Gary Player | South Africa | Carnoustie |
| 1967 | Roberto De Vicenzo | Argentina | Royal Liverpool |
| 1966 | Jack Nicklaus | USA | Muirfield |
| 1965 | Peter Thomson | Australia | Royal Birkdale |
| 1964 | Tony Lema | USA | St Andrews |
| 1963 | Bob Charles | New Zealand | Royal Lytham & St Annes |
| 1962 | Arnold Palmer | USA | Troon |
| 1961 | Arnold Palmer | USA | Royal Birkdale |
| 1960 | Kel Nagle | Australia | St Andrews |
| 1959 | Gary Player | South Africa | Muirfield |
| 1958 | Peter Thomson | Australia | Royal Lytham & St Annes |
| 1957 | Bobby Locke | South Africa | St Andrews |
| 1956 | Peter Thomson | Australia | Royal Liverpool |
| 1955 | Peter Thomson | Australia | St Andrews |
| 1954 | Peter Thomson | Australia | Royal Birkdale |
| 1953 | Ben Hogan | USA | Carnoustie |
| 1952 | Bobby Locke | South Africa | Royal Lytham & St Annes |
| 1951 | Max Faulkner | England | Royal Portrush |
| 1950 | Bobby Locke | South Africa | Troon |
| 1949 | Bobby Locke | South Africa | Royal St George's |
| 1948 | Henry Cotton | England | Muirfield |
| 1947 | Fred Daly | Northern Ireland | Royal Liverpool |
| 1946 | Sam Snead | USA | St Andrews |
| 1940-1945 | Not held (World War II) | ||
| 1939 | Dick Burton | England | St Andrews |
| 1938 | Reg Whitcombe | England | Royal St George's |
| 1937 | Henry Cotton | England | Carnoustie |
| 1936 | Alf Padgham | England | Royal Liverpool |
| 1935 | Alf Perry | England | Muirfield |
| 1934 | Henry Cotton | England | Royal St George's |
| 1933 | Denny Shute | USA | St Andrews |
| 1932 | Gene Sarazen | USA | Prince's |
| 1931 | Tommy Armour | USA | Carnoustie |
| 1930 | Bobby Jones | USA | Royal Liverpool |
| 1929 | Walter Hagen | USA | Muirfield |
| 1928 | Walter Hagen | USA | Royal St George's |
| 1927 | Bobby Jones | USA | St Andrews |
| 1926 | Bobby Jones | USA | Royal Lytham & St Annes |
| 1925 | Jim Barnes | England | Prestwick |
| 1924 | Walter Hagen | USA | Royal Liverpool |
| 1923 | Arthur Havers | England | Troon |
| 1922 | Walter Hagen | USA | Royal St George's |
| 1921 | Jock Hutchison | USA | St Andrews |
| 1920 | George Duncan | Scotland | Royal Cinque Ports |
| 1915-1919 | Not held (World War I) | ||
| 1914 | Harry Vardon | Jersey | Prestwick |
| 1913 | John Henry Taylor | England | Royal Liverpool |
| 1912 | Ted Ray | Jersey | Muirfield |
| 1911 | Harry Vardon | Jersey | Royal St George's |
| 1910 | James Braid | Scotland | St Andrews |
| 1909 | John Henry Taylor | England | Royal Cinque Ports |
| 1908 | James Braid | Scotland | Prestwick |
| 1907 | Arnaud Massy | France | Royal Liverpool |
| 1906 | James Braid | Scotland | Muirfield |
| 1905 | James Braid | Scotland | St Andrews |
| 1904 | Jack White | Scotland | Royal St George's |
| 1903 | Harry Vardon | Jersey | Prestwick |
| 1902 | Sandy Herd | Scotland | Royal Liverpool |
| 1901 | James Braid | Scotland | Muirfield |
| 1900 | John Henry Taylor | England | St Andrews |
| 1899 | Harry Vardon | Jersey | Royal St George's |
| 1898 | Harry Vardon | Jersey | Prestwick |
| 1897 | Harold Hilton | England | Royal Liverpool |
| 1896 | Harry Vardon | Jersey | Muirfield |
| 1895 | John Henry Taylor | England | St Andrews |
| 1894 | John Henry Taylor | England | Royal St George's |
| 1893 | William Auchterlonie | Scotland | Prestwick |
| 1892 | Harold Hilton | England | Muirfield |
| 1891 | Hugh Kirkaldy | Scotland | St Andrews |
| 1890 | John Ball | England | Prestwick |
| 1889 | Willie Park Jr. | Scotland | Musselburgh |
| 1888 | Jack Burns | Scotland | St Andrews |
| 1887 | Willie Park Jr. | Scotland | Prestwick |
| 1886 | David Brown | Scotland | Musselburgh |
| 1885 | Bob Martin | Scotland | St Andrews |
| 1884 | Jack Simpson | Scotland | Prestwick |
| 1883 | Willie Fernie | Scotland | Musselburgh |
| 1882 | Bob Ferguson | Scotland | St Andrews |
| 1881 | Bob Ferguson | Scotland | Prestwick |
| 1880 | Bob Ferguson | Scotland | Musselburgh |
| 1879 | Jamie Anderson | Scotland | St Andrews |
| 1878 | Jamie Anderson | Scotland | Prestwick |
| 1877 | Jamie Anderson | Scotland | Musselburgh |
| 1876 | Bob Martin | Scotland | St Andrews |
| 1875 | Willie Park Sr. | Scotland | Prestwick |
| 1874 | Mungo Park | Scotland | Musselburgh |
| 1873 | Tom Kidd | Scotland | St Andrews |
| 1872 | Tom Morris Jr. | Scotland | Prestwick |
| 1871 | Not held | ||
| 1870 | Tom Morris Jr. | Scotland | Prestwick |
| 1869 | Tom Morris Jr. | Scotland | Prestwick |
| 1868 | Tom Morris Jr. | Scotland | Prestwick |
| 1867 | Tom Morris Sr. | Scotland | Prestwick |
| 1866 | Willie Park Sr. | Scotland | Prestwick |
| 1865 | Andrew Strath | Scotland | Prestwick |
| 1864 | Tom Morris Sr. | Scotland | Prestwick |
| 1863 | Willie Park Sr. | Scotland | Prestwick |
| 1862 | Tom Morris Sr. | Scotland | Prestwick |
| 1861 | Tom Morris Sr. | Scotland | Prestwick |
| 1860 | Willie Park Sr. | Scotland | Prestwick |