Open Championship winners: Every champion from 1860 to present

The month of July brings the fourth men’s professional golf major championship of the year in the Open Championship. 

The Open Championship is the oldest major golf tournament, dating back to the 19th century. A handful of links golf courses, most notably the Old Course at St. Andrews, are utilized to determine the fourth major champion.

As a result, some of the game’s best moments have come in Europe’s lone major championship every year. From Tom Watson going back and forth with Jack Nicklaus in 1977 at Turnberry for the second of five Claret Jugs to Tiger Woods shooting a major record 19-under par at St. Andrews in 2000.

Who won the Open Championship in 2024

Xander Schauffele won the Claret Jug for his second major win in 2024. In addition, Schauffele finished at 9-under par and won by two strokes. Schauffele recorded a bogey-free 6-under 65 in the final round to raise the Claret Jug.

Who won the Open Championship 2023

In 2023, Brian Harman won the Open Championship for his first major championship at Royal Liverpool. Harman utilized a second-round 65 to win by six at 13-under par over four players.

Related: Top takeaways from the 151^st Open Championship, highlighted by Brian Harman hoisting the Claret Jug

The history behind the Claret Jug

The 1871 Open Championship did not take place because the golfers at the time wanted a new trophy. This came after Tom Morris Jr. won the Challenge Belt in each of the three previous years. The Challenge Belt was made of rich Moroccan leather that was embellished with a silver buckle.

As a result, the Claret Jug was first created the following year at Prestwick but the trophy was not physically ready until 1873.

Mackay Cunningham & Company of Edinburgh made The Golf Champion Trophy, now referred to as the Claret Jug.

By 1920, the Open Championship was fully under the responsibility of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club, the R&A. Seven years later when amateur Bobby Jones won at St. Andrews, the Open Championship committee decided to keep the Claret jug in future years and present the winner with a replica.

What was the best score to win?

The lowest 72-hole score to win the Open Championship was Henrik Stenson in 2016. At Royal Troon, Stenson shot all four rounds in the 60s, highlighted by a final round 63. In addition, Stenson’s final round 63 marked the lowest final round score in tournament history.

Also read: 10 best Open Championship performances of all time

What was the largest margin to win?

Tom Morris Sr. holds the largest margin of victory in Open Championship history at 13 strokes in 1862. In addition, Tom Morris Jr. has the next two highest margins at 12 and 11 strokes.

Furthermore, the next highest margin of victory is eight, which has been accomplished four times. John Henry Taylor also did it twice in 1900 and 1913, James Braid in 1908, and Tiger Woods in 2000.   

Open Championship Winners

As a result, there’s a look at all of the past Open championship winners.

Related: LPGA Tour all-time wins list: Where does Annika Sorenstam land among her fellow golf legends?

Who has won the most Open Championships?

With there being more than 150 Open Championships and the longevity players have, they have been able to rack up multiple wins.

Harry Vardon has six Open Championships victories, including going back-to-back in 1899-99. In addition, four players in Open Championship history have won five times, including Tom Watson, who was the most recent in 1983.

With that, here is the list of the winners of the Open Championship who have hoisted the Claret Jug multiple times.

Player	Open Championship Wins	Years won
Harry Vardon	6	1896, 1898-99, 1903, 1911, 1914
James Braid	5	1901, 1905-06, 1908, 1910
John Henry Taylor	5	1894-95, 1900, 1909, 1913
Peter Thomson	5	1954-56, 1958, 1965
Tom Watson	5	1975, 1977, 1980, 1982-83
Tom Morris Sr.	4	1861-62, 1864, 1867
Tom Morris Jr.	4	1868-70, 1872
Willie Park Sr.	4	1860, 1863, 1866, 1875
Walter Hagen	4	1922, 1924, 1928-29
Bobby Locke	4	1949-50, 1952, 1957
Jamie Anderson	3	1877-79
Bob Ferguson	3	1880-82
Bobby Jones	3	1926-27, 1930
Henry Cotton	3	1934, 1937, 1948
Gary Player	3	1959, 1968, 1974
Jack Nicklaus	3	1966, 1970, 1978
Seve Ballesteros	3	1979, 1984, 1988
Nick Faldo	3	1987, 1990, 1992
Tiger Woods	3	2000, 2005-06
Bob Martin	2	1876, 1885
Willie Park Jr.	2	1887, 1889
Harold Hilton	2	1892, 1897
Arnold Palmer	2	1961-62
Lee Trevino	2	1971-72
Greg Norman	2	1986, 1993
Padraig Harrington	2	2007-08
Ernie Els	2	2002, 2012